EARLY SCHOOLS OF DUBLIN, TEXAS
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VERY soon in its life as a community the little settlement of ‘-‘Doubling” began to pay attention to educational matters. In 1859 the tiny collection of pioneers augmented by the removal from Cow creek of the families of Wm. (Big" Bill) Keith and G. W. O’Neal, about twenty in number, had its very first school under the management of Mrs. Sarah Keith O’Neal. This bride, for -he had married C. M. O’Neal on Jul^/ 4, 1859, thus inaugurated the schools of what we call Dublin. Succeeding’ her came her uncle, “Jim” Keith. This man is worthy of special mention, because he was possessed of a true pedagogic spirit.
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At that time the same Indians, who had by their “full o’ the moon” horse-stealing raids, broken up the Cow creek homes, and driven them to Resley’s creek, because more convenient for “doubling up,” rendered it very unsafe for children to traverse the prairies alone. Two miles east of Dublin lived a widow, Mrs. Burnett, who wished to send her children to this school — “everybody, big and little, old and young, was going to it.” “Jim” Keith trudged over that two miles each morning and afternoon that these fatherless children might be accompanied to school, and kept safe from the red marauders over whose fresh trails they often passed.
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Very primitive and crude were the equipment of the day but they did the best they could. They provided a log: school room, added to it when needed. The earth supplied the floor, and log's split in two — puncheons — furnished the seats. The infant town of Stephanville, and the more distant one of Meridian, were the depots for supplies of ’‘blue-backed spellers,"’ “Smith’s Grammars,” and “Modern Geographies.’' On a teacher’s certificate a few years later than this immediate period, one will find the subjects, ‘‘Spanish, French, and German.”
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Three of these log school houses were used at different times — one under the big live oaks now standing not far from Nick Keith’s former home; one in Nick Keith’s yard, to be used as his kitchen when not required for school; and one over in what is now a bare field, but the location is still determined by an old well, being where “Grandpa Keith” once lived. If needed for a dwelling the teacher and pupils moved out beneath the convenient live oaks.
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One of these earliest teachers, Miss Adelia Burnett, still lives with us as Mrs. Blackstock, and delights to recall the experiences of those days. Mr. Elliott was also among the early school masters.
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In 1876 Mr. Wm. Keith and his good wife bought the lumber, having it hauled from the three nearest big towns — Waco, Fort Worth and Dallas — and gave it to the town, after having the two storied frame structure erected. It was the Baptist church, but furnished with desks and seats for school use. The second story was a Masonic hall. The bell, bought in St. Louis, and brought on train free of charge to Port Worth, was also their gift. This historic bell perished in the flames which destroyed the Baptist church on the night of January 10, 1913.
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In this house Mr. Morris taught the first public school in Dublin. He was succeeded by Mrs. Cannon, who here taught one hundred and one pupils, assisted by four of them — Misses Cava Coleman, Josie Arthur, Joe Leslie, and Pallie Keith, now Mrs. Ben Higginbotham of Stephenville. She was followed by Miss Mina Everette, whose dramatic conversion from an atheistic belief to a fervent, active missionary spirit and life, forms one of the principal events in the religious history of Dublin. There were a few teachers whose names I have not been able to obtain. Rev. Ruben Ross, for a long time pastor of the Baptist church, was at one time teacher in the school in the years immediately following the Civil war.
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The school in the old town ceased to have a separate existence when the Port Worth & Rio Grande (now Frisco) right-of-way passing- through the school building caused its removal and destruction. Messrs. Wiley and Gibson were among the latest teachers there.
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One of the first schools on the north side of the Central railroad was taught by a Mr. Pelham. Several of his pupils are in Dublin now, and delight to recall his custom of wearing carpet slippers, which were convenient to hurl at any offending culprit, accompanied by dire threats, never executed.
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In 1883 Rev. Mr. Mcllhany taught in the unpainted “box” building recently purchased from the Presbyterians by the Baptists. He was assisted by Miss Willie Durham, now Mrs. John W. Higginbotham. A curtain divided the space into two rooms. The spring of 1884, Miss May Caswell, afterwards Mrs. J. H. Latham, taught a private school of three months in the same building.
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The Dublin Public school may be said to have had its birth in September, 1884, when Rev. J. L. Lattimore was employed for a ten months’ term by the trustees — P. C. Oldham, W. B. Davis, W. J. Davies, Joe Bishop and A. W. Townsend. Mr. Lattimore was assisted by his wife, Mrs. S. C. Lattimore, and daughter, Kate, now Mrs. R. B. Spencer, of Waco. Under the direction of Mr. Lattimore, in 1896, ground was purchased and a two-storied, four-room building erected. This structure was afterward enlarged by the addition of six more rooms and was used until its destruction by fire in 1903.
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In 1901 the present handsome structure replaced the rather unsightly old house, which, however, had served long and well.
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In 1886 Mr. W. J. Clay became superintendent and held his office many years. Succeeding him have been C. G. Foust, E. I. Hall, G. II, Read and J. W. Dunlap. The progress of the school has been continuous and gratifying, and we “know not what it shall be.”