WHARTON COUNTY HISTORICAL

LIFE IN A BLACK SCHOOL IN 1930


This page transcribed by Janet Barrett Hobizal May 2007,

From a typed copy found in the Wharton County Historical Museum files. Titled: Stories of Early Wharton, Written by the Fourth and Fifth Grade Social Studies Classes of Mrs. Billings.


Life in a Black School in 1930

(Told by Mrs. Ethel G. Ross to Leslie Moses)

In the early days we had only the first three grades. The Black school teacher made very little pay in the early days. Vert few teachers had cars or nice homes because they made very small pay.

In school, we never had a new book or a new desk. The school house was never warm. They had coal heat and never enough because the stoves were always out. In our all black school we had no science, the only subjects taught were reading, writing and arithmetic.

Our school burned down in 1936. I was in the sixth grade. I heard we were going to school at the Fair Grounds. There were some good buildings. I was sure we were going to school in them. By the way, those buildings are still there today. I know you are not going to believe this, but I went to school in animal pens on a dirt floor with very little heat in the cold winter weather.


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