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Wayside
School
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, April 2004 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Founded in 1893
as a rural school district, the town was known as Beulah for
a daughter of the family who donated land for the school. With the
arrival of the post office in 1897, the postmistress changed the name
to Wayside.
Cowboys of the JA Ranch (see Goodnight)
were the areas first settlers and Wayside became a supply point -
first for the cowboys and later for farmers when irrigation made farming
feasible.
The community had 40 residents in 1940. This expanded to 100 by the
late 60s, but in 1969 it suddenly dropped to only thirty-six. From
1970 to 1990 the population was listed as forty. In 2000, the population
was 35. |
WAYSIDE SCHOOL
& PLAYGROUND
by David Higgins
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"Wayside
school, is in the SW corner of Armstrong
County.
Each district having only one school and covering approximately 100
square miles."
- David Higgins, Lubbock, Texas,
September 2005 |
The school sign
reads "Wayside #7" which apparently signifies the seventh school district
in the county.
Photo
courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
This was the
only schoolhouse we have seen so far that still had the blackboards.
Photo
courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
The trophy case
contained banners, ribbons and trophies, all from the 30's & 40's
and mostly for boys & girls basketball achievement.
Photo
courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
Merry-go-round
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
The playground
equipment is still intact, including a functional merry-go-round and
seesaw.
Photo
courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
The building
is still in good shape and appears to be an "occasional" community
center.
Photo
courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005 |
Wayside, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Wayside School
I was surfing the web and came across your magazine showing the
Wayside School and it's surroundings. I was raised in Wayside. My
mother and dad were Charles and Inabelle Kennedy. I was also related
to the Stocketts and Fishers. Most of my family is buried at Wayside.
I lived there from 1945 until leaving for college in 1963. My parents
sold the farm in 1972. The school pictures bring back so many memories.
I have done a lot of math and spelling on those blackboards. I was
in school there from 1952 through 1958. After that I attended the
8th-12th grades in Happy, Texas Public Schools. I have been gone
from the area since attending college at Texas Tech in 1963 but
I do occasionally return to visit and to enjoy the Palo Dura Canyon
north of Wayside where I spent most of my childhood roaming the
canyons either on foot or horseback hunting and enjoying the outdoors.
Oh, if life were only as simple now as it was then. We had things
so good then. Thanks again for bringing back some wonderful memories.
- Richard Kennedy, Lewis, Kansas, December 28, 2007
Subject:
Growing up in Wayside
I enjoyed the article about Wayside. My mother, Alice and I lived
there with my Aunt Alene and Uncle Man (J.E) Littlefield for a while.
I attended school there in the building shown, was the only fourth
grader there, shared upper grade room. Ate my first "commodity"
school lunch in a lunch room above the gym prepared by mothers,
ate lots of sour (cabbage) and drank lots of grapefruit juice, played
baseball (though I didn't want to) and made some friends. Attended
the church that was a combination congregation alternated Sundays.
One winter the snow was DEEP, the cattle walked out of the fields
over the fences and the clothes line in the back yard was almost
under. I had to bend to touch it.
Played pilot on a tractor with my cousin, James Eugene Littlefield,
who went on to be an aeronautical engineer and recently went back
to work after retiring (twice). Smart man. Lives in Arlington now.
I could ramble on and on. Like most old ladies. This is meant just
to 'Thank You' for the memories of a good place to grow up in. -
Jean Jennings, Amarillo,
Texas, April 23, 2005
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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