Van Alstyne, Texas

If the walls of the Samaria Baptist Church could talk they would tell an important and rich history of the African American community of Van Alstyne.  Long before the current church membership moved into the building, it was located on the Booker T. Washington Elementary and Junior High Schools of Van Alstyne. Until the school's creation, the African American children of the area attended school in the old Masonic Hall which no longer exists, but was once located just east of the First United Methodist Church in Van Alstyne. In 1930, a local contractor, Eli Gentry, erected the two-room building located just behind what is now the East Field ballpark.
Van Alstyne native Jeannette Stinnett Murphy was a student in both school locations and vividly recalls when the building was complete and they were able to move into the new structure. "There were two rooms separated by blackboards that would rise up to make one big room," Murphy remembers.  "We had a stage area with a beautiful canvas curtain that we used for plays."
Before indoor plumbing, the boys' outhouse was on the west side and the girls' outhouse was on the east side of the schoolhouse.  She remembers fondly some of the teachers from the school: Lucille Hunt, William Hill and Alexander Bates.
"We walked to school everyday," Murphy said. "The school bus didn't pick us up, although it passed us on its way to pick up the white children."
The books were "hand-me-downs from the white school"; therefore most of what was taught was not current but dated material. "We had no cafeteria and so we always brown-bagged it," Murphy recalled.  A cafeteria was later added and lunch was prepared at the Van Alstyne schools and transported to Washington school everyday.
Funding was low, the school had no gymnasium and the children had to find ways to occupy their free time, however, the outdoor basketball court proved beneficial to both the boys and girls.  "We played basketball and you couldn't beat us." Murphy recalls with a smile.  "Our boys and girls teams were so good we were invited to many of the tournaments in the area, Sherman, Denison, Pilot Point, and we had many trophies to show for it."
The school colors were blue and gold and although there wasn't a mascot, their school motto was "Take the T out of can't."  Most of the students who graduated from Booker T. Washington went on to Sherman or Denison to complete their high school education.  Graduating in 1941 with 13 members of her class, Murphy is only one of two girls from her class still living.  The valedictorian of her class, Billie Jean Clewis, currently lives in Dallas with her husband.  Other Washington students remembered were Johnny B. Perry, D.W.Murphy, Arthur Lee Jordan and Earl J. Ryan, all who served during World War II.
It was 1966, when the Van Alstyne schools were integrated.  "There were mixed feelings about desegregation because to tell the truth, during that time the community would have been happy to be separate if it had been equal, but it wasn't, it wasn't at all," Murphy said.
Remembering how some of her 10 children, who changed schools during the desegregation period felt during that time she said, "It was hard at first for them to get along because even though they moved the children, they didn't move the teachers."
Thirty-six years have passed since the desegregation of public schools and many changes have taken place.  The school bus now stops for all children, who may need a ride to school and all literature used is current and up to date for all students.  Hot lunches, indoor plumbing and high tech computers are a part of every child's daily routine within the Van Alstyne Independent School District.  The trophy case is full of trophies won by both black and white students who play together as a team and perhaps the school motto should still be, "Take the T out of can't." it seems to have served many Van Alstyne residents well.  

Booker T. Washington School History

Schools
Susan Hawkins
© 2024

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