Francitas School
 

SCHOOL TO OPEN
Board of Trustees to Open School the First Week in September.--Prof. Albert Peterson, Teacher

U. C. Street, secretary of the board of trustees, announced Tuesday that school would be opened the first week in September, with Professor Albert Peterson of Reynolds, as teacher.

The new building will not be completed by that time, but the board will secure suitable quarters so there will be no delay in getting the school under way.

Prof. Peterson has for a number of years taught in Reynolds. He holds a life certificate and comes to Francitas well recommended. He recently visited in this city where he owns property and at that time made personal application for the school. He favorably impressed the board and was selected to do what will be the most important work of the new community. Mr. Peterson and his family are expected to arrive here most any time now and he will take the examination in Edna previous to opening the session.

Inasmuch as there are many grades represented among the school children of Francitas, the work of organizing the school will be most important and Professor Peterson will need the cooperation of the entire community if he is to make a success of his work.

The plans for the new building are now in the hands of the architect for specifications and when they are returned the contract for the building will be let.

Francitas Bee, August 10, 1911

Notice to Contractors

Sealed bids will be received by the school board of Francitas up to 2 o'clock P. M. August 26, for the construction of a brick school house in the city of Francitas, Texas. Plans and specifications for examination on file with the undersigned. The board reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

U. C. Street, Sec., Francitas, Texas.

Francitas Bee, August 17, 1911
 

Contract Let
Brick School House to be Built by S. S. Kiehl a Francitas Property Owner

The school board met Saturday afternoon and let the contract for the construction of the new brick school house to S. S. Kiehl a Francitas property owner. The highest bid was $5,500, but the work was let to Mr. Kiehl for $3,200. At this time only 3 rooms and library will be constructed, but the plans call for the most original school house in the gulf coast country.

The building will be of the mission style, one story and perfectly arranged for light and ventilation and safety of the pupil. The plans were drawn by Architect Pierce of San Antonio who drew the plans for the new church building. Mr. Pierce, though a young man has demonstrated by the plans he has drawn for buildings in Francitas that he is one of the most original architects in the state of Texas.

Mr. Kiehl, who has been sojourning for some months in Palacios, will come to Francitas next week and stake out the grounds for the building and it will be rushed to completion. The school house will be built on block 89.

Francitas Bee, August 31, 1911
 

School Opens Monday  

Francitas district school will open Monday with Professor Rufus Kingham at the head. The school board will construct a temporary school house this week which will be used until the new building is completed

When the school census was taken some time ago there were 49 children of school age in the district but at this time there are many more than that number here.

Francitas Bee, September  7, 1911

Temporary School House

Every carpenter in town is invited to participate in the raising of the temporary school house next Friday. This is to be a labor of love, but the satisfaction one will have years later in recalling to his children and his children's children that he helped raise the first school house in Francitas will be worth more than a day's wages.

Francitas Bee, September 7, 1911
 

SCHOOL OPENS
Professor R. S. Kingham Starts Francitas Public School With Attendance of 30.

The Francitas public school opened Monday morning with an attendance of 30, with Professor R. S. Kingham formerly of Nebraska as teacher.

For temporary use of the board of trustees secured the Joines brothers hall over their store and this will used until the new building is completed.

The grades from one to seven inclusive are represented.

There was no spread nor sputter about the opening. Professor Kingham made a short talk to the pupils and at once set about classifying them into grades. In as much as the books did not arrive until Tuesday and then only in limited number, this week will be devoted to a classification of the pupils and it is probably it will be next week or later before the school will be able to get down to real hard work--in so far as the pupils are concerned.

Professor Kingham has had years of experience in many of the good schools of Nebraska and comes to Francitas well recommended. In fact since his residence here he has proven that he is a worthy man for the place and with the help and encouragement of the parents of the pupils he will make a splendid school here. His will be a hard work, but he is going at it with energy and he will receive the help of the community.

Francitas Bee, September 14, 1911
 

Contract Let.

The school trustees let the contract for the new school house Saturday afternoon to Messrs. Keihl and Pfeiffer at College Port. Only three rooms and a library will be constructed at this time, the price to be $4,000. The building is to be of brick, one story, and the plans call for one of the most original, well ventilated and well lighted buildings in the country.

Work will be started at once and it is expected the building will be finished within 60 or 75 days.

Francitas Bee, September 14, 1911
 

BLOCK 66
School Board Will Change Location of School to Get it Away From Business

A telegram was received by Ralph C. Young, president of the school board from W. F. Schwind to the effect that if the board desired it the south half of Block 66 could be secured instead of block 89 for the location of the new school building. Mr. Schwind had made arrangements to transfer the lots in the south half of 66 for lots in block 89, because in the opinion of many block 89 is too close to the stores and the business part of town.

The new location is a block north and a block east of the present site and it is located on Lincoln avenue, a block from the church.

Material has begun to arrive for the building and work will start at once.

Palacios Bee, September 21, 1911
 

Miss Papineau will assist Prof. Kingham in the school.

S. G. Moore has been appointed a member of the school board and its secretary to take the place of U. C. Street, who recently resigned. One good man takes the place of another.

Francitas Bee, October 19, 1911
 

Back Row: 1-Lillie Lorraine Joines, 2-Marvin Joines?, 3-Thelma Linton
Front Row: 2-J. T. Joines, 5-Flossie Linton, 6-John Edward Martin, 7-Phillip Manning, Jr.?

If you can identify anyone, please email.
 

If you can identify anyone, please email.