Cotulla's First School
Cotulla, La Salle County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The International and Great Northern Railroad developed Cotulla in 1881, and the first school opened on this site in 1885, with classes for primary, intermediate and advanced .J.M. Gunning and E.A. Williams were the first teachers. Lightning struck the first schoolhouse and it burned to the ground. A former house, with the porch removed and a bell added, was moved to this site and used for the next school building. County teacher institutes and summer normal schools were held here during summer months. The site served Cotulla’s Caucasian schoolchildren until a new brick school was built on Tilden Street in 1908. (2009)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After the International and Great Northern Railroad platted Cotulla in 1881, the town's first school opened on this site in 1885 with primary, intermediate, and advanced classes under teachers J.M. Gunning and E.A. Williams. Lightning burned the original schoolhouse, and a converted house with an added bell served as its replacement, also hosting teacher institutes and summer normal schools. The building served the town's white schoolchildren until a new brick school opened on Tilden Street in 1908.
Why it matters
The school traces the early growth of a South Texas railroad town, while its record of separate schooling reflects the racial divisions built into Texas education of the era.
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Themes & tags
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