Moore School
Big Spring, Howard County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1906 a group of pioneers arrived on the frontier north of Big Spring to take advantage of rancher Sid Moore's offer to sell land to farmers. Four acres were set aside, and a one-room school was built in 1906. The first school term, with one teacher and fifteen students, lasted six months. A second teacher was hired in 1908, and a curtain was used to partition the classrooms. Both school and community were named in honor of Moore. The school became the center of community activities, and on one occasion a double wedding was held on the front steps. The school trustees, besides serving as administrators, took care of repairs and maintenance work. A residence for teachers was added in 1933, and a 1934 bond election provided funds to enlarge the school and build a gymnasium. The school and community experienced some hard times, and the year 1917 is remembered as one of the worst. Young men were lost to World War I, and an influenza epidemic devastated the community. On February 26, 1945, the school and adjoining buildings were destroyed by fire. The school was never rebuilt, and the district was discontinued and partitioned as required by the Gilmer-Aiken School Law in 1949. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1906 pioneers moved onto the frontier north of Big Spring to buy farmland from rancher Sid Moore, and a one-room school rose the same year, its first term serving fifteen students. School and community both took Moore's name, and the building became the hub of local life—even hosting a double wedding on its front steps. Hard years followed, including 1917's loss of young men to World War I and a devastating influenza epidemic, and a 1945 fire finally closed the school for good.
Why it matters
The school captures the hopeful, precarious life of West Texas farm settlements carved out of open ranchland in the early twentieth century.
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Related people
- · Sid Moore
Themes & tags
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