Springlake-Earth School
Earth, Lamb County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(in 202-square-mile district) Opened 1908 as one-room school, Springlake became an independent district in 1924 when Halsell ranch land was sold to settlers and local population increased. Enlarged school opened 1925 in new $30,000 brick structure on site bought from J. F. Kelley. E. C. Martin was superintendent; Otis Brown, M. E. Cleavinger, Earl Hewitt, Arthur Edwards, George Linville, H. M. Packard, W. C. White, trustees. Band and football squad were organized and school paper begun in 1928. Enrolment, curriculum and school plant continue to expand. "Earth" was added to the school name in March 1964. (1972)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Springlake opened in 1908 as a one-room school on the High Plains and became an independent district in 1924 as Halsell ranch land was sold to settlers and the population grew. A new $30,000 brick building opened in 1925, and by 1928 the school had a band, a football squad, and its own paper. "Earth" joined the name in 1964, honoring the nearby town.
Why it matters
The growth of a prairie schoolhouse into a full district traces how ranchland gave way to settled farming communities across the Texas Panhandle.
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Themes & tags
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