Wichita Falls High School
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Evolving out of three private schools founded in 1879, the first public school in Wichita Falls opened in 1880 in a log cabin. Five years later the former Wichita County Courthouse was relocated to Tenth and Scott streets for use as a school. The first Wichita Falls High School was built in 1890, and in 1892 the first graduating class, consisting of five students, received diplomas. After undergoing several reorganizations, the Wichita Falls Independent School District was chartered by the Texas Legislature in 1908. A new high school was built and opened in September 1910. Construction of the high school building on Avenue H began on April 24, 1923. The high school changed from an eleven-year curriculum to a twelve-year plan in 1940. Additions to the building occurred in 1953, 1956, and 1977. Since its initial graduating class of five, the student population of Wichita Falls High School has continued to increase. By 1936 4,507 students had graduated from the school. Among the institution's former students are legislators, doctors, attorneys, ministers, entertainers, and business people. The school continues to be a vital part of the community. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Public education in Wichita Falls began humbly in an 1880 log cabin, growing out of three private schools founded the year before. A relocated former courthouse served as an early schoolhouse, and the first true high school opened in 1890, graduating a class of just five in 1892. After the district was chartered by the Texas Legislature in 1908, the school expanded steadily, moving into a new building on Avenue H in the 1920s and shaping generations of the city's leaders.
Why it matters
Its steady growth from a log cabin to a large public high school mirrors the rise of universal public education across small-city America.
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Themes & tags
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