Deadwood Schools
(Note: This school was beside the present day FM 31 S, just a short distance south of the intersection with FM 2517. It would have been approximately where the Old Prospect Cemetery exists today on the east side of the highway.)The earliest subscription school in what is now called Deadwood was at Old Prospect in the early 1850's.
H.C. LaGrone attended this school and described it to his children. "Prospect was housed in a log cabin 18 feet by 20 feet. In one end of this building was a large fireplace, in the other a door. There was no floor, but the ground, and the seats were benches made of split logs - the split surface hewed smooth and turned up, with pegs of convenient lengths fastened in the ends for legs. There were no maps, charts or blackboards ... the scholar's school equipment consisted of a slate, a blue back speller, an arithmetic book and a reader."
On Oct 31, 1859, T.J. Woodall donated a plot of land for a school. "I, T.J. Woodall ... do hereby donate ... unto William McDaniel, Andrew J. LaGrone and James F. Elliott and their successors as trustees of the Woodall School House, to have and to hold forever in fee simple, three acres of land, situated in the County of Panola and State of Texas; it being part of the Headright of E.W. Gibbs, known as the tract of land belonging to T.J. Woodall ... to have and to hold for purposes of a school house and church, and for no other purposes."
This land could have been the very plot on which the school called Prospect stood, as the church which was built there was called Prospect. The locality would have been about the same, and the community was not named Deadwood until the Post Office came in 1882. Before that time it was called "Linus". The Woodall School already stood on the ground before the owner gave it to the community.
No evidence was shown on any County records that any schools were operated in rural areas during the years of the Civil War. Soon after the War ended new records showed the antagonistic feelings of the citizens. A new deed was given for the same plot on which the Woodall School/Prospect School stood, but with some changes. The new deed was signed on Nov. 12, 1865 and filed on Nov. 30, 1865, after which it was recorded in Deed Book H, page 540. This deed was made by Henry Bates and his wife, A.C. Bates, to the school trustees, William Grisham, Paschal Bounds and William McDaniel.
The new stipulations were spelled out quite distinctly, "Said donation conditioned for purpose of the establishing a public school for the white population; and a church house of Free Communion with all Denominations of Religions incident to white people; to the exclusion in each department of purpose aforesaid of the colored people of African descent and it is herein understood this if said purpose be perverted from this intention expressed, by the colored population, then the said land and premises revert back and rest within the said A.C. Bates and heirs of said T.J. Woodall, now deceased, upon paying a fair consideration for all improvements thereon." Witnesses to the signing of this deed were J.P. Mason, William Grisham and Benson A. Dunn.
In 1871 a public meeting was held in the community with citizens meeting at a spring near Thomas D. Morris' house. Trustees were elected for the purpose of building a house near said spring ... to be used as a school and church. The deed has specific instructions, so it is of interest.
"This is to certify that a public meeting of the citizens of the neighborhood held at a spring near Thomas D. Morris' house in Panola County, Texas the following named person were duly elected and chosen by the said citizen in said meeting assembled as trustees for the purpose of building a house near the said spring to be used as a school house and as a church house for any and all Orthodox Denomination, as as a Masonic Hall, of Christians and of receiving by donation land near and including said spring on which to erect said house to wit:
"A framed building 24 feet wide and 30 feet long, two story high, for the purposes mentioned and that T.D. Morris, H.C. LaGrone and John Wilkinson be and hereby are elected as trustees to attend to all the business that may come before them as trustees. Said house is to be used by and under the exclusive contract for the white race of people. Witness our hands and scrolls for seals this 20th day of October 1871. H.C. LaGrone, Secretary, T.D. Morris, President." This building was used for several years for a school and church, as well as a Masonic Hall.
In May 1897 the County Court ordered, "Public School District #3 to be organized as follows: Beginning on NE side of Sabine River at the corner of District #2, bearing along east line of Justice Precinct # 4 to the Louisiana-Texas line, thence with state line in south direction to the Sabine River."
At the May 11, 1897 Commissioners' Court the district was given #3. An election was held the next year on June 4, 1898 for the purpose of electing school trustees. L.H. Adams and A.H. Thompson were elected trustees of the white school and E.J. Jernigan and W.T. Steel were elected for the colored school.
Official school records showed May 1897 as the time for the creation of School District #3. The lines were changed and defined in February 1906, and in 1908 the line between #2 and #3 was revised.
In the meantime, in 1882, a Post Office had been established as Deadwood and the school became known and Deadwood also.
Deadwood School was classified by the County School Board in 1912 as a three year high school. Before that time it had been classified as an Intermediate School, teaching first through seventh grades.
Supt. Holmes reported in 1912 that Deadwood had voted a local tax, had built an up-to-date building and furniture. He called it the "largest school on the east side of the Sabine River, a good place for a County High School, and it is hoped the patrons will rally to the support of such school".
Deadwood, District #3 elected trustees in 1918 and those elected were W.J. Alexander and W.D. LaGrone.
An interesting list of teachers for Deadwood in 1919-1920 gives an indication of the salary paid teachers at that time: Thelma Otwell - $60 per month, Sallie Strother - $70 per month, Clara Eitell - $85 per month, Helen LaGrone - $65 per month for the last part of the year. (Helen was apparently added before the end of the year to make four teachers for that year.)
Deadwood became the nucleus of Rural Consolidated High School #2 composed of Deadwood #3, Logan #6, Yarnell #7, Panola #10, Galloway #36 and Reeves #41. The original purpose was to build an area high school, but that plan did not materialize. The consolidation was dissolved by 1933. All the schools in the group became consolidated with Carthage in the late 1940's.