07/26/98
This Page Hosted By: Mrs.Jane Hebert
GetYour Own Free HomepageSouth Park Neighborhood & Schools
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE COMMUNITY OF SOUTH PARK AND HOW IT GOT IT'S NAME? I HAVE LIVED IN SOUTH PARK ALL MY LIFE, AND DID NOT KNOW. I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH, AND WHEN I WENT TO THE LIBRARY, I FOUND RAY ASHEURY'S BOOK THE SOUTH PARK STORY. RAY ASHBURY DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT, AND HERE ARE SOME EXCERPTS FROM HIS BOOK.
THE SOUTH PARK COMMUNITY HAD IT'
S BEGINNING IN ABOUT 1890. A FEW FAMILIES HAD SETTLED IN THE AREAS SOUTH
OF BEAUMONT, ALONG THE ROAD TO SMITH AND GRIGSBY'S BLUFF (WHICH IS NOW
PORT NECHES). IN DECEMBER 1889, JAMES AND WORTHY SPARKS (BROTHERS) PURCHASED
34 ACRES OF LAND JUST WEST OF THIS ROAD IN THE J. W. BULLOCK LEAGUE. ITS
SOUTH BOUNDARY WAS WHAT IS NOW LAVACA STREET AND EXTENDED NORTH TO
ADAMS. THIS AREA WAS ABOUT ONE MILE NORTH OF THE AREA CALLED "SPINDLETOP
HILL".
IN FEBRUARY, 1890, THE SPARKS BOYS MOVED THEIR FAMILIES FROM THEIR HOMESTEAD ON LAKE SABINE TO THIS PROPERTY. ABOUT A YEAR LATER, J. F. AND EMILINE KLINE MOVED FROM GRIGSBY' S BLUFF AND SETTLED NEAR THE SPARK'S BOYS HOME. SOON, THE GEORGE C. REXSES FAMILY, ALONG WITH THE MACK CART'WRIGHT AND GEORGE STOCKHOLM FAMILIES MOVED INTO THIS AREA.
ALL OF THESE FAMILIES HAD SEVERAL CHILDREN, AND SINCE THE CLOSEST SCHOOL WAS ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY IN THE SAWMILL TOWN OF BEAUMONT, AND OUTSIDERS WERE CHARGED TUTITION, THESE FAMILIES DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO BUILD THEIR OWN SCHOOL.
GEORGE REXSES OWNED PROPERTY FACING THE PUBLIC ROAD
(THE PRESENT PORT ARTHUR ROAD) AND HE AGREED TO FURNISH THE LAND IF A SCHOOL
BUILDING COULD BE BUILT. THE MEN OF THE COMMUNITY AGREED TO FURNISH THE
LABOR AND SECURED THE LUMBER FROM BEAUMONT
LUMBER COMPANIES AND SAWMILLS.
DURING THE SUMMER OF 1891, THE MEN BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF A SIMPLE ONE ROOM SCHOOL ON THE REXSES PROPERTY. AT THIS TIME, IT WAS NAMELESS, AS WAS THE COMIUNITY AROUND IT. THE DESKS WERE ROUGH AND HAND BUILT, AND A BLACK OIL CLOTH WAS USED AS A BLACKBOARD
J. F. KLINE IS CREDITED WITH NAMING THE SCHOOL "SOUTH PARK" ONE DAY AS HE RODE
UP ON HORSEBACK TO SEE HOW THE WORK WAS PROGRESSING. WHILE IT IS NOT CLEAR WHY
MR. KLINE NAMED THE SCHOOL "SOUTH PARK", THE FOLLOWING IS BELIEVED TO BE THE
REASON. SPINDLETOP HILL WAS AN AREA KNOWN BY MANY, AND TO THE EAST OF THE "HILL"
WAS A SPRING WHERE PEOPLE FREQUENTLY STOPPED. THE SPRING WAS LOCATED IN A GROVE
OF TREES, AND ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, PEOPLE DROVE THEIR WAGONS AND BUGGIES
THERE FOR PICNICS. THIS AREA WAS KIND OF A "PARK" AND IT BEING SOUTH OF BEAUMONT,
IT IS BELIEVED THAT J. F. KLINE THUS NAMED IT SOUTH PARK, WITH THE COMMUNITY TAKING
THE SAME NAME.
THE SPINDLETOP SPRINGS AREA WAS A VERY PROMINENT PLACE LONG BEFORE THE SPINDLETOP OIL BOOM DAYS, AND IN HIS MANUSCRIPT, EVERETTE A. MARTIN DESCRIBES AN EXTREMELY TALL CYPRESS TREE THAT TOWERED ABOVE THE SURROUNDING TREES, AND COULD BE SEEN FOR MANY MILES, AND SEEMED TO BECKON FOLKS TO THE AREA.
THE NEW SCHOOL OPENED IN 1891-1892, AND A NAME PLATE HAD BEEN MADE AND NAILED TO THE FRONT
CORNER OF THE BUILDING, MAKING SOUTH PARK THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE SCHOOL.
THE FIRST TEACHER AT SOUTH PARK SCHOOL WAS MISS KATIE BACON, AND THERE WERE ABOUT 20 PUPILS IN ATTENDANCE. THE GRADES TAUGHT RANGED FROM ONE TO EIGHT, AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL THAT SOUTH PARK WAS TO HAVE ITS
DURING THE FIRST TEN YEARS, THE LITTLE ONE-ROOM SCHOOL
HAD A DIFFERENT TEACHER EACH YEAR. THE FIRST PUPILS TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL
WERE LUCY SPARKS, MAE, LILLY, FRED, MAJOR AND JARRETT KLINE; MARY AND TEENIE
REXSES; HOMER AND LEE CARTWRIGHT; PERRY AND
GEORGE BROUSSARD; HENRY STOCKHOLM AND OTHERS. TEACHERS WERE J. I. ELLISON,
DIXIE BA:I'ER, ALICE WHITE, JIMMIE ALLEN, LILLIE WHITE, WILL GRAY, W. B.
SANDERS, J. W. KINNEAR AND VICTOR AUBEY.
THE ONE-ROOM SCHOOL WAS ADEQUATE FOR THE SOUTH PARK PEOPLE UNTIL JANUARY, 1901,WHEN CAPTAIN ANTHONY LUCAS ASTOUNDED THE WORLD WITH THE NOW FAMOUS "LUCAS GUSHER". THE LIQUID GOLD WAS TO FURNISH THE BUDDING SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH THE REVENUE NECESSARY TO OPERATE A MODERN PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
A YEAR LATER, ANOTHER ROOM WAS ADDED TO ORIGINAL
BUILDING ON THE PORT ARTHUR ROAD, BUT SOON THIS WOULD NOT HOLD THE PUPILS.
TWO TEACHERS HELD CLASSES IN GASPARD'S STORE, JUST NORTH OF THE SCHOOLHOUSE
(WHERE PIPKIN STREET INTERSECTS THE PORT ARTHUR
HIGHWAY). AT SPINDLETOP, A SCHOOL WAS OPENED IN 1902 WHERE TWO TEACHERS
HELD CLASSES IN A STORE BUILDING AND THE BAPTIST- METHODIST CHURCH. DURING
1907-1908 SOME GRADES WERE TAUGHT IN THE VACANT STORE AT HIGHLAND
AVENUE AND LATONIA STREET (NOW KNOWN AS WOODROW STREET). DUE TO THE OVERCROWDING,
MANY PEOPLE OPENED THEIR HOMES TO THE TEACHERS AND PUPILS FOR USE AS CLASSES.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR SOUTH PARK SCHOOL, J.
R. CASTON, W. C. SPARKS AND J. C. EISENTRAUT, LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR AN
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT WOULD NOT ONLY FIT THE NEEDS OF THAT ERA, BUT WOULD
ALSO ALLOW FOR EXPANSION AS THE AREA GREW AND
DEVELOPED. THEY WOULD PURCHASE A LARGE TRACT OF LAND AND BUILD A CENTRAL
SCHOOL. ON FEBRUARY 7, 1907, SOUTH PARK VOTED ITS FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE BONDS
IN THE AMOUNT OF $23,000.00. ON APRIL 2, 1907, THE BOARD PURCHASED 6.86
ACRES LOCATED ON LATONIA STREET (WOODROW) AND HIGHLAND AVENUE. ON THIS
SITE WAS ERECTED A TWELVE ROOM RED BRICK BUILDING, WHICH WAS COMPLETED
IN 1908, AT WHICH TIME ALL CLASSES WERE CONSOLIDATED IN ONE BUILDING.
THE BIG RED SCHOOLHOUSE SOON BECAME WELL KNOWN, AND THE NAME SOUTH PARK SOON BECAME WELL KNOWN TO SOUTHEAST TEXANS WHO PASSED THE SCHOOL ON THE WAY TO SPINDLETOP OIL FIELD. THIS PROMINENCE WAS CHERISHED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND A SPIRIT DEVELOPED AMONG THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY - AND THEIR SCHOOL BECAME THEIR PET PROJECT.
IN 1911, SOUTH PARK SCHOOLS ADDED THE SECOND UNIT
TO THEIR EDUCATIONAL PLANT. THIS WAS THE AGRICULTURE BUILDING. IN 1911
SOUTH PARK WAS STILL A COMMON SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE
GOVERNING REIGNS IN THE HANDS OF LOCAL COMMUNITY, IT MUST
BECOME AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. SOUTH PARKERS CHOSE TO GO DIRECTLY
TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR A SPECIAL ACT, AND ON MARCH 15, 1913, THIS BILL
CREATED THE SOUTH PARK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. EVEN IN 1919
WHEN THE BEAUMONT CITY LIMITS WERE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE SOUTH PARK,
THE DISIRICT REMAINED INTACT BECAUSE OF THIS LAW.
MANY SOUTH PARK CITIZENS CONSIDERED THEMSELVES AS
A COMPLETE COMMUNITY FROM BEAUMONT, AND IN FACT, THEY WERE, L.
R. PIETZSCH WAS THE FIRST SOUTH PARK SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, AND HE WAS
VERY WISE AND QUICK TO REALIZE THAT SOUTH PARK AREA
WAS GROWING RAPIDLY.
SUPERINTENDENT PIETZSCH REALIZED THE NEED FOR
A SCHOOL FOR "COLORED" PUPILS, AND IN 1914 WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A SCHOOL
BEING BUILT, WHICH WAS NAMED AFTER TWO MEN ONE WHITE - ONE BLACK - USAN
HEBERT AND LOUIS M. HEBERT. J. L. GILES WAS THE FIRST VOTER
LISTED ON THE POLL LIST AT THE BOND ELECTION FOR THIS SCHOOL, AND HE
LATER SERVED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR 17 YEARS AND HAD A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER
HIM.
IN 1915 SOUTH PARK WAS ACCREDITED AS A HIGH SCHOOL, AND THERE WERE 7 GRADUATES IN 1915 - THE FIRST GROUP TO COMPLETE 11 YEARS.
IN 1916, THE NORTH AND SOUTH WINGS WERE CONSTRUCTED TO THE SCHOOL (NOW KNOWN AS PIETZSCH ELEMENTARY). IN APRIL, 1919, PROFESSOR PIETZSCH ASKED THE SCHOOL BOARD TO CONSTRUCT THE TRADES SCHOOL, AND IN SEPTEMBER1 1920, THE FIRST CLASSES WERE HELD IN FOUNDRY PACTICE, WOODWORKING, PATTERN-MAKING AND DRAWING.
THE BOND ISSUE OF 1918 NOT ONLY PROVIDED A TRADE
SCHOOL BUILDING, IT ALSO PROVIDED REST ROOMS WITH MODERN PLUMBING AND DRINKING
FOUNTAINS, AS WELL AS A CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM. THE PASSING OF THE OLD
FASHIONED WATER BARREL, WHEN EVERY PUPIL WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPLYING HIS OWN DRINKING CUP, WAS A GREAT BLESSING.
IN 1921, PROFESSOR PEITZSCH ASKED FOR A BOND ISSUE TO CONSTRUCT A NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, AND ON THE 3RD OF DECEMBER, 1921, THE BOND ISSUE PASSED - 106 TO 10. IN JANUARY, 1923, CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL BEGAN - A THREE STORY BUILDING WITH A HOME EC BUILDING, A GYM, AUDITORIUM, EXCELLENT LABORATORIES.
PROFESSOR PIETCSCH WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR CONVINCING THE T'RUSTEES OF SOUTH PARK TO BEGIN SOUTH PARK COLLEGE, WHICH LATER WAS TO BECOME LAMAR TECH, THEN LAMAR UNIVERSITY.
APRIL 16, 1924, THE CITY OF BEAUMONT COUNCIL NAMED LOUIS R. PIETZSCH AS THEIR NEW CITY MANAGER, AND THUS L. R. PIETZSCH LEFT SOUTH PARK SCHOOLS. BUT HE ACCOMPLISHED MUCH AT SOUTH PARK SCHOOLS, AND STANDS TAIL IN THE MEMORIES OF MANY.
CARL W. BINGMAN (THE SKIPPER) WOULD BE THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT, AS WELL AS COLLEGE PRESIDENT. HE HAD BEEN PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1919, AS WELL AS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE, AND RAN A TIGHT SHIP, AND WAS KNOWN BY EVERYONE AS "THE SKIPPER".
SKIPPER BINGMAN APPOINTED ZACK A.WILLIAMSON AS PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. ZACK WILLIAMSON BELIEVED IN HIGH STANDARDS, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND MORALLY, AND NOT ONLY DID HE MAKE HIS LEADESSHIP FELT IN SOUTH PARK, BUT BEAUMONT AS WELL.
THE SKIPPER ALSO EMPLOYED JOHN E. GRAY, AN 18 YEAR OLD STUDENT WHO HAD ATTENDED SOUTH PARK SCHOOLS, AND WAS ATTEDING COLLEGE, TO TEACH SHOP MATHEMATICS IN THE TRADE SCHOOL. JOHN E. GRAY WOULD LATER BECOME PRESIDENT OF LAMAR UNIVERSITY. ONE YEAR LATER, JOHN GRAY WAS APPOINTED TO COACH ALL SPORTS AND TEACH ALL BOYS' PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES AT SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL.
THE THIRD "LANDMARK" APPOINTMENT THAT THE SKIPPER MADE WOULD BE IN 1925 WITH THE EMPLOYMENT OF JOSEPH J. VINCENT - JOE. THIS COMPLETING WHAT WAS TO BE CALLED THE "FOUR HORSEMEN OF SOUTH PARK".
JOE VINCENT WAS DESCRIBED AS "FLAMBOYANT", AND ANY OTER DESCRIPTION WOULD DO HIM AN INJUSTICE. HE LIKED EVERYONE. HE WALKED THE STREETS OF SOUTH PARK AS THO HE OWNED THEM, AND THOUGHT EVERY SOUTH PARKER SHOULD DO THE SAME. HE WAS A BIG MAN, AND AFTER HIS RETURN FROM WORLD WAR II, WAS FONDLY CALLED THE "COLONEL". TO JOE, A MEETING IN FRONT OF "THE DRUG STORE" WITH THREE STUDENTS WAS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ONE IN AUSTIN. HE WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE ON ALL TOPICS - SPORTS, POLITICS, EDUCATION, WARS, ARMY, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, OR JUST PLAIN GOSSIP. HE WAS COMPLETELY AT EASE WITH ANY GROUP; HE RELATED WITH ALL PEOPLE -- RICH OR POOR, EDUCATED OR UNEDUCATED, YOUNG OR OLD. AND JOE VINCENT WOULD LATER BECOME SUPERINTENDENT' OF SOUTH PARK SCHOOLS.
THE FOUR HORSEMEN TEAMED TOGETHER IN DEVELOPING THE YOUNG AND GROWING HIGH SCHOOL INTO AS FINE AN INSTITUTION OF ITS KIND AS ANY IN THE STATE. IN A BOOK WRITTEN BY RUTH WIESS SERGENT ENTITLED "THE STORY OF BEAUMONT", SHE DESCRIBED SOUTH PARK SCHOOL SYSTEM AS ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND ONE OF THE RICHEST INDEPENDENT DISTRICIS IN THE WORLD. SHE WAS NOT REFERRING TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH PARK MAKING IT THE RICHEST, SHE WAS REFERRING TO ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
ALMOST UNQUESTIONABLY, SOUTH PARK HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS MEN OF CHARACTER AND VISION: AND, ALSO, THESE MEN HAD THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE DEDICATED TEACHERS.
THE GROWTH OF THE SOUTH PARK SCHOOL DISIRICT AND THE MANY SCHOOLS THAT SPRUNG UP AROUND BEAUMONT AS A PART OF THIS SYSTEM IS REMARKABLE - AND IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT I THINK ABOUT THE DEMISE OF THE SOUTH PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THERE IS SO MUCH TRADITION IN SOUTH PARK'S HISTORY - AND SO MANY MEN AND WOMEN WHO HELPED MAKE IT AN OUTSTANDING SCHOOL SYSTEM.WE OWE THEM SO MUCH!
THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE HISTORY OF SOUTH PARK. RAY ASBURY DID A GREAT JOB IN HIS RESEARCH IN ORDER TO WRITE AND PUBLISH THE SOUTH PARK STORY - AND I THINK EVERYONE WOULD FIND IT INTERESTING TO READ.
I FEEL VERY PROUD TO HAVE ATTENDED SOUTH PARK ELEMENTARY (NOW PIETZSCH) AND SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL - AND TO HAVE KNOWN SOME OF THE MEN WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE - JOE VINCENT, C. W. BINGMAN, ZACK WILLIAMSON, JOHN GRAY AND RAY ASBURY.
07/26/98
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