History of Hillside District Number 44

The Hillside District was established in February 1906. The site, a one-acre tract was donated by Mr. F. R. Galle. Messrs. J. T. McBride, J. W. Kinsey, T. D. Chapman, F. R. Galle and Jim McGeehee each contributed twenty-five dollars for the building, and others interested gave less sums of money. The city of Abilene assisted in the work by contributing some lumber. A one-room frame building of the style of school houses twenty years ago was erected and was scantily furnished. This building was used for ten years- a one-teacher school, having more pupils than one teacher could well manage. At the end of this time, since the house was in a very bad condition, the district agreed to vote bonds to the amount of $1425 for a new building; at this time the tax was increased to fifteen cents. The old building was sold to Mr. Galle for two hundred dollars and was moved away. The site was enlarged by the purchase of three more acres, lying just at the foot of a pretty little hill; hence the name "Hillside," which was given by Mr. Jim McGeehee. Here our present building was erected; it is modern, is properly heated, lighted, and ventilated, is neatly painted both inside and out, and is well furnished. In 1917, along with a great many of the districts of the county, Hillside increased its tax to fifty cents in order to become eligible to receive State Aid, which funds have been of much assistance in the progress of the work.

The teachers in the school since the erection of the present building have been Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Varnell; Mr. T. M. MeGeehee and Miss Fannie Harrison, each of whom remained two years in the work; and Mrs. O. R. Boykin and Miss Irma Briden, who were in charge this year. Messrs. J. W. Kinsey, T. D. Chapman, and J. T. Avent who recently moved away from the county- have served the district faithfully and efficiently as trustees for a number of years. Largely through the effort of these men and others of their type the prospects for the district now are much brighter than they have been, since an election for a dollar tax is pending. Next year it is the hope of the district that Hillside may have a much longer term of school and the best year's work in its history. -HILDA GALLE.

Class Roll

FIRST GRADE	SECOND GRADE	FOURTH GRADE	SEVENTH GRADE
Hazel Johnson	Ora Lee Johnson	Verna Martin	T. D. Chapman Jr.
Lottie Sutton	Ruby May Casady	Roy Casady	S. J. Chapman
Effie Fowler	Lois Insall	Vernon Morton	Ruby Kinsey
Opal Hargrove	Helmer Braune	Debs Morton	Everet Casady
Wilton Insall	Nadine Avent			Robert Morton
J. T. Casady	Melba Richards	FIFTH GRADE	Bernice Kinsey
Claude Eddleenan 		Jack Avent 	Hilda Galle
John Chapman			Crutch Summers	
J. M. Morton			Iva Johnson	
Reynold Braune	THIRD GRADE	
Lee Roy Smith	Ruby Eddleman
Herman Smith	Myrtle Green	SIXTH GRADE	EIGHTH GRADE
Albert Green	James Fowler	Frank Eddleman	Ella Braune
E. B. Smith	Cecil Daniels	L. J. Kinsey	Jewel Avent
Clarence Summers Ernest Eddleman Nila Morton
G. B. Green			Ruthy Chapman

Reference: The Buffalo Trail 1922