History of Salt Branch District Number 13

Some forty or more years ago, at the suggestion of a wise citizen, with whom co-operated other wise citizens, much of the tract of land lying between Abilene and Merkel was organized into a school district, the thirteenth one of the county. A block building about eighteen feet by twenty-six feet, was erected on a site two miles east of the boundary of the Merkel District and one mile east of the site of the present building, this location being then the central point of the district. Nearby runs the little creek-Salt Branch; hence the name of the district and the, school. The first school was opened thirty-five years ago with an enrollment of twelve pupils; the first teacher was Mr. J. V. White, who had also been the first teacher of the Merkel School when it had opened with fifteen pupils. Salt Branch District is today proud of the fact that the son of this first teacher-Dean E. V. White of the College of Industrial Arts of Denton, who is a prominent educator of our state, as a small freckle-faced, bare-footed boy, began his educational career here this, the first year of the Salt Branch School. In 1898 the old block building was replaced by a new frame building; four years later this building was moved to the present site and was itself replaced, in 1917, by a modern school building well equipped, a bond issue having been voted and a fifty cent tax levied. With the great increase in the number of children another teacher was employed and much better grading and classification became possible. Today Salt Branch ranks high among the two-teacher schools of Taylor County, and, with bright, ambitious boys and girls and interested and co-operative patrons, bids fair to continue its good progress. The teachers in 1921-1922 whose faithful and efficient services have been appreciated by these girls and boys and these parents, are Misses Bess Tucker (now Mrs. Merritt) and Genevera Middleton, who was a teacher of the school in 1920- 1921 also.

Class Roll

PRIMER             THIRD GRADE        FIFTH GRADE       EIGHTH GRADE
J. B. Foster       Paxton Hays        Mason Barker      Truman Jaynes
Sammie Lee Outlaw  Melvin Barker      Charlie Harris    Wesley Northcutt
Irvin Popham       Floyd Outlaw	      Ottis Janes       J. C. Petty
Willie Barker      Austin Petty	      Lane Mullen       Glen Talbot
Opal Bleeker	   Leonard Popham     T. V. Nortbcutt   Thelma Fay Hays
Paul Burns         Jessie Price	      Wiley Outlaw      Irene Golightly
Albert Sisk        Jaunita Owens      Audy Wilson       Jessie Goliglitly
Mathew Sisk        Gladys Petty       Frank Wilson      Leana Mullen
Moses Sisk         Floy Wells         Pearl Burns       Bertha Price
Amo Lee Sisk       Gertrude Loven     Mattie Lee Giles  Fannie Thompson
Mosley Bleeker	                                        Evan Allen
Clara Belle Golightly                                   Carl Higgins
                   FOURTH GRADE	       SIXTH GRADE	
                   Lois Jaynes	       Martin Barker
FIRST GRADE        I. C. Allen         Fred Burns        NINTH GRADE
                   Otis Foster	       Bert Harris
Andrew Price       Willie Hays         Bernard Hays      Noel Harvell
Joe Loven          Joe Higgins         Luther Higgins    Myrtle Higgins
                   Roscoe Owens        Lillie D. Foster  
SECOND GRADE	   Charlie Price       Norma Lee Foster	   MISCELLANEOUS   
                   Jessie Talbot       Dena MeClain		WORK
Clercy Nell Carder Opal Foster         Obura Outlaw      Gertrude Higgins
Willie Northcutt   Lois Popham