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WATER VALLEY SCHOOL 1880's EARLY DAYS In the late 1870s several families had settled near the sheep ranch headquarters of partners David Williams, George Rappleye and Jacob Knapp. In 1880 a group called the “Eagle Hunt Club” pledged monthly dues to pay a schoolteacher to educate their children. Classes were held in good weather under the pecan trees with Mr. James I. Westfall as teacher.  In 1881 the former home of the Henry Schoonover family, built of “pickets,” was used as a schoolhouse. In 1881 Mr. Abel from Alabama did the teaching. A community Sunday school for the children and adult Bible study was organized and met here regularly. Sketch by Nona Scroggins 
In 1881 Widow Havens gave land for a schoolhouse and the building was completed in June 1882. Mr. Hinckly from Farmers Village, New York, taught 16 students for $40.00 per month. Other known teachers were Mr. Ray in 1884 and Mrs. Bette Short in 1886. Circuit riding preachers that were known to hold services in this building were W. T. Burke in 1882 and A. J. “Parson” Potter in 1883. Later, Harry and Nona (Hanson) Howard, shown here, bought and remodeled the building at another location for their home. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family  In 1888 the one-room schoolhouse was moved four miles downriver to present-day Water Valley. J. L. Phelan gave land as the location for a new schoolhouse. By fall 1889 the new wooden schoolhouse, with a cupola and bell, was ready for teachers and students. The two buildings are shown in the above photo. The little “traveling” school building was used in 1889 as a parsonage for the Methodist preacher, Moses Allen. Courtesy Tom Green County Historical Society, West Texas Collection, Angelo State University 
The “traveling building” was used as a store, first by Jim Williams and then was purchased by Harry Howard in 1895. Charley Howard plays the banjo, left, while his brother Harry, right, is shown sitting in front of his Water Valley Store. Howard closed the store in 1900. The building remains the base structure for the Edith (Howard) and R. O. Bannister home. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family 
State archive records on Water Valley show an average yearly pay of $450. Mrs. D. J. Rutledge, teacher for two years (1890-1892 school year); N. G. Chapman, teacher, 1892-1893; J. M. Stephens, two years (1893-1895 school year); G. M. Gardner, two years (fifty students, 1895-1897 school year); R. R. Holland, three years (50 students, 1895-1900 school year), J. A. Thomas taught three years with 77 students, from 1897 to the end of 1900 school year. 1900's A wing was added onto the building and Water Valley had its first two-teacher school with a two-room schoolhouse in September 1903. E. M. Davis, principal and teacher, was paid $65 per month and Miss Minnie Locke, teacher, was paid $36 per month. Together they had 75 students. E. M. Davis served WV school from 1903-1907 school year. Miss Locke served from 1903-1907 school year. Beulah Beavers was hired as teacher for the 1905-1906 school year and WV had became a three-teacher school for that school year only. Courtesy Rufe Holland, Junction, TX. 
- Water Valley school 1903-1904 - Teachers and students Top row, L-r: (?) Rex__ (Last name not known), Alford Taylor, Ben Hanson. 2nd row, l-r: Teacher Miss Minnie Locke, Ruby Salter, (?), Donnie Ritter, Minnie Taylor, Kate Gillespie, (?), (?), (?), Mae McCrary, (?), Annie Dolan, (?), (?), Mr. E. M. Davis, principal and teacher. 3rd row, L-r: (?), Ada Hiler, Viva Ritter, (?), Maggie Ditmore, Agnes Ritter, (?), (?), (?), Susie Taylor, Lillie Trotter, Lorene Ritter, Fannie Windham, Ollie McCrary, Walter Gillespie, Charlie Windham, Venny Chapman. Bottom row, seated: Joe Hazelwood, Herschel Ditmore, Ben Ritter, (?), (?), Clifton Ritter, Earl Hanson, Jake Atkinson, (?), (?), (?), Eugene Dolan, (?). Courtesy Armstrong/Green family 
Miss Kate Hanson, teacher, is standing on the far right of the photograph. School students are unidentified. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
1905-1906 group W. P. Walker, teacher
Water Valley students with William P. Walker, tall man standing on the back row in this 1905-1906 photo. Student identified on back row, from the left is (#5) Fannie Windham. Students identified on the middle row, from the left are (#4) Delia Wylie and (#8) Agnes Ritter. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
William P. Walker, teacher at WV for two years (1905-1907 end of school year), was paid a salary of $75 per month). The Walkers and their son, Joe, were members of the WV Methodist church where Mr. Walker also served as preacher. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
1907-1908 Older men seated on the front row, may be School Trustees. 
Miss Kate Hanson is riding sidesaddle on her favorite horse. Kate was born in 1881 on a ranch near Water Valley to early settlers, J.O. and Harriett Hanson. Kate probably began her schooling in 1887 in the wooden building that was constructed on land given in 1881 by Widow Havens. Her education would have continued in the 'traveling schoolhouse" after it was relocated to WV in 1888. She completed her education in the later schoolhouse that served Water Valley students from 1889 to 1914. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
In 1914 Harve Earnest and Julian Cooper gave lots in Blocks 1 and 2 in the Earnest and Cooper Addition in Water Valley to be used as the location for a new school building. Classes continued in the wooden school building while construction began on the red brick building. In 1915 the wooden building was sold and moved to Spring Avenue to serve as the Baptist Church. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
The two story building was competed and ready for the 1914-1915 school year. The cupola contained a bell to ring in the students and a 5-point star adorned the front with 1914 emblazoned above the second-floor windows. A rail fence was constructed to keep out loose livestock. C. H. Miller and Mrs. Seth Risinger were the first teachers in the new building. Courtesy Howard/Bannister family
Harry Howard - one of the workers on the building. Harve B. Earnest 1913-1914
  
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