The History of Patton Springs School

In 1911 the Afton School was a two-room, two-teacher affair located just east of the Primitive Baptist Church.

On October 9, 1933, four schools voted to consolidate to form the New Common School #22. Those schools were: Afton (Chandler had already come in with Afton), Duncan Flat, Midway (which included the former McCarty, Amity, and Liberty schools), and Croton (which included Highland). O.C. Southall was employed as Superintendent of the new school and C.W. Giesecke, Jr. as Principal.

Old school minutes reveal facts of the times as well as facts pertaining to the school. The District bought the 20-acre school site from the Matador Land and Cattle Company for $800 and employed S.B. Haynes of Lubbock as architect. O.C. Southall accepted the position as superintendent at $1800 a year. Laborers were paid 30 cents an hour for a 48 hour week to help with the construction. Each week, the school board drew from a box the names of the men who would get to work that week.

It was part of the vast Matador Ranch - the area that became known as the Patton Springs Pasture, acquiring its name from a man and a natural spring. The man, Jim Patton, was a buffalo hunter back in the 1800's who camped at the spring located at the foot of some rolling hills about half a mile northeast of the present school site. The protected spot was a real West Texas oasis, frequented by travelers as well as by Patton as he hunted and directed the hauling of hides from this area to Fort Griffin to the south. It's a tank now, but the spring continues to flow, furnishing water for cattle, a little irrigation, and fishing. It's a favorite spot for biology field trips, too.

During the year 1934-35, while the new building was under construction, with fifteen teachers' classes were held in the church building in addition to the old school building. On March 9, 1935, the building was formally accepted from the contractors and on March 15, 1935 classes were first conducted in the building begun in 1934.

Naming the school was considered a community privilege, so on August 28, 1934. "The Board agreed to ask for suggestions from all interested parties for a name for the newly consolidated school district. These suggestions to be handed in at the opening exercises Monday, September 10." When the Board opened the suggestions, three were identical. "Patton Springs Consolidated School" had been suggested by Eva Braddock, Lilly Hext Rose, and Rosa Young. It seemed a fitting and proper name to Mr. Southall and the seven board members; so by a unanimous vote, the school was named PATTON SPRINGS CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL.

During the year 1935-36, the Patton Springs School was composed of four hundred nineteen (419) pupils, fifteen (15) teachers and a government employed librarian, seven (7) bus drivers with their buses, and a handyman who was usually needed in several places at once.

The first School Board members of the Patton Springs Consolidated School District were: V.S. Ford, President; Joe Rose, Secretary; S.G. Scoggins, C.T. Burns, D.W. Sims, J.F. Young, & S.L. Porter.

By popular vote on April 7, 1956, the Patton Springs Consolidated School District #22 was converted to the PATTON SPRINGS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT with W.H. Hayman superintendent. The County School Board appointed the following as School Board members until the next regular election: Peyton Legg, Charlie Gage, Jack Lawson, Homer Hughes, Frank Ragland, Bunch Williams, and Maurice Goodwin.