Stephenson's Colony School in Sutherland Springs

 

This photo was taken around 1946-1948 in front of the Black School in Sutherland Springs. The teacher is Bernice McIntyre (1910-1982). She was born in Guadalupe County. She had at least 3 years of college education, possibly at Guadalupe College in Seguin. According to the Lincoln Ball High School website, she also taught at Lincoln Ball High School. In the 1940s she was teaching at the Sutherland Springs Black School. She is actually listed on two U. S. Census Records for 1940. In the 1930 and 1940 U. S. Census for Guadalupe County she is listed with  her husband, L. R. McIntyre, living in Guadalupe County with the occupation of a public school teacher. In the 1940 U. S. Census for Wilson County (April) she was lodging in the home of Walter and Isabelle Fields, at the corner of 8th and 13th Streets in Sutherland Springs, also with the occupation of public school teacher. She and her husband are buried in the Old Zion Hill Cemetery in Seguin, Texas. 

I was able to access the School Records for Wilson County and through those records was able to confirm that the picture was taken between 1946 and 1948. I was also able to determine the full names of the children in the photo. They are from left to right:

Ray Rogers 

Ester Matthews

Vera Williams

Leroy Matthews

Novella Matthews

Sherman Pass

Naomie Williams

James Fields

Ola Belle Matthews

Joe Nobles

Resa Nobles

Moses Nobles

Bernice McIntye (teacher) 

 

The Sutherland Springs Historical Museum also has a painting of the school. The painting was done by Edoleen Hodges for Virginia Baker.

Edoleen Hodges was the married daughter of Gertrude and John Hendricks. They bought the Tiner house after Jesse and Connie moved to Uvalde. See the recent post "Juneteenth in Sutherland Springs" to learn more about the Tiner House.

We don't know what happened to the school or exactly where it was located. However, we do know quite a bit about the beginning of the school. 

 Newspaper articles from The San Antonio Daily Express of 1899 indicated that the two-story schoolhouse was constructed in 1899. It's dimensions were 30 feet by 40 feet. It was purported to be "the handsomest building in Sutherland Springs." J. D. Reese and Marcus Gardner were the carpenters that built the school (San Antonio Sunday Light, 26 March 1899,  p 1).

San Antonio Daily Express, 19 March 1899,  p 6

Sutherland Springs

"Lumber Arrives for Building a Colored Church-The Measles"

Sutherland Springs, Tex.. March 15—A [carload] of lumber arrived last Tuesday to be used in building a colored high school and church building here. The building will be two stories 30x14 (sic 40) feet in dimensions. Prof. Jesse Wilson, a prominent colored teacher of Wilson County, is president of the institution for the present.

The measles are still going the round, there being about twenty cases in town

Deputy Sherrif J. J. Heathcock has been real sick with the measles this week, but is better now.

Mrs. W. T. Wilson, wife of W. T. Wilson of San Antonio, with her son Ben T. Wilson is [stopping] at Polley’s hotel. They are here for the benefit of their health, and will stay until June.

 

 

San Antonio Daily Express, 16 April 1899, p 16

In Sutherland Springs

"The [Big] Colored School is Nearing Completion-The Measles Dying Out"

                  Sutherland Springs, Tex.. April 14—The new colored high school is very rapidly nearing completion and will be ready for occupation in a few days. The building is two stories high, thirty by forty feet in dimensions, and when completed will be the handsomest building in our town. From the upper story a grand view of the country for miles around it may be had. School will be opened some time in October next in this building, and a large attendance is expected.

                  The measles, which have been causing a great deal of inconvenience for the last sic weeks, have about used up all the material and the community will be rid of them in a few days, to the great relief of everybody.

 

The 1903  Wilson County School Records indicate that over 100 Black students were enrolled in the Stephenson Colony Sutherland Springs School No. 9. The President of the School was Jesse S. Wilson. Wilson owned several properties in Sutherland Springs. I am not sure which of the lots was the location of the school. He owned the lot adjacent to the lot that now serves as the ball field for the Sutherland Springs Community. This lot is owned by Wilson County, and it is the lot that we are hoping to move the Tiner House to for its preservation. I have looked through the School Records from 1903-1910, and the enrollment of the Sutherland Springs Colored School No. 9 remains consistently near 100 for those years. Obviously, the enrollment had dwindled to just a few by 1948. Schools in Wilson County consolidated in 1949-1950. At that time, schools in the county were still segregated, leaving the Black students with only one option for their education, to attend the Dunbar Colored School No. 4 in Floresville.

If you know anything about the Sutherland Springs Colored School No. 9, please let me know. 

It was a treasure trove to find the Wilson County School Records. I now will be able to create a database of all the Black students who attended the local Common Schools in Wilson County, helping me to understand where the colonies were in the county and to identify the names of the freedom colony families along the Cibolo.