Wise County, North Texas
Old Schools North of Chico
Dewey, Red Bud, Red Willow & Valley View
Email - Sue@WiseCountyTexas.info
We have a few pictures and yearbooks from the following other schools. Contributions to these pages are greatly appreciated.

Red Willow school was located just north of Chico.
  Jim Pyeatt JimF@PyeattFamily.com writes, "Valdon Pyeatt family settled at what became the Red Bud community, which is between Chico and Park Springs and also on the railroad.  Red Bud is still there, sort of, and is closer to Park Springs than it is to Chico.  But, their mailing address was always Chico so the Pyeatt family "lived in Chico."  The Pyeatt farm straddled the railroad, and the road to Crafton also ran through the property, a sort of crossroads.  That road is now CR2265 that connects Alvord with Crafton, and Red Bud is at the intersection of CR2265 and Hwy 101 that connects Chico with Sunset.
    There was another remote community called Willow Springs down south and west of Red Bud, but you can't find it on a map anymore.  They built a one-room school in between and named it Red Willow School.  That is where Valdon's mother taught and where Valdon went to school.  There was no town or other official place name where the school was located but there was a brush arbor church adjacent to the school and it became a community gathering place.  Red Willow became the community center.  Apparently, according to Valdon's stories, it was a "courting place" for the kids who were dragged there every Sunday and a lot of local mischief was first planned there by the kids on Sundays.  Those Sunday meetings were all day affairs with picnics on the grounds and preaching by anybody that wanted to."
    "The (James Henry) Pyeatt farm is still occupied by some of the family, descendants from Valdon's aunt, Opal Pyeatt who married Green Workman.  Opal inherited the land and it is now divided up among her kids and grandkids, most of which still live there.   The old farm house and the barn by the railroad can still be identified.  Most of what is now known as Red Bud was part of the Pyeatt farm.  Valdon and his parents were mostly headquartered in Chico, where we lived when I was real young, until after the war and we settled in Bridgeport."

Click on the image to see them FULL SIZE.

Date unknown - Dewey School Group

 Sent by Debbie Pass Morgan at rimorgan@texoma.net  Given to her by Betty (Cox) Robinson of Chico.
Click to make Larger. Only name is Raymond Berry, son of Will and Adlade Jordan Berry.

Date unknown - Dewey School Group

 Sent by Debbie Pass Morgan at rimorgan@texoma.net  Given to her by Lavelle Robinson Massey.
Click to make Larger. Only name is Mrs. Buckner, a teacher.

Date unknown - Dewey School Group

 Sent by Debbie Pass Morgan at rimorgan@texoma.net  Given to her by Betty (Cox) Robinson of Chico.
Click to make Larger.
Identification made by Lucille Robinson Haney, Oct 1999.
Row 2; 4th from left--Lucille Robinson (Grandmother of Debbie Morgan)
Row 1; 1st is Sam Robinson's daughter; 3rd from left--Z.T. Robinson (still lives in Chico)
Row 3; 2nd from left--Roy Z. Robinson
Teacher: Mrs. Siddons

Date unknown - Dewey School Group
  
 Picture sent in by David Pitts paw281@sbcglobal.net The picture on the right is the same picture closer and larger. 
Click either thumbnail to bring them to full size.
FIRST ROW: Left to Right 
1. Herman Cowley 2. Chester 3. Jeffrey Mesher 4. Cullen Bryant 5. Champion Easter 6.Chester Keimimer. 
SECOND ROW: Left to Right 
7. Amy Robinson 8. Rhyan 9. Winnie Robinson 10. Louise Myers 11. N. Lucille Robinson 12. Eva Stone. 
THIRD ROW: 
13. Roy Robinson 14. ? 15. Hester Robinson 16. Eppsy Keimimer 17. Susie Dreman 18. ? 19. Millard Robinson 20. ? Rhyan 
BACK ROW: 
21. Teacher: Ed Flowers 22. Luther Robinson 23. ? 24. ? 25. Belle Robinson 26. Dora Rhyan 27. ? 28. Albert Robinson. 

Date unknown - Dewey School Group

 Loaned for scanning by the Arlon Morris Family. Click to make Very Large.

1905 - Dewey School Group
  
 Pictures sent in by David Pitts paw281@sbcglobal.net The picture on the right is the same picture with numbers. 
Click either thumbnail to bring them to full size.
David writes as follows - This mage was made from a photocopy that Sidney A .Pitts left in his collection of cardboard framed photos. The original cardboard framed photo now residing in the Sidney A. Pitts archives. Several old timers, including Sidney Pitts and several Wrights, got together and tried to identify as many of the persons as possible. The photo deweyschool4_with_numbers.jpg (above on the right) assigns a number to each person. Sidney Pitts notes on the back of the photo said: 
"This picture was made about 1905. The name of this school was Dewey School. Three men furnished land and money to build Dewey School about 1900 in Chico Texas. They were Z. T. Robinson. J. C Gann, and Erik Dunway.
The identification is as follows: 
1 = Luther Robinson, 2 = Pete Robinson, 3 = Guss Pitts, 4 = Davis, 5 = Wilson Claud, 6 = Wilson, 7 = Mortie Wilson, 8 = Maudgan, 9 = Lyda Fletcher, 10= ?, 11 = ?, 12 = Fletcher, 13 = Eula Lee Pitts (born 1896), 14 = Dela Dunaway, 15 = Geneva Robinson, 16 = West Dunaway, 17 = Craft, 18 = Elmer Robinson, 19 = Rosie Dunaway, 20 = Wilson, 21 = Jim Dunaway, 22 = Ola Dunaway, 23 = Henry Pitts, 24 = Flora Fletcher, 25 = Drenna Jones, 26 = Aunt Ann Robinson (Anna Lee Robinson, born 1888), 27 = Craft (Two brothers), 28 = The teacher, Ida Stockton. This identification was done by Anna Lee Robinson. 
(This identification differs from the original identification (marked on this photo) primarily in that Ressie Pitts is identified here as Dela Dunaway. This is a better conclusion, as Ressie was born in 1901 and there would have been 5 years difference between Ressie and the girl to her right (our left): Eula Lee Pitts (born 1896), and this doesn't appear to be the case in this photo. So I (David Pitts) think number 14 is Dela Dunaway as is stated in the more recent identification.)

1906 - Dewey School Group

 Sent in by Joanne DeShong jtdeshong@yahoo.com . Click to make Large.
I've attached a photo of a class my grandmother, Ruby Stanfield (Frenzel) taught in 1906 or 1907. I have her teacher's contract dated August 7, 1907 for Dewey school, to teach the second grade for 4 1/2 months at a salary of $38. per month, signed by W.J. Davis and (perhaps--hard to read) J.G. Gann. I don't have a list of the children, but Ruby Stanfield, the teacher, is pictured in the middle. I have these in a frame, so I'll carefully take it apart and see if the children are listed on the back.

1912 (about) - Red Bud School Group
  
 Picture belongs to Arlon & Bobbie Morris. Names on picture provided by Edna Watson (see second image)
Click to make Very Large. Names identified in alphabetical order:

Adams, Evie
Adams, Minnie
Carlisle, Faye Adams
Carlisle, Mary
Cole, Winford
Denney, Florence
Denney, Hardy
Denney, Hardy
Denney, Raymond
Easley, Esther
Easley, Vadie
Elliott, Jessie
Evans, Ray
Holman, Haskel
Holman, Myrtle
Holmes, Ada
Holmes, Fat
Holtsclaw, Raymond
Martin, Clyde
Martin, Gussie
Martin, Ilene Keith
Martin, Izer
Martin, Jack
Morris, Frank
Morris, Leslie ‘Shorty’
Mullins, Hazel
Norman, Miss
Pleasant, Grace
Pleasant, Greg
Pleasant, Wilda
Pyeatt, Alta
Pyeatt, Edna
Pyeatt, Nova
Pyeatt, Opal
Rich, Gladys
Rich, William
Rowden, Minnie
Terrell, Bob
Terrell, Eunice
Terrell, J.D.
Thompson, Maggie Lee
Watson, Edna

Date unknown - Red Bud School Group
     
 Picture belongs to Arlon & Bobbie Morris. (see second image for names)
Click to make Very Large. Names identified: 1st Row: Alvie Dickenson, Morris Traister, Nell Butterfield, Eunice Henton, Edna Holt, Elva Moser, Mildred Warner, Anvie Bruner, Blanche Johns, Markie Ward, Lelia Holt, Bill Stone, Hardy Watson. 3rd Row: Glen Dickenson, Earl Watson, Buna Traister, Dollie Cox, Lietha Dickenson, Eva Traister, Ruby Smith Boards, Ruth Smith, Gladys Watson. 4th Row: Lee Smith, Vernon Cox Smith, Winnie, Rosie Warner, Pearl, Dike Brewer. Top Row: Tobe Cox, Albert Holt, Elbert Smith, Oscar Watson, Earl Stone, Teacher Buster Flowers.

Date Unknown - Red Bud School Group
  
 Picture belongs to Arlon & Bobbie Morris. (see second image for names)
Click to make Very Large. Names identified: 1st Row: Brady McGuire, Ruth Smith, Morris Traister, Bill Stone, Hardy Watson (with hand up) Leslie Holt, Bailey McGuire. 2nd Row: Dollie Cox, Elva Stone, Leitha Dickenson, _ Pearl, Blanch Winnie, Vernon Cox, Ruth Smith, Ruby Smith, Eunice Henton, _ Nell, Ilene Henton. 3rd Row: _, Earl Stone, Albert Holt, Buster Flowers, Alvie Dickenson, Carl Watson, Clyde Watson, Earl Watson, Glenn Dickenson, Tobe Cox, Earl Stone.

Date Unknown - Red Willow School Group (School House was Brick)

 Picture loaned for scanning by Arlon & Bobbie Morris. Click to make picture very large.

Date Unknown - 3 pictures of Red Willow School Groups
     
 Pictures loaned for scanning by Arlon & Bobbie Morris. Click to make picture very large.

1931 - Red Willow School Diploma
      
 Don Pyeatt gdp@cowtown.net sent in his father's diploma from Red Willow School. Click to make large.

Date Unknown - Valley View School (North of Chico-not the one between Bridgeport and Decatur)
  
 Picture loaned for scanning by Arlon & Bobbie Morris. Back of picture tells of the school's location. Click to make picture very large.