Wise County, North Texas
Chico School
See some old school pictures below or 
Click here for Chico Annuals/Yearbooks
We have a few pictures and yearbooks from the following other schools. Contributions to these pages are greatly appreciated.

Email - Sue@WiseCountyTexas.info

The Chico schools have a long history. So far we have very limited information here.
Click on the image to see them FULL SIZE.

Date unknown (summer-no shoes) - Chico School Group
  
Origin of picture unknown. Click to make Larger. No names known.

1905 - Chico School Groups (Chico Male and Female Institute) Burned in 1913
See more about this school on the Yearbook page 
http://www.wisecountytexas.info/misc%20genealogy/chs_1897-1902.htm 
       

Pictures sent in by E.J. Joiner Edie_47@hotmail.com Her great aunt was Edith Margaret Hanna, and her maternal grandmother was Ida Della Hanna Hall. The first picture has no names, but April 4, 1905 is written on the back. The second picture has names and the date of July 31, 1905. From the little 'peaks' over the windows, this is the old Chico Male and Female Institute that burned in 1913. The 2 women in the last picture are sister, Alice & Mary Wright Hanna (Story below list of names). Click on any thumbnail image to make it LARGE. The list of names (as best I could read them) follows:

1. Virgie Greene (Mrs. Bradford)
2. Lucy Hamilton
3. Etta Anderson
4. Maude Burris
5. Beulah Gann
6. Bailey Josie
7. Daisy Morris
8. Mae Reade
9. Ida Stockton
10. Chloe Burk
11. Winnie Newsom
12. Lee Parish
13. Rosa Richardson
14. Willie Stamps
15. Caddie Sliger
16. Bettie Hutchison
17. Carla Hamilton
18. Frank Wallace
19. Virgil Boothe
20. Bob Culton
21. Erie Fungall?
22. Olie Clarke
23. Pink Sullivan
24. Ira Sethune?
25. Joe Glenn
26. Prof. Shawver
27. Henrietta Hanna
28. Esther Williams
29. Marie Hanna
30. Hattie Triplett
31. Nora Davis
32. Maggie Christian
33. Hettie Ward
34. Della Hanna
35. Bessie Brooks
36. Mollie Wilbert
37. Iona Anderson
38. Mary Youngblood
39. ? Wilhite?
40. ? Fullingim
41. ?
42. ? Triplett
46. Claude Robinson
47. Mr. Anderson
48. Willie Shults
49. Emmet Coble
50. Sam Allison
51. August Keoninger
52. Ralph Poteet
53. Dave Ragle
54. Marvin Yeakley
55. Alice McCormick
56. Ethel Yeakley
57. Belva Whitaker
58. Miss Eula Renshaw
59. John Glenn
60. Cramer Bock
61. Dan Newsome
62. Dock Shawn
63. Price Hamilton
64. H.B. Oatis

About the sisters, Alice and Mary Wright Hanna in the picture above 
(from information sent to Mary Louise (Hall) Joiner from Margaret Parish possibly prepared by Edith Margaret Hanna):
"Alexander Virgil HANNA married Mary Florence Wright February 17, 1886 in Chico, Texas. Her father and Mother, J.W. Wright came to Texas from Missouri. J.W. was a Blacksmith, first settled in what is now Decatur. (We have a little iron pot he made to place on the fireplace to heat water to shave). They moved to the Western part of Wise County in the Waggoner Ranch Country, pioneered there in Indian days. Went by wagon into Ft. Worth for groceries & supplies. The J.W. Wrights had many narrow escapes from Indian raids. Mary Florence's father often sat on a rail fence with a rifle to protect her from Indians while she milked the cows. J.W. Wright and a son died in this pioneer country at early ages. A daughter Alice* married very young then Mary Florence, her mother and two brothers, Jim and Charlie went to California, stayed about a year. The boys married and stayed in California while Mary Florence and mother returned to Chico. Mary Florence, nicknamed MOLLY, studied music and gained a teacher's certificate, taught school at a country school East of Chico--WEST ACADEMY. She met and married Alexander Virgil Hanna, Chico Feb. 17, 1886. She was 21 he was 26. They lived on his farm East of Chico with his mother. He farmed, barbered and later became a Druggist. (He had studied pharmacy at OLD ADD-RANN College in Parker County). He continued in the Drug Business in Chico and bought a ranch Southwest of Chico, raised fine horses, etc. until his death."

1910  - 2 pictures of the wood, frame Chico Male and Female Institute
(the second one shows the whole building and is very long and large when clicked on)
(the 3rd row is the second picture cut into 3 sections-Very Large-use to see the faces)
 

Pictures were in the collection of Lavonia Hawkins as donated to the Chico Public Library.
Click to make Larger. No names known.

1914 - Chico Graduating Class
  
Pictures sent in by E.J. Joiner Edie_47@hotmail.com. Edie writes, "Edith (Edith Margaret) and Blanche Hanna were 2 of the 7 children (5 girls, 2 boys) of Alexander Virgil and Mary Florence (Molly) (Wright) Hanna. Click pictures to make Larger. Names on back:

Mae Robinson
Edith Hanna
H.F. Hawkins, Jr.
Blanche Hanna
Buna Stovall
B. Adair
Pearl Huffhines
Lura Wilkerson
Velma Hawk
Amos Barksdale
Bland Taylor
Vesta Watson

Article about Elizabeth Myers McDuff - She remembers the old frame school burning and going to school in local churches. Later taught school in Chico.
 
Picture loaned for scanning by Lois Watson Morrow.
Click to make Larger.

Brick school built in 1914 - Chico School Group
    
Picture was sent by Debbie Pass Morgan at rimorgan@texoma.net  Given to her by Betty (Cox) Robinson of Chico. 
This same picture was sent in by David Pitts (it's the larger, closer picture on the right). The only person he could identify was the teacher, Oval McDaniels. David writes, "Debbie Pass Morgan is my 3rd cousin 1R,
Our common Ancestor is Benjamin Franklin Pitts b. Jan 17, 1816 Virginia. d. 1894 Prentiss Co. MS. 
His daughter Susan (Sook) Pitts married a Robinson and came to Wise County between 1880 and 1900."
 Click either thumbnail picture to make them Larger.

Date not known - Same school building - Chico School Group
Picture was in the collection of Lavonia Hawkins as donated to the Chico Public Library.
Click to make Larger.
Names on the back: Front row - Opal Curtner, Armide Keeter, Ruth Moore, Gertrude Midget
2nd row - ?, Lizzie Myers, Lona Hanna, Mabel Wilkerson, Ida Mae Adair
Back row - Winston Roberts, Arthur Sharp, Etzel Smith, ?, Joe Keeter, Rossler Hinton

Date on back Apr 8, 1922 - Chico School Building after storm

Picture was sent in by Cathy C. Seifert c.c.seifert@sbcglobal.net . Click picture to make it larger.
She writes that it says on the back "April 8, 1922 at Chico, the school building after the storm".
The History of Wise County, A Link With The Past says, "A very modern red brick three-story structure was built and ready for use in 1914.
Disaster struck this building in 1923 or'24 as a tornado tore off the upper floors."

1923 Graduation Program - Chico Seniors listed (Click to make images larger)
        
Program scanned and sent in by Cathy Seifert c.c.seifert@sbcglobal.net 
She writes, "Please take note of the name of "Allen Champion's" hand written on the inside page, I know for sure he was not in that grade or class. He went into the marines at 18 and by Dec 1923 he had married my grandmother. I can tell it's her handwritting and she may have done so because it belonged to him, I have no explanation."

Names in alphabetical order: 

1943 Graduation Program - Chico Seniors listed (No Annual for this WWII year)
  
Program loaned for scanning by Lois Watson Morrow.
Click to make Larger. Names in alphabetical order: Harold Ray Barrett, Darryl W. Blocker, Johns Leon Blocker, Leland Earl Board, Doris Vestal Briley, Elbertine Cox, Dorthy Jewell Denney, Wanda Uriah Dunaway, Nora Mae Epperson, Forrest Leslie Hall, Jr., Doyle Harley Henson, Dan Moody Holt, Arthur Ray James, Mary Lou Lasiter, Betty Rosebud McDuff, Reuben Phillips, Joyce Bell Reasoner, Katherine Marie Sherrill, Robert Smith, Theo Claud Tasker, Lula Belle Watson, Lydia Lourenda Watson, and Ruby Lois Watson.

Article about G.C. 'Cleo' Rann - Was Chico School Superintendent for 5 years in the 1940's. Died in 1995
  
Article from the Wise County Messenger. Loaned for scanning by Lois Watson Morrow.
Click to make Larger.

1947 - Chico School High School Seniors
 
Picture sent by James Phillips jphil090855@mypbmail.com of the Chico graduating class of 1947 (he thinks).  His mother, on the far right, is Mary Novalene Sampley (her Find-a-Grave memorial at Crafton Cemetery is http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=phillips&GSsr=41&GSmid=47101088&GRid=34122759& ) James wonders if anyone knows any of the other students. Click on the picture to make it Larger.

1951 - Chico School Buildings
 
Buildings as shown on a page of the 1951 'Dragon' yearbook. Click to make Larger.

1964 - Chico High School Building
  
Picture from the 1964 Bridgeport Index newspaper. Click to make Larger.

Dates unkown  - 2 very old pictures of the center of Chico town. 
  
Click to make Larger. The second picture says 3rd Monday Trade Day.

Date unkown  - old picture of the J.E.M. Poteet Dry Goods Store. 
  
Click to make Larger.