Crowell Schools

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Crowell Schools. Now, when a community plants itself on the Texas plains, the schoolhouse isn't far behind, and Crowell was no different. Barely had the dust settled on the establishment of this community in 1891 when the first local schools were being organized.

Foard County's commissioners got to work dividing the county into nine school districts, and they made sure Crowell was one of them. Somebody had to put up the first dollar, and that somebody was an early settler by the name of Benjamin R. Blankenship, who contributed funds toward that first school.

Residents took it from there, constructing a building at the corner of Gibson (now called Horner) and Marietta streets. That school went by the name Crowell College, and it wasn't just a place of learning. It was a vital community and religious center.

The auditorium hosted church services and stage plays alike. Picture that: Sunday morning sermon and Saturday night theater, all under the same roof. Then 1897 came along, and fire doesn't care what a building means to a community.

The fire destroyed it. But these were not people who took a loss lying down. Residents built a new structure.

The State of Texas gave the school accreditation by 1908; the very year it first held graduation exercises. Larger structures replaced older ones in 1912, and then again right here in 1928. The community kept building.

A grade school finished in 1938 with aid from Public Works Administration and Civil Works Administration funding. A new African American school building went up in 1934, with improvements made to it in 1953. And the people who shaped those halls, they're worth naming.

Band leader D.W. Curtis left his mark on the school. So did brothers I.T. and C.G.

Graves, who between the two of them served as superintendents from 1927 all the way through 1964. Brothers sharing a legacy, carrying a torch for nearly four decades. But if you want to talk about the name that traveled farthest from Foard County, you've got to talk about Dick Todd.

A Thrall native who graduated from Crowell High School in 1935. As a student, he scored 318 points in a single season and 664 points across his football career; both of them state records at the time. He helped Crowell win district championships in football and basketball.

Then he went to Texas A&M. Then Iowa Pre-Flight. Then the NFL's Washington Redskins, where he played from 1939 through 1942 and again from 1945 through 1948.

And when his playing days were done, he coached at the collegiate and professional levels. The school districts of the surrounding area, one by one through the years, merged with Crowell's. Today, the Crowell Independent School District covers all of Foard County and parts of King and Knox counties both.

From nine little districts scratched into the Texas plains back in 1891, to a single district stretching across three counties, that's not just a school system. That's a community that never stopped building.

What the marker says

The first local schools organized shortly after the establishment of the community in 1891. Commissioners divided Foard County into nine school districts, including one for Crowell. Early settler Benjamin R. Blankenship contributed funds toward the first school. Residents then constructed a building at Gibson (now Horner) and Marietta streets. Crowell College was also a vital community and religious center; the school's auditorium hosted church services and stage plays. After a fire destroyed the building in 1897, residents built a new structure. The State of Texas gave the school accreditation by 1908, when it first held graduation exercises. Larger structures replaced older ones in 1912 and here in 1928. Through the years, the community added additional buildings, including a grade school finished in 1938 with aid from Public Works Administration and Civil Works Administration funding. Residents built a new African American school building in 1934 and made improvements to it in 1953. Noted faculty and administrators have included band leader D.W. Curtis and brothers I.T. and C.G. Graves, who combined to serve as superintendents from 1927 through 1964. Thrall native and Crowell High School graduate (1935) Dick Todd brought fame by scoring 318 in a season and 664 points in his football career, both then state records. He helped Crowell win district championships in football and basketball as a student, played football for Texas A&M, Iowa Pre-Flight and the NFL's Washington Redskins (1939-42, 1945-48), and also coached at the collegiate and professional levels. Through the years, a number of school districts merged with Crowell's. Today, Crowell Independent School District, which covers all of Foard County and parts of King and Knox counties, continues to be a leader in education. (2008)