Education in Industry

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about education in Industry, Texas. Now settle in, because this one goes all the way back to the beginning. German settlers put down roots in Industry in 1831, and from the very start, these were people who took learning seriously.

Shortly after they arrived in December of 1840, two men got to work on the town's first school. The Reverend Louis C. Ervendberg and Dr.

Joseph Anton Fischer. Fischer is recognized as the first teacher in Industry, and Ervendberg is credited as tutor to the children of town founder Frederick Ernst himself. That was how things worked back then.

Tutors were common, families hiring teachers to come right into the home and give lessons. It was personal, it was practical, and it kept knowledge moving from one generation to the next. But some folks in Industry had bigger ambitions than a parlor schoolroom.

By 1842, thirty-seven area residents had petitioned the Texas Congress for the creation of a German institute of higher learning. They called it Hermann's University. Thirty-seven names on a petition, out on the frontier, asking for a university.

The school received its charter in 1844, and when Texas became a state, the charter was amended in 1846. And then, well, the project never materialized. That dream of Hermann's University stayed a dream.

But the fact that thirty-seven people signed that petition tells you something about who these settlers were. They were, in fact, accustomed to the free education offered back in their native Germany, and so the settlers of Industry became part of the broader free public school movement taking root across Texas. That idea, that education ought to be available to everyone, not just those who could afford it, would take some years to fully take hold.

In 1864, a Civil War veteran named Christian William Hander opened a school in the residence of the Niebuhr family. Started right there in a private home. But the school grew, and by 1865 it had become the Industry day school.

Other schools were operating around that same time, run by Rudolph Franke and John Simmons, though those schools required tuition from their students. The public school idea kept gaining ground. By 1880, Austin County had established several public schools, including five right there in Industry.

Industry created its own school district in 1912, and in 1928, nearby Star Hill consolidated with it. Then came 1948, and legislation that consolidated Industry, Shelby, Henkhaus, Rockhouse, and New Bremen into the West End Rural High School District. Grades one through nine would be held in Industry, grades ten through twelve over in Bellville.

The district erected a new brick building in 1952, and that same year, a new structure went up for the African American campus, the Mary Bethune School. Following integration, the school consolidated into the Bellville Independent School District. But that 1952 West End School building kept right on doing its job, continuing to serve as an elementary campus for the children of the area.

From a tutor in a parlor in 1840 to a brick schoolhouse more than a century later, the people of Industry never stopped building something worth passing on.

What the marker says

Education in Industry German settlers established the town of Industry in 1831. Shortly after they arrived in December 1840, the Rev. Louis C. Ervendberg and Dr. Joseph Anton Fischer founded the town's first school. Fischer is recognized as the first teacher in Industry, and Ervendberg is credited as being tutor to the children of town founder Frederick Ernst. Tutors were common, with families hiring teachers to give lessons in their homes. By 1842, 37 area residents had petitioned the Texas Congress for the creation of a German institute of higher learning, Hermann's University. The school received its charter in 1844, and although the charter was amended in 1846 when Texas became a state, the project never materialized. Accustomed to the free education offered in their native Germany, Industry settlers were part of the free public school movement in Texas. In 1864, Civil War veteran Christian William Hander opened a school in the residence of the Niebuhr family. His school grew out of the private home and became the Industry day school in 1865. Other schools at that time were operated by Rudolph Franke and John Simmons. These schools required tuition, though, from their students. Austin County established several public schools by 1880, including five in Industry, which created its own school district in 1912. Nearby Star Hill consolidated with it in 1928. Legislation in 1948 consolidated Industry, Shelby, Henkhaus, Rockhouse and New Bremen into West End Rural High School District, with grades 1-9 in Industry and 10-12 in Bellville. The district erected a new brick building in 1952, as well as a new structure for the African American campus, the Mary Bethune School. Following integration, the school consolidated into the Bellville Independent School District. The 1952 West End School building continued to serve as an elementary campus for the children of the area. (2002)