DUANE
Duane's take
Here's the story as the official marker tells it — my job is just to make sure you hear it right. Back in 1849, German immigrants settled into Northeast Travis County, and they brought with them something maybe even more valuable than the seeds they planted — a deep conviction that education mattered. Lessons started in the home, because that's where you start when there's nowhere else to go.
Then came 1872, and a one-room schoolhouse opened up on the Henry Lisso farm. One room, all grades, one teacher doing the work of many — and instruction running in both English and German, because that's the world those families lived in. The school later moved to the Carrington Ranch, joining a scattering of rural schools across the area, each one a small lamp of learning set against a whole lot of open country.
Now, by 1907, something bigger was taking shape. A two-story white brick school opened in Pflugerville itself, built on property donated by George Pfluger. Two stories.
White brick. That was a statement. And in 1911, three young ladies became the first graduating class, having completed the 11th grade.
Three. The whole class. And yet here's the thing — that was a beginning, not an ending.
The school year ran seven months, timed to the growing season, because these were farming families and the land made the schedule. Early educators included Principal I. W.
Land and teacher Emma Kuhn Johnson. Among the early trustees were Henry Bohls, J. W.
Neese, John Klattenhoff, and E. W. Pfluger — names woven right into the fabric of that community.
After sixth grade, most rural students from the surrounding area made their way into Pflugerville for high school. And in 1919, the Texas Legislature formalized what the community had been building toward all along — the Pflugerville Independent School District was created. Then came consolidation.
Highland, Dessau, Center Point, and Rowe all joined in, and by 1921 a two-story red brick school rose on this very site. The second story held an auditorium for presentations and community events — a gathering place for people who understood that a school is never just a school. Now, I won't pass lightly over this part.
Separate campuses were established for African-American and Mexican-American pupils. That's the marker's truth, and it deserves to sit in the air a moment before we move on. In 1934, a Works Progress Administration camp in Pflugerville built the rock gym — and that gym became a noted athletic venue.
Which sets the stage for what may be the most jaw-dropping chapter in this whole story. The Panthers Football Team, coached by cousins Charles and Hub Kuempel, put together 55 consecutive wins between 1958 and 1962. Fifty-five straight.
A national record. Out of Pflugerville, Texas. In 1965, Pflugerville schools integrated.
In 1973, a new high school campus was established west of this site. And nearly a century after those first lessons in a farmhouse, the Pflugerville Independent School District serves more than 23,000 students across 29 campuses. From a one-room schoolhouse on the Lisso farm to twenty-three thousand students.
That's not a footnote — that's the whole story.
What the marker says
German immigrants arrived in Northeast Travis County in 1849. Education was highly valued, starting with lessons in the home. In 1872, a one-room school opened on the Henry Lisso farm. The school later moved to the Carrington Ranch. This and surrounding rural schools often had one teacher for all grades, with instruction in English and German. In 1907, a two-story white brick school opened in Pflugerville on property donated by George Pfluger. Three young ladies comprised the first graduating class in 1911 by completing the 11th grade. The school year lasted seven months, coinciding with the growing season. Early educators included Principal l. W. Land and teacher Emma Kuhn Johnson. Henry Bohls, J.W. Neese, John Klattenhoff, and E. W. Pfluger were among early trustees. After completing sixth grade in rural schools, most area students came to Pflugerville to attend high school. In 1919, the Texas Legislature created the Pflugerville Independent School District (PISD). After consolidation with Highland, Dessau, Center Point and Rowe, a two-story red brick school was built on this site in 1921. The second story featured an auditorium for presentations and community events. Separate campuses were established for African-American and Mexican-American pupils. A Works Progress Administration (WPA) camp in Pflugerville built the rock gym in 1934 which became a noted athletic venue. The Panthers Football Team, coached by cousins Charles and Hub Kuempel, set a national record with 55 consecutive wins from 1958-62. Pflugerville schools integrated in 1965, and in 1973 a new High School campus was established west of this site. Nearly a century after its founding, the PISD serves more than 23,000 students on 29 campuses. Graduates continue to make a difference in their community, state, and nation. (2012)