Van Vleck Independent School District

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna pass it right along to you. Education was a priority for the residents of Matagorda County. That's not just a sentiment, folks, that's the opening line of this whole story, and it means it.

Back in the 1880s, private schools were the primary source of education for Matagorda County students. The public system hadn't taken hold yet. But things were about to change, the way things always change in Texas, and the change came rollin in on a set of iron rails.

By 1899, a small railroad came to the county, and the county started to grow. The community that had been known as Hardeman was renamed Van Vleck, after the Southern Pacific Railroad Superintendent, W.G. Van Vleck himself.

New name, new chapter. A small school was built in 1901 for white students, and the story was underway. By 1914, a new three-story wooden structure rose up to take its place.

Three stories of wood, in a place that knew wind and weather. That takes some conviction. Then 1918 brought a bond, passed to assist with building and equipment needs for both the white and African American schools of Van Vleck.

The community was investing, plank by plank, in its own future. Now jump ahead to 1938, and things really start movin. The Van Vleck school board members voted to ask the Texas Department of Education for the organization of an independent school district.

That same year, they voted to apply for a grant from the Public Works Administration to help build a new school. They hired Architect C.A. Johnson to design it.

And with that newly organized Van Vleck Independent School District in hand, the board members had a vision: consolidate the smaller community schools into one district. By 1939, nine communities had answered the call. Ashwood, Cedar Lake, Cedar Lane, Hasima, Liveoak, Lukefahr, Mount Pilgrim, Sargent, and Shiloh all transitioned their high school students into Van Vleck.

Nine communities folding their hopes into one. The new school became the center of community life for entertainment and culture. Not just a place of learnin, a gathering place.

Then came 1966, and here the story demands a moment of gravity. That year, Van Vleck schools offered voluntary integration of African American students into the white schools. One word, voluntary, carries the weight of everything that word meant in 1966 Texas.

The marker notes it plainly. So do we. Through the 1970s and 1980s, additions kept coming as the district continued to grow.

And when you step back and look at the full arc of this thing, from private schools in the 1880s to a century-plus of public education serving Matagorda County, what you see is a community that made a decision, early and often, that its children were worth the investment. For over a century, Van Vleck schools have fostered education in Matagorda County. The marker says it right there at the end, and it doesn't need any help from me.

What the marker says

Education was a priority for the residents of Matagorda County. During the 1880s, private schools were the primary source of education for Matagorda County students. By 1899, a small railroad came to the county and it started to grow. Previously known as Hardeman, the community was now renamed Van Vleck after the Southern Pacific Railroad Superintendent, W.G. Van Vleck. A small school was built in 1901 for white students. By 1914, a new three-story wooden structure was built. In 1918, a bond was passed to assist with building and equipment needs for the white and African American schools of Van Vleck. In 1938, Van Vleck school board members voted to ask the Texas Department of Education for the organization of an independent school district for Van Vleck. That same year, they voted to apply for a grant from the Public Works Administration to help build a new school. Architect C.A. Johnson was hired to design the new building. With the newly organized Van Vleck Independent School District, board members wanted to consolidate the smaller community schools into the Van Vleck district. By 1939, the communities of Ashwood, Cedar Lake, Cedar Lane, Hasima, Liveoak, Lukefahr, Mount Pilgrim, Sargent and Shiloh had transitioned all high school students to the Van Vleck school district. The new school became the center of the community for entertainment and culture. In 1966, Van Vleck schools offered voluntary integration of African American students into the white schools. During the 1970s and 1980s, many additions were made as the school district continued to grow. For over a century, Van Vleck schools have fostered education in Matagorda County. (2014)