Wharton Training School

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Wharton Training School, out in Wharton County, Texas. Now, some institutions just occupy a building. Others occupy a whole community's heart for the better part of a century.

The Wharton Training School was the second kind. It started in 1896 under the name Wharton Colored School — a school established to serve the African American community of Wharton County, right from the jump. The first principal was a man named W.H.

Hathaway, who carried that responsibility until his death in 1899. From those earliest days, the school took on students of all ages, and for nearly three decades, that original location stood as the center of African American education in the entire county. Now, a center can only hold so long before the people it serves start growing beyond its walls.

By 1927, the county went looking for help — applying for a Rosenwald fund grant to build something bigger, something that could serve more students. The grant was awarded. And with that money, the school moved to a new corner — Canton Street, which today goes by MLK Boulevard, and Outlar Street.

A seven-room frame structure went up and became the main school building, and it would serve that purpose for nearly three more decades. In 1937, the school was renamed the Wharton County Training School. By 1939, it was doing exactly what that name implied — servicing the entire African American community of Wharton County.

Students from schools outside the city were transported in to attend. That same year, on April 18, 1939, C.W. Dawson became principal, a position he would hold until the school finally closed its doors in 1968.

But the story doesn't stop at 1939. In 1955, a brick building was erected on the grounds — and that building brought something the school had never had before: its first science labs. Advanced science, home economics, art classes, a full-scale curriculum.

And then there was the football team. The marker calls it celebrated, and you get the sense that's not an overstatement. That team meant something to people.

The school became the center of the community — not just for learning, but for living. Social events, gatherings, the kind of moments a town remembers for generations. When it closed in 1968, after almost eighty years of service, the Wharton Training School had shaped so many lives that its own graduates came back to teach and lead there before the end.

And even now — even after the doors closed — alumni groups are still active, still tending to that legacy. Almost eighty years of education, of community, of young people walking in and walking out changed. That's not a school.

That's a institution. And Wharton County knows it.

What the marker says

For almost eighty years, the Wharton Training School provided the African American community of Wharton County with high-quality education. The school was established in 1896 under the name Wharton Colored School. The first principal was W.H. Hathaway (d.1899). C.W. Dawson was principal from April 18, 1939, until the school closed in 1968. The school provided education for students of all ages, as it continued to do throughout its service. For nearly three decades, the original location of the school served as the center for African American education in Wharton. In 1927, the county applied for a Rosenwald fund grant to build a new school that would be able to serve more students. The grant was awarded and the school moved to the corner of Canton (now MLK Blvd.) and Outlar Streets with the money provided. A seven-room frame structure served as the main school building until 1955. The school was renamed the Wharton County Training School in 1937 and by 1939, it serviced the entire African American community of Wharton County. Students from schools outside of the city were transported to attend the training school. In 1955, a brick building was erected which housed the training school's first science labs and additional classrooms. With this new building, the school was able to provide students with a full-scale curriculum, including advanced science, home economics and art classes. They were also able to offer athletic programs including a celebrated football team. The school became the center of the community and hosted many social events. Many graduates of the Wharton Training School returned as teachers or administrators before the school closed in 1968. Alumni groups are still active today, ensuring the legacy of the Wharton Training School.