SPRING CREEK SCHOOL
by Virginia A. Elliot WilliamsSpring Creek School began in 1909 when W. J. Elliot moved from Espuela to where his home was in Spring Creek. The teacher lived with us and had classes in our dining room until they built the school. There were children from three or four families. The Weathers, who worked for W. J. Elliot, the Gilmore's, who lived on Red Mud Creek Swenson Camp, and another family who lived south of W. J. Elliot and the seven of W. J. Elliot's children.
The school house served as a church. The minister was called a "circuit rider". He went horseback from one community to another. He came to Spring Creek the fourth Saturday and Sunday, staying at W. J. Elliot's house Saturday night after church on Sunday and Sunday night after church. He went to four other communities on the other weekends. The near by communities met together with a picnic lunch at the place where the minister was and after lunch they played baseball and basketball.
I am not sure what year the different teachers taught, but I am giving names of the teachers. I, Virginia A. Elliot was teaching when Spring Creek consolidated with Spur. They moved the school house to Spur and used it as an agriculture building for several years. I do not know what Spur did with the old Spring Creek School building.
In 1953 my son, William L. Williams, was the only Spring Creek School child to ride the bus. W. J. Elliot's daughter was the first pupil. It was always a one-teacher school. The other teachers through the years were: Laura Montieth, Bessie Boyd, Pearl Cockrell, Gertrude Hern, Lula "Butler" Martin, Ruth McMichael, Leah Amend, Verna Roberts Fox, Keith Carpenter, Ella Worswick, Keith McKage, Bessie Loyd and Alice Warren.
They had school at Spring Creek for 27 years. When W. J. Elliot "Scotch Bill Elliot" bought four sections of land at the same time Espuela Cattle Co. bought the Espuela land from the State of Texas for $1.00 an acre, the deed was signed by Governor Hobby and I have those deeds to the land I now own.
There were only 8 or 10 families who lived in Spring Creek district and now there are only 4 families: Elmer Maben, Benny Maben, Jesse Daugherty and Mrs. Morris (Ophelia) Middleton, Most of the land is used for ranch land.