Christian Chapel School, Church, Community Contributed by Karen Esberger Christian Chapel, at its first site by Chapel Spring, saw the formation of the Christian Church on 17 Aug 1879. This spring was located about two miles north of Midlothian, Ellis County, Texas, on land now owned by Ash Grove Cement Company. This church body soon built its own meeting house in Midlothian. Other denominations met in the Christian Chapel building. An interdenominational Sunday School was held there at least until 1915. Singing schools were held on Wednesday nights, and the Pentecostals held services there. The earliest official records of a school at that location date from 1897. County school records in the office of the County Treasurer, Waxahachie Courthouse, include lists of trustees and annual budgets for Christian Chapel, always found as school #2 in the county lists. The 1897-98 school year found F. M. Massey, R. K. Milton, and Frank White serving as trustees. There were 44 students taught by Miss Kate Jones who earned $40 per month for the 4.5 month school year. The following year trustees were A. G. Dodson, W. J. Nutting and F. M. Massey. The budget totaled $201.60 for 42 students. Trustees for 1901-'03 were R. K. Milton, J. P. Anderson. W. M. Woodall and S. B. Hollar [sic]. Trustees in 1915-'16 were W. J. Nutting, J. D. Holley, F. M. Crenshaw and T. J. Gilliland H. E. Goodwyn, J. H. Glass, and H. M. Kirk were trustees for 1920-'21. Some of the teachers named between 1897-1920 included C. H. Ward, Annie McDavid, Retta West, Werdna Stanley, Winnie Thompson, Georgia Poindexter, Lena Hayes, Alma Dodd, Ruth Thomas, Leon Briggs, Lucile Puckett, Mrs. Lucy Herring, Winnie Ree Kelly and Ella Hood. John David Duke, Sr. was President of the Trustees in 1917-'18. Secretary was W. T Mason, and the other board members were T. J. Gilliland and M. A. Boyd. Coal was first purchased for the school during the 1915-16 term at a total cost for the year of $25.20. Report cards were first purchased in 1920-'21 for a total of 60 cents. In 1920, Dr. West was twice paid $10.00 for "fumigation." In the early 1900s a new building was constructed 0.3 miles east of the spring. Land donated by R. K. Milton was at the northwest corner of the crossroads of the Midlothian-Pleasant Valley Road and an east-west road that also passed the original Chapel Spring location. Water was first brought to school from Chapel Creek, but a well was soon dug north of the new building. This 2-room building remained in use till the 1940s when the school was annexed by the Midlothian Independent School District, and the building was moved into Midlothian. Subjects taught in the lower grades included the three Rs--reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as geography and spelling. English, algebra, and history were added in higher grades. No science courses were recalled by our informants. Nine grades were taught there. The schedule included morning and afternoon recesses, as well as the lunch break. Highlight of the school year was an annual end-of-school picnic at the spring. This was occurring in the 1920s. Students walking in from west of the school were often thrown gum by the caboose men on the Houston & Texas Central trains. These students dreaded the "thicket" that had to be traversed on each trip to and from school. The girls formed a basketball team that played on outdoor courts each spring and competed against teams from Ovilla, Britton, and other surrounding communities. This, also, was taking place in the 1920s. 1918 scholars enrolled at Christian Chapel School, each listed by name and date of birth. Anderson, J. P - . 5 Oct 1906 Anderson, W. H - . 23 Sep 1909 Anderson, Kermit  - 7 June 1909 Boyd, Alton  - 3 Nov 1903 Boyd, Annis  -  21 July 1901 Boyd, Esther -  6 Sep 1906 Boyd, Eva  - 15 Jan 1904 Boyd, Lee H. -  9 March 1901 Boyd, Lee - 12 Oct 1901 Boyd, Lonita  -  26 Sep 1908 Boyd, Lula -  20 Mar 1904 Boyd, Maud  - 13 June 1911 Briggs, Ernestine  - 13 Nov 1909 Crenshaw, Clarence - 6 March 1905 Crenshaw, Millie - 26 March 1903 Daily, Elmer - 24 Dec 1904 Duke, Maud - 1 Dec 1900 Duke, Phama - 3 April 1908 Duke, Vernon-  8 Oct 1903 Garrett, Arthur - 21 March 1901 Garrett, Byron - 2 March 1904 Garrett, Elizabeth - 3 Oct 1903 Garrett, James - 5 Aug 1902 Gilliland, Louie - 4 Jan 1902 Gilliland, Rena-  9 Feb 1908 Goodwin, Barnett - 14 Feb 1906 Goodwin, George - 5 Apr 1905 Goodwin, Herman - 16 Jan 1904 Goodwin, H. E. - 30 Jan 1907 Goodwin, Julius 6 July 1909 Goodwin, Lonella 16 Sep 1901 Goodwin, Martha 23 Aug 1903 Goodwin, Onita 16 Oct 1901 Goodwin, Wayne 18 May 1912 Goodwin, Zeline 14 Oct 1908 Harbison, Dovie 14 Feb 1901 Henson, Henry 23 June 1911 Henson, Johnie 1 Sep 1907 Hinton, Jewel 27 July 1906 Holland, Bertrand 15 May 1909 Holland, Beulah 15 March 1906 Holley, James 9 July 1893 King, Ira 23 March 1904 Lawson, Cleo 17 Nov 1903 Lawson, Velma 15 May 1906 Mason, Elsie 15 Sep 1904 Mason, Elwin 20 Oct 1906 Milton, John 23 Sep 1888 Milton, Marvin 23 Sep 1904 Nutting, Alvin 26 Feb 1903 Nutting, Floyd 18 Dec 1902 Nutting, Oree 12 Jan 1907 Scroggins, Albin 6 Feb 1906 Scroggins, Everett 21 March 1908 Scroggins, Emmer 20 May 1909 Scroggins, Mildred 24 March 1902 Taylor, Fay 3 Sep 1910 Taylor, Jess 4 Feb 1908 Taylor, Johnnie   24 Oct 1907 Taylor, Spence   13 June 1906 Terry, Lorain   5 Apr 1910 Terry, Mildred   21 Jan 1908 Terry, Evelyn   19 Aug 1911 Thornsberry, Bessie   17 March 1902 Thornsberry, Leorla   11 June 1907 Thornsberry, Nealy   7 Aug 1910   1929-1930 Census Roll Listed by name, address, parent, student age Ballard, Jack Rt 2 D. Ballard 13 Ballard, Gladys " " 11 Batch, Rachel Rt 3 J. B. Batch 10 Batch, Emma " " 9 Batch, Fannie " 7 Brown, Olen Rt 3 O. L. Brown 12 Brown, Treavis Rt 3 " 15 Brown, Grady Rt 3 " 8 Dillard, Virginia Rt 0 Wade Dillard 11 Dilllard, Frank Rt 3 Claude Dillard 7 Dobbs, elbert Rt 0 J. W. Dobbs 17 Dobbs, Albert " " 17 Dobbs, William " " 9 Duke, Mildred Rt 3 B. D. Duke 13 Duke, Antholein " " 11 Duke, Charles " " 7 Gaither, Virglee Rt 3 C.B. Gaither 0 Gaither, Hulen " " 7 Gaither, Clara " " 15 Goodwin, Edith Rt 2 H. E. Goodwin 12 Goodwin, Louise " A. W. Goodwin 15 Goodwin, Annelle " A. W. Goodwin 12 Goodwin, James " A. W. Goodwin 9 Goodwin, Wayne " " 17 Hill, Herman Rt 3 S. O. Hill 12 Hill, Mary " " 8 Lawson, Theola Rt 2 Charles Lawson 17 Lawson, Edith " " 15 Lawson, Garland " " 13 Lawson, Katrina " " 9 Mason, Murrene Rt 3 W. T. Mason 16 Mason, Loree " " 13 Martin, Evelyn Rt O W. G. Martin 10 Martin, Raymond " " 8 Morgan, Irene Rt 3 T. B. Morgan 7 Rogers, Almaree Rt 3 S. R. Rogers 9 Rogers, C. D. " " 8 Williams, Aaren Rt 3 Earl Williams 8 Wilson, Ruth Rt 3 A. L. Wilson 12 Wilson, Ruel " " 12 Wilson, Robert " " 10 Wilson, Susie Rt 3 A. L. Wilson 7 Wagoner, Blanche Rt 2 W. E. Wagoner 16 Wagoner, Arthur " " 14 Wagoner, Mary Rt 2 " 12 Wagoner, Lounelle " " 7   On 13 Jan 1916, the MIDLOTHIAN ARGUS published a special edition which included articles on "Our Suburban Neighbors." About Christian Chapel it was said, "One of our nearest and most enterprising communities is Christian Chapel, two miles north of town. Some of the early settlers were J. L. Kelly, father of our townsman "uncle" Joe Kelly, who settled near there in 1850, the Hendricks, Goodwins, Snyders, Miltons and others. "Besides its fine farming land which seems adapted to raising grain, this community has long been noted for its good citizenship and its efforts in the line of education and religion. For thirty years, a public school has been maintained there. Until last year this school had been taught continuously for some five or six years by Miss Verda Kelly and always ranked as one of the best in the county. Even after this long service Miss Kelly's voluntary retirement was accepted with much regret, a compliment to both teacher and community. "The Milton family was one of the oldest families of the community, and on the old home place Mr. Dick Milton and his estimable family still live. Here as well as on the Anderson farm, can be seen herds of cattle and sheep of the best grade."   [Lost photograph named christianchapel.bmp belongs here. I will have to search the hard drive on Barbara's computer if it doesn't show up elsewhere on the website.] Christian Chapel School, 1916-1917 Front row: Everett "Doc' Scroggins, unknown, Oree Nutting, Vernon Duke, Elwin Mason, Julius "Red" Goodwin, Odell Holly, Spence Taylor, Jess Taylor Second row: Loneta Goodwin, Floyd Nutting, Phama Duke, Ernestine Briggs, Kate Halbert, Zeline Goodwin, Barnett "Doc' Goodwin Third row: Albin Scroggins, Leonard Mitchell, Maude Mitchell, Elsie Mason, Ettie Halbert, Ruth Halbert, Jim Nutting Fourth row: Unk teacher, Maude Duke, Lonell Goodwin, Martha Goodwin, Clarence Crenshaw, Ruth Thompson, George Goodwin Back row: Millie Crenshaw, Roland? Gilliland, Vera Nutting, Charles Crenshaw, Dewey Duke, Mildred Scroggins   Copyright © 2005-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:16:04 MDT