"Bee, Bee, Bumble Bee all out come in free," might have been the theme song of the Bumble Bee school built in 1886 on the Bumble Bee Prairie in Jack County, Texas. The school and prairie derived their names from the large bumble bee hives down in that region. This building burned and was rebuilt in 1902 across the Jack County line on the Loving Prairie in Young County. While this building was being rebuilt, the pupils attended classes in a private home for two or three months. The new school was located on the east end of Cox Mountain, near the Butterfield Trail which ran from Fort Richardson to Fort Belknap.

Malcolm Cox attended the Bumble Bee school in 1905. The school was a one teacher school with 50 pupils and ten grades. Mr. Cox teachers were: Walter Dobson, Gene Bynam and Hoover Groner. The teachers roomed and boarded in the homes of the pupils. Mr. Cox recalls the school had homemade wooden benches, desks, a blackboard, and wood burning stove. There were no restrooms so the boys went one way and the girls another in the bushes

Drinking water was carried from the Cox land by running a stick through the bail of the tin bucket by two boys; the water was poured into wooden barrel on a shelf in the school. This barrel was covered each night by the teacher. There were seven tin cups which were used all week. Mr. Cox remarked, "There must have not been any germs in those days as there were no ill effects from the water or the cups. " Socials, parties, and games were about the same as all one in two rooms schools of rural America, such as baseball and drop-a-handkerchief. Spelling matches and various community programs were held, also.

When the water tank near the school on the Loving Ranch was frozen, teachers as well as pupils would ice skate at lunch time. The boys were all known to throw paper wads at the ceiling and the disruptive pupils were kept in at recess and were severely disciplined. The pupils of the Bumble Bee School were transferred in 1907 to the Monument school which was about 4 miles west. Later the building was sold to an individual and the wooden benches carried off by another.

Bumblebee's school was a 7 tin cup school while Monument was only a four dipper.

Wonder what ever became of the water barrel?