Whitt Texas. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
His first name remains unknown, but it�s agreed by most parties that the community was named after a man with the last name of Whitt. First settled in the 1870s, it had an excellent location for growth being between Weatherford and Jacksboro.
A post office didn�t open until 1877 but in the early 1880s, The Parker Institute (a Methodist High School) opened. The estimated population was reported at 150.
The town had two gristmills and a cotton gin as well as three churches and a weekly newspaper. By 1900 the number of residents had increased to 500.
But without a railroad, the town�s growth was curtailed and a slow decline set in. Further hit by the Great Depression, the town lost more residents and by 1950 the population was down to 90. It has since declined to a mere 38 � as reported in the 2000 census.
Whitt Seminary historical marker
(FM 2891, 1 block N of town square)
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015
Historical Marker:
Whitt Seminary
In January 1880 the elders of the Christian Church at Whitt purchased five acres of land at this site to build a community school. The Whitt Seminary opened in 1881 in a two-story rock building. By 1885 Whitt was a thriving community of about 400 inhabitants with a number of businesses and a sincere interest in quality education. Seminary enrollment was between 175 and 200 students who came from local and surrounding communities and from as far away as the Oklahoma Territory.
The Seminary educated elementary through high school students and included an academic department, a music department, and a commercial school. Music courses offered included piano, organ, guitar, violin, and voice. Other courses included bookkeeping, commercial law, writing, spelling, typing, trigonometry, history, English literature, astronomy, chemistry, and Latin.
The Whitt Seminary served the community from 1881 until about 1900. The facility continued to be used as a Christian church until 1937, and then served as a site for community functions, family reunions, and annual Whitt homecomings. The original five acres, Whitt Seminary building and tabernacle were deeded to the Whitt Cemetery Association in 1976.
(1991)
Historical Marker:
Whitt Cemetery
The town of Whitt was officially established in 1877, but permanent settlement in this area had been taking place since about 1855. Originally a farming community, Whitt became a stagecoach stop for people traveling betweenWeatherford and Jacksboro. It later developed into a regional education center with the presence of two colleges, Whitt Seminary and Parker Institute, which operated here between 1881 and 1990.
Between 1876 and 1879, Oscar Grantham donated land to the community for burial purposes. The graveyard has served as a community burial ground since at least 1879. The oldest marked burial, that of Margaret A. Gipson, dates to that year, but the presence of more than 100 unmarked graves suggests that the cemetery was active prior to that time. J.N. and M.L. Johnston made additional land donations over the years to enlarge the cemetery. Now over eight acres in size, the cemetery has more than 1,000 graves. Among those buried here are pioneer settlers and veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Since 1990, the graveyard has been maintained by a cemetery association. It is an important cultural resource in the area.
(1992)
WHITT, TEXAS
by d.knape
As little town's go
its name sure fit,
we hate to say
but the dust it bit,
it used to be
then it up and quit,
now it just aint
we've lost our Whitt!
©
d.knape
November 17, 2014
Whitt, Texas Forum
Subject: Whitt Seminary
I have enjoyed looking through your site, and spent a good deal of my morning checking out the cities you have posted. There are lots of great photos and information you've included.
In looking at Whitt, which is close to me, I noticed that you did not have a photo of the church. I decided to run over this morning and get one for you.
This was built in 1881 as the Whitt Seminary and used as the local school until about 1900. The roof has been redone and there is now a handicap ramp. It is still used, to some degree for community gatherings. - Curtis Carter, November 09, 2014
Whitt Seminary
Photo courtesy Curtis Carter, November 2014
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