Wayside, Texas, Armstrong County. (original) (raw)

Wayside School
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, April 2004

History in a Pecan Shell

Founded in 1893 as a rural school district, the town was known as Beulah for a daughter of the family who donated land for the school. With the arrival of the post office in 1897, the postmistress changed the name to Wayside.

Cowboys of the JA Ranch (see Goodnight) were the areas first settlers and Wayside became a supply point - first for the cowboys and later for farmers when irrigation made farming feasible.

The community had 40 residents in 1940. This expanded to 100 by the late 60s, but in 1969 it suddenly dropped to only thirty-six. From 1970 to 1990 the population was listed as forty. In 2000, the population was 35.

WAYSIDE SCHOOL & PLAYGROUND

by David Higgins

"Wayside school, is in the SW corner of Armstrong County.

Each district having only one school and covering approximately 100 square miles."

- David Higgins, Lubbock, Texas, September 2005

The school sign reads "Wayside #7" which apparently signifies the seventh school district in the county.
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

This was the only schoolhouse we have seen so far that still had the blackboards.
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

The trophy case contained banners, ribbons and trophies, all from the 30's & 40's and mostly for boys & girls basketball achievement.
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

Merry-go-round
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

The playground equipment is still intact, including a functional merry-go-round and seesaw.
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

The building is still in good shape and appears to be an "occasional" community center.
Photo courtesy Suzan Caudle, Lubbock, September, 2005

Wayside, Texas Forum

• Subject: Wayside School
  I was surfing the web and came across your magazine showing the Wayside School and it's surroundings. I was raised in Wayside. My mother and dad were Charles and Inabelle Kennedy. I was also related to the Stocketts and Fishers. Most of my family is buried at Wayside. I lived there from 1945 until leaving for college in 1963. My parents sold the farm in 1972. The school pictures bring back so many memories. I have done a lot of math and spelling on those blackboards. I was in school there from 1952 through 1958. After that I attended the 8th-12th grades in Happy, Texas Public Schools. I have been gone from the area since attending college at Texas Tech in 1963 but I do occasionally return to visit and to enjoy the Palo Dura Canyon north of Wayside where I spent most of my childhood roaming the canyons either on foot or horseback hunting and enjoying the outdoors. Oh, if life were only as simple now as it was then. We had things so good then. Thanks again for bringing back some wonderful memories. - Richard Kennedy, Lewis, Kansas, December 28, 2007
• Subject: Growing up in Wayside
  I enjoyed the article about Wayside. My mother, Alice and I lived there with my Aunt Alene and Uncle Man (J.E) Littlefield for a while.
  I attended school there in the building shown, was the only fourth grader there, shared upper grade room. Ate my first "commodity" school lunch in a lunch room above the gym prepared by mothers, ate lots of sour (cabbage) and drank lots of grapefruit juice, played baseball (though I didn't want to) and made some friends. Attended the church that was a combination congregation alternated Sundays.
  One winter the snow was DEEP, the cattle walked out of the fields over the fences and the clothes line in the back yard was almost under. I had to bend to touch it.
  Played pilot on a tractor with my cousin, James Eugene Littlefield, who went on to be an aeronautical engineer and recently went back to work after retiring (twice). Smart man. Lives in Arlington now.
  I could ramble on and on. Like most old ladies. This is meant just to 'Thank You' for the memories of a good place to grow up in. - Jean Jennings, Amarillo, Texas, April 23, 2005

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