Mixerr Reviews: History of Crossley School of Corpus Christi, Texas explored.

This news article will explore the history of Crossley School in Corpus Christi, Texas. History of this school seems to have been forgotten.

Crossley School opened in 1926 and operated for more than 60 long years by Corpus Christi Independent School District (Corpus Christi ISD). Crossley School operated under the names of called Crossley Elementary School, Charles W. Crossley Elementary School, Charles W. Crossley School, Crossley Special Emphasis Elementary School, Crossley Special Emphasis School, and C.W. Crossley Special Emphasis School.

Early maps on file at the Nueces County Courthouse indicate history of Crossley School date back to the end of the 19th century. H.E. Luter and Hattie Luter conveyed 14 acres of land between Crossley School and the Bluff north of West Broadway between Kennedy and Peabody Streets to the Bayview Cemetery Association in 1897 for 3 cemeteries which are located here. Some land was set aside for a future school. (Ref: Nueces County Deed Book 3, Pages 525-527).

In 1898, Bayview Cemetery Association sold to W.B. Hopkins, County Judge of Nueces County, and his successors in office, 2 acres out of the original 14 acre tract which is presumed to be located on the end nearest Crossley School. Bayview Cemetery Association also sold 1 acre out of the northwest corner of the original 14-acre tract to the Miramar Lodge 135 of the Knights of Pythias as a lodge cemetery for them. (Ref: Nueces County Deed Book 4, pages 70 & 71)

Construction of Crossley School began in 1925 and lasted a year. Construction was completed in 1926. Crossley School would open in 1926 a block north of I 37. This masonry brick building included 19 classrooms and a satellite cafeteria on bulk-pack lunch. These rooms were not air-conditioned. Supervised after-school play period for boys and girls. The school was named after former Corpus Christi ISD superintendent Charles W. Crossley. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2573276/the-corpus-christi-caller-times/)

Crossley School was a mixed elementary-middle school from 1926 to 1929. Crossley School became an elementary school in 1929. Charles Gregg came to Corpus Christi as principal of C. W. Crossley School.

Another addition for Crossley School was erected in 1934. Harmon & Griffith was the engineering firm responsible for designing and constructing this addition. M. A. Thompson was the state engineer. Harry J. Payne was the architect. (Ref: https://cclibraries.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/gpc/id/708/rec/4)

A gas explosion destroyed and demolished one wing of Crossley School, seriously injuring a janitor, on the date of December 20, 1943. The explosion was felt over a large area. School and fire officials believe this explosion caused by accumulated gas. Schools were closed Friday for the Christmas holidays. (Ref: Pampa Daily News, Page 2, Monday, December 20, 1943)

Joe C. Cabrera was the janitor who was seriously injured during the explosion after being blown through a window. He was the only person known to have been in the building at the time. Luckily Joe had survived the explosion and was not killed. School and fire officials soon launched an investigation after he had been injured. (Ref: The Marshall News Messenger, Janitor Hurt In School Explosion At Corpus Christi, Page 3, Tuesday, December 21, 1943)

This would not be the only time explosions would occur at Crossley School. There have been at least more than 4 explosions that occurred when this school was in operation.

Crossley School was home to 10-member children's folk music group called The Crossley Minstrels. They did musical programs nearly every day of the week much throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Principal Gene Bryant served as director. The Crossley Minstrels later became a 12-piece folk orchestra. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/22439847/)

A mural drawing done by all of the 5th grade students as a student art exhibit in 1954. This mural was a giant mural that dominated Crossley Elementary School. The mural is a silhouette drawing of the city skyline. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller, Page 43, Sunday, May 16, 1954)

A plaque in memory of C. W. Crossley was installed in 1960. Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported this information under the caption of “the Crossley plaque go to Crossley School” in one of their news articles. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Page 21, Thursday, November 17, 1960)

Gene Bryant had been principal at Crossley School for 8 years in 1965. He was previously was a 6th grade teacher and coach at Wilson School for a year. He taught at Fisher School for 2 years and at Zavala School for a year. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24228983/)

A 2-room stucco building from Coles Junior High School was moved to Crossley School with necessary repairs made. The building was placed on reamed footings to be furnished by the contractor. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Page 30, Wednesday, August 30, 1967)

An explosion occurred at Crossley School on a cool night during September 13, 1968. Police and the fire department were dispatched to the scene after receiving a report of an explosion that occurred at 8 PM. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/23413635/)

The explosion turned out to be a "trash can fire" which was started by a bottle filled with gasoline known as a fire bomb. The fire was started using a bottle filled with gasoline. Luckily the fire department quickly extinguished this trash fire. Wind blew in from a northeast bound direction at a low temperature in the 60s. That helped put the fire out. The police were ordered out of the area except for the patrol car that routinely works that area. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/23413635/)

Later, several carloads of people were reportedly seen "hollering and driving up and down Leopard," according to police. Window panes were broken out of a service station. Police cars converged on the dozens of youths were there. Ironically and oddly enough, there were no reports of looting or other incidents. Officials wonder about whether the Crossley School incident and the Leopard Street incident were related. A group of young African Americans whom had gathered along Kennedy Street by Hillcrest Park were believed to have started the trash fire as they had fire bombs, gasoline and matches.

In a 1974 lawsuit called Cisneros v. Corpus Christi Independent School Dist, The plaintiffs recommended that Crossley School be shut down its students reassigned to Oak Park School, Savage School, and Gibson School. Crossley School had been educating students enrolled in grades 4-6. A majority of them were African-American students as the Hillcrest area was predominately black. The school district had schools that were not desegregated yet. (Ref: https://casetext.com/case/cisneros-v-corpus-christi-independent-school-dist)

Corpus Christi Caller later announced plans Corpus Christi ISD’s desegregation proposals in the headlines of their newspaper. The plan called for Crossley School to be closed. However the school remained open. “The plan called for Crossley School, located in Hillcrest, to be closed and the students sent to Oak Park. Savage and Gibson. Crossley, however, is still open. The following elementary schools would have been paired in the Foster plan.” (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller, Page 11, Tuesday, November 12, 1974)

To complicate matters, a desegregation plan posed by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit called for the closing of Crossley Elementary School at 2512 Koepke and the transfer of 110 pupils to Savage Elementary School.

The Corpus Christi Independent School District School Board made decisions to close Crossley Elementary School in 2000 due to the campus operating at 50% percent capacity. The school was old and needed so many repairs done. Crossley School was one of the many underused schools in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. Most Corpus Christi school facilities needed to be upgraded. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, CCISD OKs rules for school closings, District officials say they likely will shut another campus, December 11, 2001)

Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that district officials had given Crossley School two months to pack up before June 2001. The school complied with the order in a complicit manner with no issue. Although some belonging were left behind. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Telling Crossley goodbye, School has two months to pack up, April 6, 2001)

A celebration was held after school was finished prior to closure. Around 200-300 people attended the celebration party. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Crossley prepares for the last day, Students, teachers, principals remember the 75-year-old school, May 21, 2001)

Crossley School closed in 2001. The school itself had been through 5 principals. Corpus Christi Independent School District shut down Crossley School was shut down due to, high maintenance costs, and Low attendance and low test scores were anther factor which led to the closure of this school. This was enacted after district officials said they will likely shut another campus. The building was abandoned in 2001.

An arson incident occurred at the school in late April 2013. The school was set on fire due to arson on the date of April 24, 2013. Someone set fire to the second floor. Detectives were unable to find the cause of this fire and were unable to figure out who exactly was responsible for the arson. This, however, is not surprising. This building has been vacant for over 10 years. (Ref: https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/school-building-fire/503-274069698)

Today, Crossley School has fallen under a state of ruins and is declining away in urban decay. The roof has collapsed into the building. The old building is now oped to exposed air elements. Much damage has been done to the second floor of this school building. The building is still in ruins and has been vacant for over 10 years. Corpus Christi Independent School District still owns the property and building.