Many early Beaumont residents attending remember the school during the early 20th century. South End School was colored school/negro school for black students. South End School is one of Beaumont’s well-known and well-remembered schools in Beaumont held in such high regard and favorable acclaim. This news article will explain the history behind the South End School in Beaumont, Texas.
South End School was between Johns Avenue and Gray Street facing Alfred Avenue near the 4-way intersection of Gray and Royal. (Ref: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4034bm.g4034bm_g084241911/?sp=43&r=0.089,0.504,0.561,0.327,0)
Prior to the 1880s, there were only two schools in the city of Beaumont, which were North End School and South End School.
Professor P. S. Smith of Kaufman was selected as principal of the South End School on May 8, 1895 succeeding the then-current principal at a meeting of the school board that afternoon. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/20692513/)
The average attendance during the first month of the 1904-1905 school year was 2,349 students attending daily. Miss Pearl Hart of Gilmer was elected to a new place to teach the primary department in the South End School. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30180005/)
Professor James W. Kinnear of Beaumont was elected principal of the South End School in 1904 replacing T. J. Charlton. T. J. Charlton was the principal who preceded him. He was the original principal of South End School. Professor James W. Kinnear served as the principal for 8 years until 1912. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2720107/beaumont-school-board-aug-1904/)
Professor James W. Kinnear taught the 8th grade in one room while serving as principal. There were as many as 30 students in one classroom at a time. He was getting paid $75 dollars a month. Beamont ISD was very anxious for somebody to come in and straighten things up at South End School. There were 36 applicants, and he was elected by acclamation without even considering the rest of them. (Ref: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sjBW-SBaCTYJ:av1-cah.lib.utexas.edu/index.php%3Ftitle%3DTexOilIndustry:T107+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)
The addition of a one-room extension for the South End School was completed on Sunday, January 31, 1904. The extension was rendered necessary because of the increasing attendance. Miss McMumm, from Missouri assumed charge of the new department. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/94854003/)
However controversy arose when parents of high school students attending South End School complained that black students were jostling white children. Black students were getting after white students with switches. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth603476/m1/4/zoom/?q=%22south%20end%20school%22&resolution=1.5&lat=828.1014699982916&lon=2224.2957373806594)
South End School was renovated by Prince & Miller at a cost of $30,191. However the school was without steam heat. South End School was two stories in height and had a basement designed by architects Waller, Shaw & Fields. H. D. Applegate & Sons were the contractors who renovated South End School. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=VkRBAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA16-PA16&lpg=RA16-PA16&dq=%22south+end+school%22+beaumont&source=bl)
The name of the school was changed from South End School to Pennsylvania Avenue School in the year of 1911. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/96654437/)
“At an informal meeting of the building committee of the school board, the name of "Pennsylvania Avenue school" was selected for the new South End school building In course of construction and the name was traced in ornamental scroll over the cement arch of the main entrance to the building. The incident occurred without ceremony of any kind.”
H. W. Johns-Manville Co were given a contract they expended for labor and material to fix the roof of South End School for $130 dollars in 1914. The total cost to fix the roof ended up being $330 dollars. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=GYA7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5)
South End School was located at Gray and Royal, Beaumont, Texas, US.
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