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Uvalde County,
TX
Schools
Concan and Bear Creek School Reunion
A reunion of former students and teachers of the Concan and Bear Creek Schools took place in Concan this summer.
Former teachers attending were:Ora Maye Scott Caddel, Uvalde
Jane Knippa Haile, San Antonio
Margery Beth Adams Guice, Uvalde
Former students attending were:Dovie Caddel Howard (92 years old)
Julia Ortiz Gonzales, San Antonio
Dick Ortiz, Lutz, Florida
L. A. Routh, Concan
Ira Smith, Camp Wood
Gertrude Reid Casey, Las Cruces, N.M.
Leila Jo Copple Welch, Uvalde
Bessie Mae Smith Lockhart, Barksdale
John Reid, Hillsboro, N.M.
Iris Dalrymple, Uvalde
Ioleen Robinson Bradley, Uvalde
Ollie Avant Strong, Uvalde
Inez Avant Watkins, Uvalde
Loss Caddel, Devine
T. Don Scott, Wimberly
Nollie Caddel, Uvalde
La Nell Robinson Hertz (no address given)
Ira L. Robinson, La Pryor
A M Routh, Uvalde
Aubrey F Robinson, Uvalde
Erma Lee Kelly Stockton, Leakey
Reinhart W. Meyer, Hondo
Leon Routh, Uvalde
Lucille Robinson Dodson, Sabinal
Mary Woodward, Kerrville
Zylpha Davis Taff, Rio Frio
Susie Davis Nichols, Rio Frio
Mary Tom Neal Buchanan, Concan
Billie Neal Graves, Concan
Iris Meyer Sawyer, San Antonio
Ella Blanche Meyer Doyle, San Antonio
Ruth Blair Webb, Concan
Ernest Ortiz, Uvalde
Evelyn Streib Davenport, Knippa
Roque (Roy) Ortiz, Uvalde
Former students and teachers were invited to submit their memories of those school days. Here are a few of them.
Ella Blanche Meyer Doyle...
My years at Concan School covered from October 1916 to October 1922. The first few weeks of schooling in September of that year I spent in the Bear Creek School, under the guidance of Miss Bess Neal. Thus I can claim the distinction of having attended both rural one-room schools; my sister Iris can also make this claim. In 1922 about the middle of October my family moved to Uvalde, where I graduated in 1927.
The school bell rang at nine o'clock and we were dismissed at four in the afternoon. We had morning and afternoon recesses of fifteen minutes, and about forty-five minutes to eat sack lunches and play at lunch. And still those wonderful teachers found time to conduct classes for 8 grades in every subject that was being covered in the same classes at Uvalde, where they lasted for 45 minutes per subject covering the same required subject matter, taught by a different teacher for each subject. Think of the comparison to a one-room school, with one teacher handling eight grades! Talk about an education of reinforced information when for six years one has been subjected to hearing the same information day after day, year after year! Great!!
Miss Jane Knippa (now Mrs. William G. Haile) even stayed later to tutor my older sister Iris for the first six weeks of the 9th grade just before we moved to Uvalde, enabling her to start right in at the new school as an A student sophmore.
In describing the interior of the one room, the teacher's desk was centered on a raised platform at the front of the room with two long rows of desks down each side and a short one on the middle as the wood stove was centered there. The teacher moved around the room from blackboard to desks as the lesson demanded. The platform also served as a stage for the plays and recitations that were presented each year, giving every student a chance to perform. Hanging on the wall behind the teacher's desk was a framed picture of George Washington on the left and another picture of beautiful horses by Rosa Bonheur on the right. We had a limited library housed on three small shelves, about three feet high and thirty inches long, containing some very good books. The most impressive one to me was a small book covering the gamut of Greek gods and goddesses. I remember vividly the illustration of the goddess Medea with snakes entwined in her curls. There was a rather large Webster's dictionary on a stand, in which we were required to look up a list of words and copy their meanings when we reached the third grade. I loved that.
Occasionally some of the students rode to school and the poor horses had to stand tied closely to a tree all day. Myrtle Robinson rode a beautiful little fiery black stallion; daily, they tore off the school ground like Kentucky Derby performers.
We rode a little bay pony for a while. I do not know how the poor little animal managed to carry three heavy youngsters.
Our play ground games were sort of seasonal. In cold weather we moved around a lot playing "Andy Over" a game which demanded someone with a strong arm to pitch a ball over the schoolhouse, with the entire school divided into two teams on each side of the schoolhouse to play. Unfortunately I have forgotten how the game was scored.
In warm weather we played mumblety-peg, which required the manipulation of a pocket knife off the back of hands and fingers. Can you see that game being allowed on school grounds today? Probably would be a lot better than the concealed guns they carry today! My bosom buddy, Irene Robinson, was a whiz at this game, never missing a move. Most of the time "town ball" was the game we played and even the smallest child was allowed to bat, so everybody played. Two captains were designated, and first coice for each team was arrived at by hand over hand moves up the bat till one or the other could no longer hold it. This also determined who was first up to bat. Harvey Robinson was usually the pitcher and he knew just how hard to pitch to each child. In this particular sport it was fair to catch the ball on the firstbounce to make an "out".. a pretty neat rule for small kids as it gave them a better chance to catch the ball.
Also now and then when they wanted to impress the girls the older boys would measure off the distance, dig the required two small holes, and dip down in their heans for shiny silver dollars and proceed to toss them, hoping they would fall in the hole for a score.
World War I came and went without much of a ripple in our young lives, but it probably was definitely the reason the funds ran out in the fifth month of the 1918 session, and the school had to close too early for students to be promoted. As our mother had been a governess-teacherto the Classen family children, who lived north of San Antonio, in her younger years before she married my father, she knew how to set up our lesson time at home and assisted Iris, Carlos and I to complete our school year. The following September we were accepted into the next grade.. the only students to be promoted. We were the envy of the entire school for a short while as a result. We did learn the pledge of allegiance during this time and a little flag-waving was indulged in. Miss Bess taught us patriotism in the finest way.
Miss Mamie Anthon came to visit us periodically as she was the county overseer of schools about 1920, and she would quiz us on reading and spelling and math. She was a great lady, later my freshman and sophmore algebra teacher at Uvalde High School; also my debate instructor in my junior and senior years.
Our teachers at Concan were:Miss Lola Moses 1916-17
Mrs. Bess Neal Hammer 1917-18
Miss Wasnick 1918-19
Mrs. Bess Neal Hammer 1919-20
Miss Kate Allen 1920-21
Miss Jane Knippa 1921-22
Miss Jane Knippa 1922 -I remember only a very few of the Bear Creek students but a few of them were good friends later in life and come readily to mind.
Birdie Kelly
Handsom Rex Kelly
George KellyTheir cousins
Lois Kelly
Erma Kelly and a boy named Champion. Some of the VanPelt children also were enrolled there.Miss Bess Neal was a wonderful teacher for a beginning pupil. She allowed Erma and me (the only first graders) to take a nap, heads on our folded arms on our desks, every day after lunch.
CONCAN SCHOOL.... Some of the children I can remember from the years 1916-1922 are:
Dessie McNair Travis McNair Ollie Avant Homer Caddell Robert Fletcher Jo Fletcher Hammer Van Pelt Edwin Van Pelt "Cotton" Van Pelt 2 Cummings children 3 Smith children Robert Cowan L D Cowan Champ Cowan Bonn Cowan Nina McNair Nola McNair Johnny McNair Myrtle Robinson Harvey Robinson Alvin Robinson Irene Robinson Jack Hansen Jewel Hansen Ruby Hansen Arthur Moody (my cousin) Annie Morris Willie Morris Mary Christmas little sister Jimmy Christmas another Christmas boy Edna Van Pelt Bernice Van Pelt George Van Pelt Cylde Van Pelt Leo Slover Leo's sister Eva? Estefana... Tullos.... Iris Meyer Ella Blanche Meyer Carlos Meyer Reinhard Meyer John Caddell Nollie Caddell Loss Caddell J D Caddell Dovie Caddell Ina Caddell Cecil Caddell Willie Caddell Mary Howard Woodward said:
I went to Bear Creek School from 1933 to 1937. My brother, D. B. Howard, Jr. and I rode horseback through several ranches (about 3 miles). Our father had built us a pen for our horses near the school. They were unsaddled and when the day of one room classes was over, we rode back to our home on East Hollow, called the Harlan Ranch. We had many trials and tribulations during our five days a week trips. We rode in rain, heat and freezing weather. We even had spills and I especially remember the one when our dog followed us, ran up behind my horse and I was on the ground before I knew it. Our dog ate my lunch and this was serious!
The first teacher I remember was Mrs. Winnie Heard Randolph and after Mrs. Randolph, the teacher was Miss Marie Waters.
I do not remember how many children were going to the Bear Creek school during this time, but I do remember during recess one day, my brother broke his leg while playing a game we called Mush Pot Base. Our folks were notified and they came after us in the car. We took my brother to Sabinal where a Dr. Truitt set his leg and put it in a cast. He was at home in a full leg cast for six weeks. He did his homework and class assignments while confined at home.
As a student at the Bear Creek School, I do not remember any difficulty in the daily classes. The first graders were taught and given work to do and then the teacher would move on the higher grades to teach them and give them work to do. I do not remember anyone ever giving the teacher problems.. There were the days of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
When I was nine years old we moved to Concan and I went to the one room classes in Concan for one year. My teacher was Ann Davenport. This was in the year of 1937-38. In 1938-9 school year, we consolated with Sabinal schools and rode the bus into Sabinal. The first year I went to Sabinal, I was in the 6th grade. I graduated from Sabinal High School in 1944.
It is too bad some students do not have the foundation of the one room school anymore and half of the country has turned illiterate. Maybe we need to return to the three R's of learning!Reminiscense of Jane Knippa Haile... Teacher
Approximately 70 years ago is hard to remember with much detail.
My first problem was to find a place to stay. Luckily, the Ira Robinsons granted me this privilege if I could handle a horse and buggy to take their 2 children to school which worked out well until mid-term when Mrs. Robinson took ill and did not feel up to having an extra person to care for. The horse and buggy deal worked out fine but the horse got out of its trap one night and I was allowed to drive the family car, which was all right until I had to ford the river.. I had never driven in water so of course I drowned the engine but I got on the running board, crawled to the engine, raised the hood and dried the spark plugs, crawled on the bumper and manged to crank the Ford and it came to so I was able to proceed to school. I certainly learned you do not ford a river in high gear!!
The second half of the term faired well.. I now lived in town with the Cowan family who owned the only store and manned the post office. The influenza bug bit the community and for a week I did not have any pupils. Fortunately, I did not take the flu so I helped out in the store and post office and was asked to visit one of my families who had the entire family down. To my amazement, they did not even have water to take their medicine. I went down a bluff to a spring and carried water up a slope that had been improvised.
After the flu bug served it's time we proceeded with our regular class work which consisted of reading, arithmetic, grammar, spelling, history, writing, music appreciation and , believe it or not, I exposed one of my pupils to a foreign language because I had heard she was interested in higher education.
We even managed to serve hot chocolate to the children who had to carry cold lunches in the wintertime.
We managed to have a school program and a little fund raiser which was well attended and appreciated as school did have a few expenditures, for example, chalk, because children then were encouraged to show their expertise on the blackboard.This was written in 1965 by Jean McNair (McFadin) as a project for the history class of Irene Adams at Sabinal High School. Jean is the grand-daughter of Mr and Mrs M E McNair who were known as "Boy" and Alice, and great grand-daughter of Charles Taylor and Almira Johnson McNair.)
Nestled where the stately cypresses grow tallest and the Frio River, true to it's Spanish name, runs the deepest and coldest, is the small hill country community of Con Can. no one now living, seems to remember how the name, Con Can, came into being but old timers vaguely recall a Mexican card game, "Coon Con", which might have been the derivative.
Ranching, mainly sheep and goats, has always been the main industry in this area and the community of Con Can has always contained a general store, a one room school building, a cedar post yard, a saw mill and at least one resort business.. the resort catering to city folks wanting to enjoy the summer climate and the solitude and beauty of the river and surrounding mountain area.
to this quiet secluded area, Charles Taylor McNair brought his family in 1878. The McNair family came from Alabama where Taylor had served in the 63rd Regiment of the Confederate Army during the war between the states. Of this regiment, Brwere's (sic) History of Alabama states:This regiment was organized at Blakely in July 1864 and nearly all of the men except two companies were conscripts from various parts of the state, the officers being veterans. The regiment remained in defense of Mobile until ordered to Spanish Fort in March 1865. It lost several killed and wounded during the six days operations at Spanish Fort. Relieved and sent to Blakely, the 63 arrived in time to share in all the privations and perils of that siege. After some loss, it was captured with the fortress on April 9, 1865, and exchanged just prior to the surrender.
Taylor McNair was anxious to settle his wife and children in this spacious area on the Frio. From the Annadale Cattle Company, he bought a half section of land located on the Frio below the community of Con Can. A substantial down payment and because the area had become a haven for straying cattle, convince the Annadale Company that they were getting rid of an undesireable tract of land.
Taylor McNair, with the help of his strong sons, fenced the small ranch land and planted crops.
With the abundant supply of cypress and oak timber, Taylor decided a saw mill would be a good investment, also. The mill was built and soon a grist mill to grind meal for neighboring families was added.
As soon as the fall work was completed, the McNair children attended the one room school building several miles away on the Robinson place.
As other families came to the Frio canyon and children reached school age, a community meeting was called and the possibility of a larger school in a more central location was discussed. Taylor was quick to offer the northwest corner of his ranch for the new school and the group eagerly accepted.
The deed was duly made and the necessary land transferred, forever, to the county judge and his successors. This was done to avoid any misunderstanding in later years.
Members of the community contributed labor, the saw mill supplied lumber, and soon a modern spacious school building, complete with pot-bellied stove in the center, was ready to receive students for classes. Teachers, mostly men, were imported from nearby towns.
Circuit riders were invited to hold religious meetings in this fine new building. If the season was late summer, a brush arbor was erected near the school building and water well, and "camp meetings" with the neighbors coming to camp for a full week or ten days for a spiritual revival.
Precinct elections for county, state, and national elections were held in the school building. Family reunions assembled and enjoyed the oak shade and central meeting place.
Even though our Con Can school lays no claim to fame for any of their scholars, they are justly proud of all who attended.
The high principles and standards set by the community was furthered by the good teachers who were a guiding influence on their students lives.
Students respected their teachers and realized they were privileged to attend school and must take advantage of every opportunity to learn. However, any time a group of youngsters are assembled, there are always a few outstanding characters remembered for their mischief.
Erwin Rimkus, one of the more energetic and daring "big boys" loved practical jokes. Sometimes he plotted with the other students against the teacher and sometimes he just drew on his own ingenuity.
Students still remember the day he stopped by the hog pen on his way to school to admire and feed the old sow and her brood. A small louse caught his imaginative eye and he took it along to use for a possible "good" purpose. When school had been in session a short while, young Erwin waved his arm wildly to attract the teacher's attention. He pointed to the small insect crawling lazily across his desk and then looked knowingly at the pigtails of the little girl sitting directly in front of him.
The teacher, well experienced in childhood diseases and ailments, quickly recognized the necessity of stopping this malady before it progressed further. She immediately dismissed the bous and carefully combed through each little girl's hair.. some braided.. some piled high on their heads. Finding nothing suspicious, she called the boys back and dismissed the girls for a short recess.
Erwin could no longer contain his secret and the teacher ended his fine laugh with corporal punishment prescribed for just such matters.
Will Robinson, from the first day he attended school, held the record for being able to spit farther from between his front teeth than any other boy. This delighted and amused the whole school and he was a willing performer especially if the teacher's back was turned!
Clint Meyer was probably saved from many scoldings and possible worse punishment by sister Ella's close supervision. She insisted that he occupy the double desk with her he remembers even now the pleasing sizzle Will could effect as he regularly hit a target as far as ten feet away.
Woodie Lambert learned the hard way that matches should never be carried in ones hip pocket, especially if that was the day one chose to sass the teacher. "Warming a scholar's pants" became a reality as the teacher used her switch generously and ignited the cluster of matches. Woodie bravely smothered the smoke and flames but not before the students were thoroughly impressed by the whole incident.
As new families came to the Frio canyon to live, the school house, which had once seemed spacious and adequate, became crowded. More than twenty families were represented in the school. Many families had four or five children attending at one time. A larger school was definitely needed.
The heads of families were called into conference and building plans for a larger school were discussed. The cooperative spirit so pecular to small isolated communities, supported the plan in every way. Jim Robinson and John Lambert agreed to act as architect and construction foreman, respectively. Others volunteered labor whenever needed and still others agreed to haul material.
Some of the families then living in Con Can were Avant, Bates, Robinson, Hanson, Meyer, Rimkus, Richarz, Glenn, Bullington, Prescott, Banning, McNair, Lambert, Gore, Smith, Crane, Alexander and Caddel.
The Caddel family had moved to Con Can from Tarpley, Texas in 1901 and two of the older sons, Jim and Henry, bought seven acres of land from Jim Robinson at $25 an acre, and established a general store to serve the growing community. The store also served the area as post office and was located just west of the school house. Charlie Moody, the teacher, with his knowledge of mathematics, assisted the Caddel brothers in determining pitch and cutting the rafters for the new store.
Fritz Rimkus volunteered to buy the old school building and moved it to his home place where it was added to his house as a bedroom. Will Robinson bought the wood heater.
The progressive spirit was evident in many ways in the canyon. The Fritz Rimkus family proudly displayed their new 1910 Willys Overland Touring Car, complete with canvas top and inisnglass side curtain!
Will Magers was sporting a new Ford and taking all the canyon folks for an exciting ride. This was the day of progress. It was hard to believe that only a year before a black bear was killed on the very trails that cars were then wizzing along. They reached the dangerous speed of seventeen miles an hour on a straight stretch of road with a downhill slant and strong tail wind.
The new school building held the center of community attention. The Knippa Lumber company managed by Charlie Russel, furnished the material and sometimes construction was slowed because the materials were held up by bad roads. On one occasion, Linson McNair had to leave his loaded wagon for more than a week, returning home with his team of four horses until the roads dried after heavy rains.
The men of the community made sure the new building was strong, well braced, and plumb, but the ladies insisted on plenty of light and ventilation. Even the necessary houses.. one for boys and one for girls.. came in for their share of design. The teacher, Miss Maude Watkins, insisted that each building have seats for two students of varying size and one for the teacher.
Thus in the fall of the year 1912, Con Can was able to boast one of the finest buildings in the area. Grades one through eight were taught by the one teacher but with the help of other students assisting in instruction of the beginners, all classes met regularly and made satisfactory progress.
By meeting special requirements and raising the tax evaluation, the Con Can school district was able to qualify for state aid by 1919. The extra money was used for longer and continuous terms of school and better books and classroom equipment. At one time even two years of high school work was offered to students, but the trustees favored sending those students who had completed the prescribed course of elementary instruction to Uvalde or Sabinal for their high school work.
Fund raising projects were being organized by parents of the children and proceeds used toward purchase of mechanical aids to teaching as well as maps charts and other materials.
Miss Mamie Anthon, County School Superintendent, wrote into her minutes of the County Trustees on April 4, 1921, "Con Can has shown a progressive spirit by giving box suppers and other socials for the purpose of raising money to buy needed school equipment."
In November 1934, the County Trustees officially classified Con Can as an elementary school, with all students above the sixth grade to be sent to Sabinal school.
In 1939, the Con Can School District consolidated with the Sabinal Independent School District and all classes were sent to Sabinal by bus.
Until the year 1948, Con Can continued to have trustees appointed by the County Superintendent and the County Trustees. Their chief purpose was to see that the building was kept in repair since there were no longer any classes conducted there.
Because of the wording of the deed, filed by C T McNair in September 1894, the Sabinal School could not claim Con Can's school ground. Thus, seventy-one years later, Con Can still has a center of community interest. The building, due to the careful construction and use of quality materials, is still as sturdy and sound as when it was first built.
Some of the students of the first school were:
Ora Bates Pearl Caddel Ethel Caddel Hattie Glynn Clint Meyer Hattie Meyer Dorilla Avant Louise Henson C T McNair Eva Caddel Arthur Avant Ella Meyer Laura Caddel Frank Smith, teacher Will Caddel Effie Smith Mary Avant
Some students of the new school house:
Ina Caddel Mae Smith Ollie Avant Roy Smith Sibyl Smith Bill Van Pent Lorenzo Avant Boon Cowan Hooch Cowan Clara Hanson Lulla Belle Smith Dewey Van Pelt Ben Robinson Dan Thompson Jodie Terry Nora Terry Clyde Thompson Edgar Richarz Leo Robinson Anne Terry Dovie Caddel Myrtle Robinson Lola Moses, teacher
Other students of Con Can school:
Clyde Van Pelt Willie Caddel Robbie Lee Cummins Cecil Caddel Ella Blanche Meyer Carlos Meyer Arthur Moody Iris Meyer Alvin Robinson John Taylor McNair Irene Robinson Bernice Van Pelt Nola McNair Winnie Cummins Loss Caddel Travis McNair Bessie McNair Nina McNair Nollie Caddel Bill Van Pelt Bessie Neal Edna Van Pelt Ina Caddel Ollie Avant
Trustees of Con Can School:
C T McNair Jim Robinson Harvey Alexander J L McNair Will Robinson Eddie Meyer Tom Bates H J Van Pelt Gus Richarz Tom Neal Mrs. Tom Neal Clint Meyer J N Scott B E Smith J H Cunningham Mrs C C Meyer D B Howard Mrs Jesse Howard Mrs Irene Van Pelt Mrs Margie Richarz D C Crews John Cunningham Lester Emmons Woodie Angermiller
Teachers of Con Can School:
Charlie Moody Frank Smith Mr. Andrews Eva Robinson Carrie Burditt Lola Moses Mr. McIntosh Hattie Jarvis Nola Hiler Alice Jones Nova Johnson Janie Knippa Knopf Kate Allen Bess Hammer Sue Johnson Miss Watson Maude Scarborough Nettie Anderson Margaret Van Pelt Mrs. Albert Davenport Ramona Bailey Mrs. Amanda Chapin Ruth Dyson Audry O'Bryant Ora Maye Scott Mrs C C Heard Josephine White Marie A Waters Margery Beth Adams [Source: "Branches & Acorns" SWTGS Quarterly, Vol. VI, No. 2 - December 1990]
