Lubbock Avalanche-Journal September 25, 1938>
Earnest School
Cochran County, Texas
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Earnest School
The Earnest School was located in the southwest corner of the county and was named after prominent rancher, D. P. Earnest.
Evelyn Ellington was the only school aged child in that area of the county at that time and the M. W. Ellington Ranch headquarters sat in the inaccessible sandhills and sending a bus from Bledsoe was ruled out. Through the combined efforts of Earnest and Ellington, the state of Texas authorized the establishment of the Earnest school district. In the late 1920's a Miss Hayes was hired to teach Evelyn Ellington, who attended for one year. The following year the Ellington family moved to Bledsoe and the Earnest School district paid the house rent and Evelyn's tuition to attend Bledsoe School.
Records of the official establishment of Earnest Common School District No. 2 were lost and the district was once again made official and entered on the records on January 17, 1928. Evelyn Ellington returned to Earnest in 1937, this time as a teacher. The student body consisted of M. W. Ellington Jr. and Jakie R. Standefer.
Earnest consolidated with Bledsoe November 30, 1946 by a vote of twenty-five to zero. Evelyn Ellington married Joe Seagler and taught at Morton Elementary School for many years.
If you know of a school in Cochran County that is not listed here, or if you have photos, maps, documents or stories you would like to share, please, email me!
Source: Texas' Last Frontier: A New History of Cochran County by Elvis E. Fleming and David J. Murrah; Newspaper clipping courtesy Texas' Last Frontier Historical Museum