Public School Records
School Census Rolls 1915/1916 and 1920-1942
The oldest school census records here at HCGS are for the 1915/1916 school year, then the years 1920 to 1942. HCGS does not have the years 1916 to 1919. These compiled school census rolls have the name, age, and parent or guardian of each student. It also has their post office address and the school ID. See figure 1. The rolls have “White scholastics” listed first followed by “Colored.”
School Census Questionnaire Forms 1941-1971
The School Census Questionnaires are a bit more challenging to navigate through. For those of you of a certain age who are products of the Texas Public School System, from any Texas county, will recall each year having to take home a name and address form for your parents to sign. That is what these records are for Hopkins County. There are 30‑years’ worth of them filed away in a filing cabinet at HCGS. See figure 2. “White scholastics” are on white forms. “Colored” are on pink forms.
These census forms are only filed by the first letter of the surname. Within each letter group the forms are not alphabetized nor sorted by school. So you will need to look through the entire letter group for your ancestor.
June Tuck’s School Bonds & Miscellaneous
Thanks to long‑time historian and author the late June Tuck, another treasure at HCGS is her collection of school bonds and petitions. You won’t find any student names here, but you just might find their parent. Not all Hopkins County rural schools are represented here. If the school you’re interested in is here, it is worth a look. For some of the schools you will find petitions signed by locals requesting that a school bond election be held. See figure 3 for an example of this from May 1917. It is a petition signed by the good tax paying citizens of “Common School District No. 28” [a.k.a. Hopewell, a.k.a. Flora] requesting a bond election.
School Ledger Books
Was your mee-maw a school teacher in Hopkins County? The HCGS collection of school ledgers for disbursements and receipts covers the time period from about 1907 to 1960. Here you find the names of school trustees and teachers. It also includes the names of persons that were paid by the school.
Yearbooks
The HCGS Yearbook Collection offers a unique glimpse into the educational history of Hopkins County, Texas, with volumes spanning from the 1950s through the 1960s. This curated archive includes yearbooks from various schools across the county, capturing cherished memories, photographs, and stories of students and staff from bygone eras. Organized by school, title, and year, it ensures easy access and discovery for researchers and visitors alike. To see a list of Yearbooks in our collection go to the Library Catalogue under the Hopkins County section, then type “Yearbook” in the search box.
Other Books On Our Shelves
Local History
Multiple histories have been written about our rural communities and county schools that contain some student names. To see a list of these books in our collection go to the Library Catalogue under the Hopkins County section, then type “school” in the search box.
We also have local history books for sale in our Bookshop.
Gifford White Book
The HCGS Library has a copy of a book titled Texas Scholastics 1854 – 1855 by Gifford White.[i] White’s 1980 book is a transcription of the surviving 1855 school census records for 89 of 100 Texas counties. The good news is Hopkins County and Titus County are included. The bad news is that counties starting with the letters A through D are missing and 11 counties only reported their number of students. Unfortunately, neighboring Hunt and Wood counties are on that list of 11 numbers‑only counties. This book is available at libraries across the state.
[i] Gifford White, transcriber, Texas Scholastics 1854-1855 (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1991).