Public School Records
School records can place a child—and often a parent or guardian—in a particular Hopkins County community between federal censuses. The HCGS Library holds school census records, questionnaires, financial ledgers, bond petitions, yearbooks, and local school histories dating from the mid-1800s through the twentieth century.
School Census Rolls 1915/1916 and 1920-1942
The earliest school census records held by HCGS are for the 1915–1916 school year. The collection then resumes with records from 1920 through 1942; HCGS does not hold school census records for the intervening school years. These compiled school census rolls include the name, age, and parent or guardian of each student. They also include the student’s post office address and the school ID. See figure 1. The original records use the historical headings “White scholastics” and “Colored”; these terms are reproduced here to help researchers understand how the records are arranged.
School Census Questionnaire Forms 1941-1971
The School Census Questionnaires are a bit more challenging to navigate through. Texans of a certain age may remember taking home an annual name-and-address form for a parent to complete and sign. The Hopkins County school census questionnaires in this collection are those very forms. 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.
Please note: Forms are grouped only by the first letter of the surname. They are not alphabetized within each letter and are not arranged by school.
School Bond and Petition Collection
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 collection includes the school or district you are researching, the petitions may identify parents, taxpayers, trustees, and other community members. 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 Hopkins County school teacher—or did another relative serve as a trustee, supplier, or school employee? The HCGS collection of school ledgers for disbursements and receipts covers the time period from about 1907 to 1960. These ledgers may include the names of school trustees, teachers, and the names of persons that were paid by the school.
Yearbooks
The HCGS yearbook collection includes volumes from several Hopkins County schools, primarily from the 1950s and 1960s. Yearbooks may provide student and faculty photographs, class lists, club memberships, sports teams, and other details not found in official records. 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. We also have some yearbooks for sale in our bookshop.
Other Books On Our Shelves
Local School and Community Histories
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 online Bookshop.
Gifford White Book
The HCGS Library has a copy of a book titled Texas Scholastics 1854 – 1855 by Gifford White.[i] White’s 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.
Plan Your Research Visit
Most of these records are available only at the HCGS Library. Visit us at 611 N. Davis Street in Sulphur Springs, or contact us before your visit if you would like help determining which school collections may be relevant to your research.
[i] Gifford White, transcriber, Texas Scholastics 1854-1855 (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1991).