HISTORY OF ZEPHYRHILLS HIGH SCHOOL
1910 — The Beginning at Zephyrhills High School
Per Rosemary Wallace Trottman from her book, The History of Zephyrhills-
The old settlers were eager for the success of the Zephyrhills Colony
Company. The development provided jobs, markets, and interest at
a critical time when lumber and turpentine work was diminishing and
there was little change in routine. Each oldtimer did what he could to
encourage and assist each colonist. They turned out in buggies,
wagons, and oxcarts at dedications of such buildings as the
Hennington’s new store, the Colony House and the G.A.R. Hall and
for the ground breaking of the consolidated school.
Student, Leo Ecker, and his new friends entered that first day,
“About all I remember about the inauguration of the Zephyrhills
High School was that the officials and a great many parents were
there,” Leo related. “The county superintendent, M.L.
Gilbert, made a talk in which he said that the student body and the
faculty represented 42 states and territories of the United
States.
“I remember the old pump at school which supplied water
for the children and for the school-wagon animals that were tied up in
the shade during the day. One child pumped a tin cup full, drank and
passed the cup to the next in line. The horses were watered one after
another from the bucket. In an argument one boy threatened to
throw a cupfull of water in his heated opponent’s face.
‘Do it and I’ll throw a bucketfull in yours,’ was the
acceptance of the dare. The teacher saw the second act but not the
first, and ordered the boys into the belfry. A girl reported the
other boy and both were thrashed.”
The principal’s office was in the second
story room above the small entrance porch. In the belfry overhead hung
the bell donated by the colony company. A stout rope ran through a neat
hole in the ceiling to hang near the principal’s desk.
Hallowe’ens were not properly celebrated unless the big boys
succeeded in removing the clapper from the bell. It was always hidden
under the desk, in a bottom drawer, behind a good case, or in some
other easily discovered place.
The building in 1910 had four rooms on the
first floor with a wide hall and stairways leading to the upper story
which was divided into two rooms. The dividing wall was a set of
folding doors arranged on a metal track so that they could be folded
back to make an auditorium of the two classrooms when necessary. The
rooms were soon overcrowded. During the summer following the
school’s opening, an addition with a hall and stairway ascending
to the upper room and giving access to the auditorium were built at the
rear. Finally a separate primary building was necessary and a one-story
building of two rooms between the main building and Seventh Avenue were
added.
No picture of the first faculty
survives, perhaps due to lack of interest when so many other
interesting things were happening all over the region. The earliest
faculty pictured included Mr. William Cleveland Finney, and Mrs.W.C.
Finney, the Misses Holmes, Muriel Storms, Ruth Sumner, Birdina Schenck,
Lillie Geiger, Lillian Carter, Nina Percival and V.C. Mathews.
The earliest pictured student group included Belle Adkins, Hazel Hart
(Batchelor), Flora Shanks (Skogstad), Uarda Briggs, Mary Lisle, an
unidentified boy, Jeffrey Turner, Jessie Herndon, Lula Ryals, Blance
Geiger (Turner), Lawrence Percival and Simon Geiger.
When the school day ended, the children of the
town returned to their homes; but the children of the rural sections
had a short playtime while the horses were being harnessed. The school
wagons were fitted with benches on each side, and if the number
warranted, a seat down the middle. There was a canvas roof with
curtains that could be rolled down in case of rain.The rides along
meandering roads were a time for getting acquainted, for trading
leftover cake, cookies, sandwiches, or baked sweet potatoes from tin
buckets or woven lunch baskets.It was a vocabulary building time too.
Peanuts were known goobers and pinders.
Some additional history …..from teacher, Rosemary Wallace Trottman…
The system of local schools was primarily that
of one room school houses. The public schools were in financial
and leadership difficulties in the late 1870s. In 1875 there were 17
schools in the system, an attendance of 475 and $1,425 was recorded as
expended for the schools. In May 5, 1877, all reports were
discontinued for a time. The system of local schools continued as they
had from the 1850s when the famous author and soldier, F.C.M. Boggess
taught the Fort Dade Academy….The attitude of the pioneers who
had been boastful of their freedom from “book larnin”
changed.They began to come sheepishly and privately whenever possible
to have letters written or read for them and their marks verified by
justices of the peace whom they trusted. They now declared openly that
they did not want their children growing up without schooling.They took
advantage of the custom of exempting the less able from paying a part
of the teacher’s salary or taking a turn at boarding that person.
It was not unusual for older students to be beginners in the one-room
schools to assist in the care of their six-year-old-classmates.
Perhaps the most memorable result after the
sale day was the beginning of the school building and the school term
of 1910-11. As soon as the county school board received the deed to the
site at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Sixth Street, it ordered the
beginning of construction. Lumber was delivered from Greer and
the carpenters began the work. The inspection of the completed building
was set for late summer.
At the end of the 1909-10 term, the one room
schools in the area closed their doors forever. The one room schools of
Independence School, Childers School and Union Schools were closed and
the consolidated Zephyrhills High School was brought to birth!
The school opened that first fall, September
1910, and the children were busy just getting to know each other. The
children who came in school wagons tended to find a shady spot and eat
lunches as they had in the one-room groups. It was like Sunday
every school day when the Union, Childers and Independence (one-room
school) pupils were united for lunch as they had been at the
church. When the children from the town returned from their meals
at home, all groups were joined for games on the payground for a time.
One girl remembers to this day the popular third grader Jennie
Harris’s (Emondson’s) skill at jumping rope and later Hazel
Wright’s (Storm’s) skill at the piano. She played for all
the assemblies.During the earliest years the faculties were
predominantly from among the older settlers who had graduated from the
Dade City Normal School and studied at Madison, Tallahassee or
Gainesville. Very soon the early graduates returned to teach and
teachers from Ohio, New York and Washington State were on the
faculty. It became a truly north-south faculty. Miss Ruth Sumner
from Dade City wrote, “I had never taught in a Yankee community
before, but I liked it. The old people were wonderful to me,”
Miss Lodema Larkin, Mrs. Essie Burkett Sanders, Miss Lillian Carter
from Dade City and Miss Lillie Geiger from the Independence School were
among the faculty which included many teachers from out of state or
1910 settlers.
The first principal of ZHS was Judge James Wilton Sanders. A
plaque in recognition of Sanders, is posted in The Lacoochee
School House Exhibit at the Dade City Pioneer Museum and looks like the
following. The plaque includes a memoriam and a biography of Judge
Sanders which highlights his role as the first principal of ZHS.
Wording from the Resolution above reads--
A Resolution of the Board of Public Instruction of Pasco County,
Florida, naming and designating the public school located at Drexel,
Florida as the James Wilton Sanders Memorial School.
Whereas the construction of a new five room elementary school has been completed in Drexel, Florida, in Pasco County, and
Whereas the erection of such consolidated public school at Drexel,
Florida was initiated by and through the unselfish and untiring effort
and foresight of Judge James Wilton Sanders, one of the lasting
educators and outstanding citizens of Pasco County, Florida, and
Whereas the Board furnishes this to present tribute to the memory of
the Judge James Wilton Sanders in the naming of the school located at
Drexel, Florida, JAMES WILTON SANDERS MEMORIAL SCHOOL in honor and
respect to the memory of this splendid citizen of our County.
Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of public instruction of Pasco County, Florida.
That the public school of Drexel, Florida, shall from henceforth be
known and designated as the JAMES WILTON SANDERS MEMORIAL SCHOOL in
respectful tribute to the memory of the said James Wilton Sanders
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be recorded upon the minutes of the board.
Be it further resolved that this resolution be read at the dedication
commencing upon the conclusion of the building of the said James Wilton
Memorial School and that a memorial plaque with the designation
of said school be herein provided, be placed in or upon said school as
to permanently confirm the same and designation of said school.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution is verified by
the Secretary of the Board and designees to the Principal of the said
James Wilton Sanders Memorial School with the instructions that said
copy of said resignation be retained among the records of said school
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution is certified by the secretary of the board…
Wording from the Memoriam above—
James Wilton Sanders was born September 7, 1887 in Hawthorne, Alachua
County, Florida, son of Zedoo Munford and Carolyn (Dawson) Sanders. His
father born about 1850, died December 8, 1916, was a farmer and
cattleman.
James Wilton Sanders has three sisters and four brothers who survived
him: Mrs. J.L. Carter of Fairbanks, Florida; Mrs. J.E. Byrd and Mrs.
John Touchton of Jacksonville, Florida; Mr. A.P. Sanders of Fairbanks,
Florida; Mr. H.M. Sanders of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Mr. G.A. Sanders
of Leesburg, Florida and Mr. D.A. Sanders of Eugene, Oregon.
James Wilton Sanders attended the public schools of Orange Lane and
later went to Godwin Seminary. Later he became a student at Florida
Seminary (now connected with the University of Florida) where he
prepared himself for teaching. He began active work in his profession
in 1906 as a teacher in Alachua County. In 1908 and 1909 he was
Assistant Principal at Florida Central Normal Institute then situated
in Dade City, Florida. He taught in Levy, Marion, Sumter and Pasco
Counties in the years that ensued and performed a work of value in his
profession. He had positions as principal of schools at Linden and
Davenport as well as Zephyrhills High School.
In 1912, he was elected Superintendent of Pasco County Schools, an
office that he held until 1920 when he resumed his teaching activities
as Principal of Dade City Grammar School.
In 1926 he left the teaching profession and turned his attention to
business and to other matters that interested him in the sphere of
public life. Real Estate and general merchandising activities
constituted his major commercial undertakings during this period.
In 1927, Governor Martin appointed him to the County Judgeship left
vacant for the remainder of an unexpired term and until 1935, Judge
Sanders served in that capacity. In September 1935, he was forced by
the condition of his health to retire from his active endeavors. He
purchased a grove in Denham where he devoted himself to managing the
citrus fruit production business be established there.
Judge Sanders married Essie Burkett on April 11, 1909. The union was
blessed with the following children: Carolyn Elizabeth, Alberta,
Johnnye Mae, Christine, Anna Claire, James Wilton Jr., and James.
Judge Sanders died November 25, 1938, in Tampa, Florida.
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