Local tradition states that Blanket Creek received its name in 1852, when a group of surveyors came upon a band of Tonkawa Indians who had been caught in a rainstorm while hunting buffalo. The Tonkawa spread their wet blankets on the sumac bushes to dry, and the surveyors named the stream Blanket Creek. Permanent settlement was sparse until Pinkney and Sarah Anderson bought land from Almonta Huling in 1873, opening a general store just southwest of the present town. Anderson’s store housed the first Blanket post office in 1875, and the town became a stop on the stagecoach route fromBrownwood to Fort Worth. Robert Dickey was the first schoolteacher, beginning in a log building in 1878 before a permanent schoolhouse was built with lumber hauled from Fort Worth.
The 1880 U.S. census documented people from 18 states and the countries of Jamaica, Norway and Prussia living here. In 1891, arrival of the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway led T.A. Wilkinson to develop the Blanket townsite company. W.T. Smith of Rockwell City, Iowa, became company president and laid out a new townsite into blocks and lots; Smith also served as immigration agent for the F.W. & R.G., founded the Lone Star High School and College, and operated a mercantile store in Blanket. Residents of the former village moved their homes and businesses to the new townsite. Blanket continued to grow, with the first bank opening in 1903 and the town incorporating in 1912. During its peak of prosperity during the cotton era, three gins operated here. David P. Cobb was Blanket’s town doctor for more than 62 years, an example of the perseverance and tradition of a rural town that has survived droughts and economic downturns to remain a viable community.
(2008).
In 1904 Blanket had a population of 304 which swelled to 472 by 1929. During the Great Depression the population leveled off at 300 - a figure it kept until the 1970s. Growth has been at a snail's pace, but the town is happy to be adding people rather than subtracting like most towns its size.
The 1880 U.S. census documented people from 18 states and the countries of Jamaica, Norway and Prussia living here. In 1891, arrival of the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway led T.A. Wilkinson to develop the Blanket townsite company. W.T. Smith of Rockwell City, Iowa, became company president and laid out a new townsite into blocks and lots; Smith also served as immigration agent for the F.W. & R.G., founded the Lone Star High School and College, and operated a mercantile store in Blanket. Residents of the former village moved their homes and businesses to the new townsite. Blanket continued to grow, with the first bank opening in 1903 and the town incorporating in 1912. During its peak of prosperity during the cotton era, three gins operated here. David P. Cobb was Blanket’s town doctor for more than 62 years, an example of the perseverance and tradition of a rural town that has survived droughts and economic downturns to remain a viable community.
(2008).
In 1904 Blanket had a population of 304 which swelled to 472 by 1929. During the Great Depression the population leveled off at 300 - a figure it kept until the 1970s. Growth has been at a snail's pace, but the town is happy to be adding people rather than subtracting like most towns its size.
BLANKET SCHOOL TIMELINE
Part 2 Picking up in 1889 where the first posting ended. Records have not been found where the school held classes in 1890 and most of 1891. (Lots in the new Blanket Town Site were not sold until July 29, 1891; therefore, I am of the opinion that this building was constructed on the acre of land on CR 619.) On January1, 1892, William Thompson, "W. T" Smith wrote in his diary that the family had attended an oyster supper at the new school house. The $22.00 profit from this supper was to be used to purchase new seats and etc. for the new school. On January 16, 1892, a school meeting was called, but due to the absence of the head of the school, an official meeting was not conducted. The needs for the school were discussed on the street, and W. T. promised to donate $5.00 toward the indebtedness on the school house. On September 15, 1894, the Blanket School building sold for $38.00 at an auction. W. T. purchased the school house for a storage building at the Smith Bros. store. (Hold these thoughts and dates for the next posting.) Keep in mind at this point in time the public schools had only 8 grades. W. T. Smith was a big advocate of education. In 1892, he decided that Blanket need a high school and college. On November 28, 1892, he started selling shares for a private high school and college. By February of 1893, he had collected enough funds to organize the Lone Star High School and College Association. The charter for this school was signed February 3, 1893. On February 10, the members of the Blanket Town Site Company signed a deed transferring Block 109 to the Lone Star High School and College Association. On February 27, 1893, a group of men stared designing a building for this new school. The plans were completed the next day. Construction began, and on March 1, 1893, the Masons laid the corner stone for this building. The Association built a 40' x 40' x 26' two-story building on this block. (See the wooden building on the left side of the first picture.) The high school and college classes were started, but by 1903, the board of directors decided that a private school was not going to make it in Blanket. In 1903, the Association dissolved and gave the building and land to the Blanket ISD. On May 25, 1907, the deed was recorded transferring the title of Block 109 from the Lone Star High School and College Association to the Blanket ISD. |
BLANKET SCHOOL TIMELINE
No. 3
1907 ROCK BUILDING
The last posting ended with the Lone Star High School and College Association donating Block 109 to the Blanket ISD in March of 1907.
According to the Masonic plaque on the northeast corner of the building, the architects, W. E.. Taylor and Son's, were hired to design the building and prepare the plans. Renfroe Bros. and Heflin were listed as the builders. The $10,000.00 building was financed with bonds.
The two-story, sandstone building was constructed with rocks which were quarried from what was known as the Switzer place east of town. (Ray J. Gamble built a house on this place after his dad passed away.)
The new building had four large classrooms on the ground floor. Each room had a wood burning stove. (Note chimneys on top of building.) The second floor housed the superintendent/principal's office, a small library, an auditorium, a homemaking room, and a large classroom for the 11th grade.
As noted in the picture, the main entrance was on the east side of the building. The two large pillars on each side of the porch were made by covering rock with cement. The A wide hall housed the stairs to the second floor, and ran from east to west across the ground floor. The exit doors on the west side of the building opened out to the north and south. The building had an 1100 lb. bell on top. (According to what I was told, Scott Lanford's dad got the bell.) In the beginning, the rope from this bell hang down to the first floor; however, over time, the rope was shortened. (Anyone want to guess why? Could it be because a student would pull the rope each time he/she passed.)
In 1933, lunches were provided in the homemaking room. The charge for each lunch was $.10. The homemaking room had a small stove, tables, and chairs.
Note the picture below: The house on the right side of the picture was where the superintendent lived, and the house on the left was for teachers.
Note the school buses parked in front of the building. The buses were made on a flatbed truck. (I don't have the names of the truck owners.) Sometime after the 1936 brick building was constructed, the top floor on this building was removed, and the building was converted into the present auditorium. At this time the pillars on the east side were removed and the main entranced was moved to the north end of the building.
The second picture was taken between 1927 and 1931. The student body had grown from a number of students that required a superintendent, four teachers, and two assistants, to whatever number that is shown in this picture.
No. 3
1907 ROCK BUILDING
The last posting ended with the Lone Star High School and College Association donating Block 109 to the Blanket ISD in March of 1907.
According to the Masonic plaque on the northeast corner of the building, the architects, W. E.. Taylor and Son's, were hired to design the building and prepare the plans. Renfroe Bros. and Heflin were listed as the builders. The $10,000.00 building was financed with bonds.
The two-story, sandstone building was constructed with rocks which were quarried from what was known as the Switzer place east of town. (Ray J. Gamble built a house on this place after his dad passed away.)
The new building had four large classrooms on the ground floor. Each room had a wood burning stove. (Note chimneys on top of building.) The second floor housed the superintendent/principal's office, a small library, an auditorium, a homemaking room, and a large classroom for the 11th grade.
As noted in the picture, the main entrance was on the east side of the building. The two large pillars on each side of the porch were made by covering rock with cement. The A wide hall housed the stairs to the second floor, and ran from east to west across the ground floor. The exit doors on the west side of the building opened out to the north and south. The building had an 1100 lb. bell on top. (According to what I was told, Scott Lanford's dad got the bell.) In the beginning, the rope from this bell hang down to the first floor; however, over time, the rope was shortened. (Anyone want to guess why? Could it be because a student would pull the rope each time he/she passed.)
In 1933, lunches were provided in the homemaking room. The charge for each lunch was $.10. The homemaking room had a small stove, tables, and chairs.
Note the picture below: The house on the right side of the picture was where the superintendent lived, and the house on the left was for teachers.
Note the school buses parked in front of the building. The buses were made on a flatbed truck. (I don't have the names of the truck owners.) Sometime after the 1936 brick building was constructed, the top floor on this building was removed, and the building was converted into the present auditorium. At this time the pillars on the east side were removed and the main entranced was moved to the north end of the building.
The second picture was taken between 1927 and 1931. The student body had grown from a number of students that required a superintendent, four teachers, and two assistants, to whatever number that is shown in this picture.
Blanket, Texas circa the late 1890's...
This picture was taken approximately from where the Methodist Church is located now looking down Main Street into downtown.
In the center of the picture, just to the right of the windmill is what is now the 1893 Trading Post building. It was originally built in 1891, I think, but caught fire. Not all of the building was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1893. If you look past that building you will see a rock wall and if you look really close in front of that rock wall you can see a pile of rocks...downtown was on it's way!