Melissa School

A traveling newspaper correspondent visited Melissa's school in March 1901 and called it the largest he had seen so far on his rounds: 135 pupils enrolled, about 120 attending. Prof. Erwin was principal, with Miss Ollie Plemmons of McKinney teaching beside him, and the McKinney Weekly Democrat Gazette noted that he had won the nomination for county superintendent while teaching there. The column said a Miss Gibson from the school would take a degree at Baylor the next year, early evidence of the graduates the plaque praises.

What the plaque says

Melissa School The first schoolhouse to serve the residents of Melissa was constructed on land acquired in 1882 by trustees James Graves, John Gibson and George Fitzhugh, pioneer area settlers. Since the deed stated the property was to be used "forever exclusively, for educational and religious purposes", the one-room schoolhouse was the site of community worship services on Sundays. The first teacher in the school was Mary Huckerston, who taught all grades, and the first principal was F.O. Jones, later a professor at Texas Christian University. A new brick schoolhouse was completed at this site in 1910 to accommodate Melissa's growth as a railroad center. It was built through the efforts of W.N. Osburn, a long-time advocate of the town's educational program. Severely damaged by a tornado on April 13, 1921, the structure was later rebuilt. The district's continued growth through consolidation with nearby schools resulted in the need for a new building, which was constructed in 1838-40. For over a century the Melissa School has provided a quality educational program that reflects the community's ideals. Graduates of the school include numerous business, professional and civic leaders. (1982)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary — 9.1 mi
  A 289-acre sanctuary in McKinney that Bessie Heard founded at the age of 80, with five habitats, a 50-acre wetland and 6.5 miles of trails.
• Rockwall County Historical Foundation & Museum — 26 mi
  A small museum in Harry Myers Park that keeps the evidence on Rockwall's rock wall, sandstone dikes that geologists call natural and folk tales call built.
• Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site — 28 mi
  The two-story farmhouse west of Bonham that the longtime Speaker of the House built in 1916 and kept as his home, left as he lived in it and open as a museum since 1975.

More markers nearby

• First Baptist Church of Melissa — 0.4 mi
• Melissa Cemetery — 0.9 mi
• Highland Cemetery — 1.8 mi
• Dr. William Edward Throckmorton — 2.2 mi