History of Ewing School and Community ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gorden McMath July 13, 2000 http://www.rootsweb/ *********************************************************************** In 1937 when I was in the eighth grade my teacher, Ruby Begley Paulson, assigned Gladys Langley and myself a project of writing a thesis of the history of the Ewing School. We interviewed several of the old timers of the area and searched all of the records that we could find at the time and came up with the following story. Later on in life when I became the Sheriff of Torrance County, they were in the process of demolishing the old court house, and I recovered more records. I sent them to Gladys Langley, and she correlated them, and they are included in this article also. The school operated until 1958 and then was consolidated with the Estancia School. The building was used as a community center and church for some years after that. It was then sold to a private individual. The building became very dilapidated with the roof gone and the wood rotting inside the building. The construction of the Ewing School house was clay tile walls with brick veneer. All the petitions inside and the floor were made of wood. In the summer of 1997, lightening struck the building and ignited a fire and burned all of the inside. All the walls except the four corners collapsed. That is the way the building remains now, 1999. A very large number of people were associated with the Ewing school one way or another. A few years back my wife and I were snow-birding in California and one of the camp host, noticing my New Mexico licenses, ask me if I knew where the Ewing School was. He had attended school there in 1933. The population in the Ewing School district as of now, would not be as great as the number of students in 1937 when I graduated from the eighth grade. Where the large pinto beans farms were, due to drought, see the Valley Is Still There, the farmers moved away and the land has gone back to grass. The land has been divided into small cattle ranches with absentee owners. The land has been divided into small cattle ranches with absentee owners; except, the very eastern edge of the district has prosperous farms, due to the discovery in 1946 of abundant underground water. History of the Ewing School, February 23, 1937 by Gladys Langley and Gorden McMath Fairview, Thompson, Mestanita, Chapmen and Mount Calvary all had little school houses with about an average of twenty five pupils. There was one teacher for each school and she had to teach all eight grades. The people saw a need for a better school system. To do this they decided to consolidate these five communities and have all the children go to one school. Many questions came up about the location of the school, but most of them wanted it near the center of the community. Dr. Ewing promised to give half of the land to have the school built on his land. The community was to buy the other half. Five acres were then set aside with the Doctor’s word that if any more was needed he would still go 50-50 on it. Midway was suggested as the name, but it was finally called Ewing for the man on whose land it was built. The contract was given to J. N. Bush with the labor furnished by the men of the community who wanted work. Fifteen Thousand dollars was secured from a bonding house to build the necessary buildings, four school rooms, a large auditorium and a garage for the school trucks. The contract called for a basement and room for a furnace, but a shortage of funds caused them to be left out. They were to be built at a later date. So far, they are still left out. School began September 6, 1922, the regular time for all the county schools to begin, but the house was not finished until October. The first few days the lower grades had to attend school in a tent. After those few days, all the grades were moved into the house, but there was very little studying with hammers and saws, talking and laughing going on during the day. The following teachers taught the first year: Mrs. Kimball, high school; Mr. Waldron, upper grades; Ollie Gates, intermediate; and Mrs. Mulvaney, primary. All eight grades and four years of high school were taught. Because of limited equipment there was a little trouble over the issuing of the diplomas to the two graduates at the end of the year, but that staying quality of the high school teacher and principal overcame that. School began that first year with an enrollment of 74, due to many not knowing the exact date of the beginning of school. After two weeks the enrollment had increased to 125, and later to 138, the largest attendance Ewing has ever had. At the beginning the county furnished the trucks, the expense of operation, and paid the drivers from $40.00 to $60.00 per month. The south route was driven the first year by Mr. Kimball and Claude Brown. Mr. Kimball resigned because the county would not keep the Model T in condition. Claude Brown took it the last half of the term, rebuilt it and finished the term. Clyde Haney drove the north route, with a Reo, Alois Taylor the west route with a Dodge, and Mr. Bobo the east route with a GMC. School activities the first year have never been equaled. The community and the school worked together and gave plays each of the two years. The first, The Arizona Cowboy is still remembered. It was played in the Ewing auditorium, and later in Estancia and Mountainair. The next year they presented Jedediah Jackson Judkins, Justice of the Peace. A Literary Society was organized and many good programs were given. The old spelling matches are still talked about. Union Sunday School was organized during those first years and did not become completely dead, though it was inactive for a while. Two or three years ago it was changed to Baptist, with Rev. Roland as Pastor. Athletic activities consisted of basketball, running, jumping, pole vaulting, discus throwing, shot put, and all other track games. Ewing was second to none in those games. Inter-school games were also good, especially the Taylor quintet and five other good players. After the first cost of building, which has to be paid back within the next year or so, there seems to have been a shortage of necessary things afterwards. The school has been cut to eight month terms. They had to go to school on Saturdays to help make up the time some years. There has been no money for playground equipment. The school building and the teacher’s building need repairing. About $500.00 has been spent for repairs since the building was put up. We were expecting coal stoves this year, but the shortage prevents it. Much is changed since those first prosperous years. Aside from the building repairs needed the fence is nearly down around the school ground. The ground is almost bare of any play ground equipment. The enrollment is low, but is good compared to a few years when this nearly became a one teacher school. The community does not pull together as they did once. Most of the young people are gone. The enrollment for 1936-37 has been about 95. Four buses now carry the children to and from their homes. The busses of today are a great improvement over those first ones. There are three teachers now, and high school is no longer taught here. Possibly a great aid in teaching and learning has been introduced by the San Jose Training School this years, known as Improved Introduction. It is soon to become state wide. Ewing feels proud to be one of the first to get this. Below is a list of those who have taught at Ewing during her fourteen year existence: Mrs. Kimball, Ollie Gates, Mrs. Mulvaney, Mr. Waldron Mrs. Kimball, Ollie Gates, Mr Waldron Mr. Stell, Mrs. Stell, Mr. Waldron Mrs. Farley, Veva Goodner Mrs. Farley, Lola Dressler King Sides, Ruby Sides, Lola Dressler Dee Caster, Lola Dressler Mattie Sides, Ivy Sides, Ruby Begley Mrs. Maxwell, Ivy Sides, Ruby Begley Mrs. Maxwell, Margaret Gates, Ruby Begley Mrs Maxwell, Pauline Gates, Eulah Begley Mr. Philbert, Pauline Gates, Eulah Begley Mr. Hughes, Eulah Begley, Lou Ann Vestal Mrs. Paulson, Eulah Begley, Lou Ann Vestal TEACHERS AT EWING SCHOOL 1922-1923 1922-23 Hattie Kimball--$150, Newt Waldron--$100, Jennie Milvaney--$100, Ollie Gates--$95, Ellis Sander, Janitor--$30 1923-24 Hattie Kumball--$150, Newt Waldron--$100, Ollie Gates--$100, Fronia Riley, Janitor--$30 1924-25 W.C. Stell--$150, Mrs W.C. Stell--$100, Newton Waldron--$100, Clyde Vining, Janitor--$30 1925-26 Myra Farley--$125, Veva Goodner--$100, Clarence Begley, Janitor--$10 1926-27 Myra Farley--$125, Lola Dressler--$80, Clarence Begley, Janitor--$10 1927-28 King Sides--$125, Lola Dressler--$80, Ruby Sides--$80, Clarence Begley, Janitor--$10 1928-29 D.W.Caster--$110, Lola Dressler--$100, W.D. Caster, Janitor--$15 1929-30 Mattie Sides--$110, Ivy Sides--$100, Mattie Sides, Janitor--$15 1930-31 Mattie Sides--$115, Ivy Sides--$105, Ruby Begley--$80, Mattie Sides, Janitor--$15 1931-32 Lynette D. Maxwell--$112.50, Ivy Gates--$94.50. Ruby Begley--$72, T. E. Merritt , Janitor--$20 1932-33 Lynette D. Maxwell--$105, Ruby Begley--$74, Margaret Gates--$74, Mrs. T.E. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1933-34 Lynette Maxwell--$100, Pauline Gates--$57, Eula Begley--$74, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1934-35 Lawrence Philbert--$86, Eulah Begley--$74, Pauline Gates--$57, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1935-36 Leon Hughes--$80, Eulah Begley--$74, Lou Anne Vestel--$74, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1936-37 Ruby Paulson--$77, Eulah Begley--$74, Lou Anne Vestel--$74, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1937-38 W. F. Irvin--$88, Eulah Begley--$76, Lois Davis--$76, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1938-39 W. F. Irvin--$100, Lois Davis--$82, Vera Lou Garrison--$82, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1939-40 Ollie V. Shaw--$101, Vera Lou Garrison--$86, Ruby Paulson--$86, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1940-41 Ollie V. Shaw--$101, Keither Davis--$86, Eulah Watson--$86, Mrs. Merritt, Janitor--$18 1941-42 Ollie V. Shaw--$101, Eula Watson--$86, Keither Davis--$114 + Janitor, 1942-43 Jimmie Sharpless--$108, Eulah Watson--$97, Keither Davis--$95, Phyllis Sharpless, Janitor--$18 1943-44 Jimmie Sharpless--$121.20, Eulah Watson--$132.66, Jimmie Sharpless, Janitor--$18 1944-45 Eulah Watson--$161.33, Bertha Caster--$98.40, Joe Watson, Janitor--$18 1945-46 Eulah Watson--$133.75, Bertha Caster McMath--$125, Mrs. Elmer Rushing, Janitor--$28.50 1946-47 Eulah Watson--$156.33, Barbara Spencer--$105.33, Mrs. Elmer Rushing, Janitor--$28.50 1947-48 Ruby Bailey--$199.17, Barbara Spencer--$126.93, Cleo McMath, Janitor--$30.55 1948-49 Keither Davis, Principal--$230.50, Barbara Spencer--$231.30, Mrs. Roy McMath, Janitor--$30.55 1949-50 Hubert Johnson--$228.33, Barbara Spencer--$199.16, Mrs. Roy McMath, Janitor--$30.55 1950-51 Paul H. Lomasney--$253.33, Barbara Spencer--$200, Mrs. Roy McMath, Janitor--$30.55 1951-52 Wm. E. Snyder--$252.50, Annie L. Ramsey--$245, Mrs. Roy McMath, Janitor--$30.55 1952-53 Wm. Richardson--$275, Annie L. Ramsey--$256.66, Mrs. Otis Caster, Janitor--$30 1953-54 Wm. Richardson--$289.58, Annie L. Ramsey--$272.91, Rachel Moorhead, Janitor--$30 1954-55 Keither J. Davis--$350, Louis Newman--$327.08, Rachel Moorhead, Janitor--$30 1955-56 Murphy W. Hensley--$253.9, Rachel Moorhead, Janitor--$30, 1956-57 Irene S. Cary--$283.53, Rachel Moorhead, Janitor--$30 BUS DRIVERS FOR EWING SCHOOL 1922-1957 1922-23 O. C. Haney--$55, Alois Taylor--$55, L. C. Bobo--$40, Claude Brown--$35, J. E. Brunk--$32 1923-24 Arthur Dressler--$97, Ben Mullen--$100, Newt Waldron--$37.50 1924-25 J. W. Harrington--$95, C. N. Waldron--$92, Ralph Holiday--$63.90, E. U. Brown--$83.57, 1925-26 Van Lane--$100, R. O. Brown--$121.43 1926-27 Dick Holliday--$100, Mrs. Wilson Holliday--$50, Mrs. S. W. Hodgson--$92.45 1927-28 Van Lane--$95, Myrtle Waldron--$95, Mrs. Hattie Vestel--$122.25, A. N. Plant--$100 1928-29 Van Lane--$110, Mattie Holliday--$105, W.W. Holliday--$115 1929-30 Mattie Holliday--$97, W.W. Holliday--$105, Van Lane--$110 1930-31 W.W. Holliday--$110, Van Lane, Jr.--$110, Antonio Mirabal--$110, Mattie Holliday--$110 1931-32 Mattie Holliday--$92, Van Lane, Jr.--$79, Wilse Holliday--$85, Blas Baca--$90 1932-33 J. B. Klapp--$31.50, Wilse Holliday--$85, Mattie Holliday Riley--$70, Van Lane, Jr.--$76, Klapp resigned Feb. 6th, 1933 and John Drury was hired $90. 1933-34 Van Lane, Jr.--$75, John Drury--$90, Carl Manker-- $88, O. E. Ford--$75, E. O. Johnson-- $80 1934-35 Chester Dressler--$75, Carl Manker--$80, John Hickman--$80, John Drury--$95, Van Lane, Jr.--$72.50, Hickman resigned and E. O. Johnson took his place. 1935-36 Karl Manker--$93, Claude Brown--$75, E. O. Johnson--$110, Chester Dressler--$75, John Drury--$120 1936-37 Claude Brown--$80, J. W. Watson--$80, Alejandro Gallegos--$120 1937-38 Myrtle Wardron--$93, Ed Bullard--$110, Alejandro Gallegos--$120, Joe Watson--$80, Claude Brow--$80 1938-39 J. W. Begley--$120, Joe Watson--$80, Myrtle Waldron--$93, Ed Bullard--$99 1939-40 Orville Ethridge--$85, Otis Caster--$90, Joe Watson--$80, J. W. Begley--$120, Chester Dressler--$80 1940-41 Chester Riley--$78.95, Orville Ethridge--$32.37, C. A. Brizendine--$80, Otis Caster--$54.72 1941-42 C. A. Brizendine--$87.50, Orville Ethridge--$85, Chester Riley--$78.95, Herbert Riley--$100 1942-43 Orville Ethridge--$85, Herbert Riley--$100, Chester Riley--$100 1943-44 Orville Ethridge--$89.25, Herbert Riley--$105, Carl Warwick (unreadable), C. A. Brizendine (unreadable) Chester Riley--$125 1944-45 Orville Ethridge--$100, Herbert Riley--$115, Chester Riley--$170, Carl Warwick--$101 1945-46 Orville Ethridge--$100 if take, Langleys also, Herbert Riley--$200, Chester Riley--$197 1946-47 Herbert Riley--$210, Chester Riley--$235, Orville Ethridge--$115, 1947-48 Orville Ethridge--$115, Herbert Riley--$210, Chester Riley--$225 1948-49 Joe Holliday--$185, Herbert Riley--$223, Chester Riley--$75, Orville Ethridge--$170 1949-50 W. M. Hibner--$179.33, Herbert Riley--$241.66, Charlie Baber--$275 1950-51 W. M. Hibner--$179.33, Herbert Riley--$236.66, C. D. Baber--$275 1951-52 Luther Steele--$190, Herbert Riley--$261, C. D. Baber--$300 1952-53 George Steele--$190, Mrs. Herbert Riley--$261, C. D. Baber-- $300 1953-54 A. J. Morris--$125, George Steele--$190, Maymie Lee Riley Shields--$336 1954-55 A. J. Morris--$139.39, George Steele--$195, Maymie Lee Shields--$336 1955-56 W.D.Reynolds--$160, George Steele--$225, Maymie Lee Shields--$336 1956-57 Maymie Lee Shields--$343.77, W. D. Reynolds--$219.44, John A. Aday--232.77 1957-58 Maymie Lee Shields--$343.77, W. D. Reynolds--$344.44, John A. Aday--$250 In 1957-58 all of the busses went to Estancia. The driver who took high school students into Estancia was paid more.