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Rich soil, access to railway transportation and the discovery of hot mineral springs attracted travelers, merchants and settlers to Hubbard and the town quickly grew. In 1911, the city council saw a need for a public school system and later that year, the voters elected to use taxes to create and maintain the schools. Once the $20,000 bond was approved and executed, the architectural firm of Field and Clarkson was selected to design the high school. E. Stanley Field and Wiley G. Clarkson designed many public buildings before and after their partnership in Wichita Falls and Fort Worth, respectively. The architects as a team designed a three-story addition to the Fort Worth Stockyards Hotel and the Corsicana First National Bank building. The contractor for the high school was G.W. Brillhart of Abilene who was involved in the construction of the Foard County Courthouse in the Classic Revival style. Construction on the Hubbard High School began immediately and the school opened in 1914. The imposing two-story red brick and limestone structure was designed in the prairie style with Texas rural Georgian influences. Several notable persons attended this historic school, including Samuel D. Johnson, a judge for the Texas Supreme Court and then a federal judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. This school was the only high school in Hubbard from 1914 to 1978, when a larger school was constructed. At that time, the school fell into disrepair. In the 1980s, a community group rescued the building and established a community center, genealogy center, museums, a library and the Tris Speaker Sports Museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2013 |