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Early residents of what would become the Oklahoma settlement moved into the area in the middle to late 19th century. Families farmed, raised livestock and used the rail station at nearby Hufsmith for shipment of local products. Because early settlers were interested in the education of their children, they built the first Oklahoma Community School by 1880 with a $300 donation and property from the G.V. Leslie family, adjacent to what would become the Oklahoma Cemetery. This one-room building was used as a school and church house. In July 1923, residents constructed a two-room school building on two acres purchased from John and Ida Hirsch for $90. It burned in 1930, and later that year, the Montgomery County School District erected another two-room schoolhouse in its place, with A.l. Standard as contractor. Students held box suppers to raise money for playground and sports equipment. Beginning in 1936, students in the seventh grade and higher attended school in Tomball, and in 1944, all students transferred to Magnolia Schools. The schoolhouse never reopened, serving instead as a community center and election polling place. Today, the Oklahoma School remains a focal point for the area, serving as an important reminder of the early education efforts of the community's pioneer farm families. As the area's population continues to grow as a result of its proximity to an expanding urban center, the historic schoolhouse reflects community pride, identity and heritage. (2003) |
