Alla Hubbard History
For those of you who missed the Alla Hubbard School reunion,
Click Here.
June 10th, 2006: Here is a photo of
Jerry Jones, an Alla Hubbard alum, standing next to a monument
with a plaque and cornerstone, documenting the school's history
as well as the original school bell. This monument can be found
up on the hill in Celina, TX where Alla Hubbard School was originally
located.
The cornerstone reads:
THIS BUILDING WAS ERECTED THROUGH THE MUNIFICENCE
OF DR. MOSES HUBBARD AND WIFE MARY JANE HUBBARD IN MEMORY OF THEIR
DAUGHTER ALLA BY
TRUSTEES OF ESTATE:
J.H.L.C. ENGLISH
F. S. FINLEY
J. T. ROBINSON
A V. ROGERS
CO. SUPT:
J. W. MOSELEY
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
R G MARTIN
V E WESTER
F E DOUGLAS
SCHOOL FOUNDED IN 1896
BUILDING WAS ERECTED 1923
W. A. TACKETT Architect
J. E. HARRIS & SON Contractors
Here is a close-up of the plaque...
The plaque reads:
ALLA SCHOOL
In 1866 Moses and Mary Jane Hubbard and their daughter
Alla moved from Missouri to Collin County where Hubbard was
a successful doctor, farmer, and one of the largest landholders
in the area. Concerned with the inadequacy of the local school,
the Hubbards supplemented Alla's education at home and then
sent her to Pritchett Institute in Glasgow, Missouri, where
she earned a degree in Literature in 1880.
A talented writer, Alla Hubbard returned to Texas
and married Dr. B.F. Spencer in 1884 but died five years later
in 1895. Her parents founded a school in her memory, named Alla
School. It was formed from the consolidation of the nearby Emerson
and McWhirter school districts and was completely financed by
the Hubbards. With an initial enrollment of 108, Alla School
opened in 1896 with nine grades, no scholastic age limit, no
tuition, and an eight-month school term. The Hubbards, aware
of the benefits of a solid educational background, instituted
these uncommon features at a time when there was little support
for free public schools. In 1958 the Alla School merged with
the Celina Independent School District. District funds from
the Hubbard estate, however continue to serve public education
in the Celina Schools.
Here are a couple old photos of the original school
building and the gym.
Here is the gym now...
