History Humble Independent School District

early residents: humble area part of austin s colony, established in 1820s. earliest land grant in area given colony member david harris in 1824. harris s land on east side of district, mckay bridge crosses lake houston. 1 of earliest settlers in area joseph dunman, colony member. dunman rider carried col. william travis s letter (a plea reinforcements) alamo town of liberty in 1836. after texas gained independence mexico, dunman awarded land grant in harris county. land, dunman chose place @ west fork of san jacinto river, on north side of present-day humble.

another settler area civil war veteran louisiana named pleasant smith humble. pleasant humble purchased part of land owned joseph dunman, , settled near banks of san jacinto river. took on operation of ferry had been in operation since 1850s, , ran grocery store.

over next few years, more families moved northeastern part of harris county. in 1873, few years after conclusion of civil war, earliest known school in area opened joseph w. dunman (1824–1903), son of settler joseph dunman. school called joe dunman s schoolhouse, , used polling place local citizens. located on atascocita road, north of present-day location of river pines elementary school. privately owned school, , students children of wealthier families in area afford pay children taught reading, math , classic literature. @ time, texas had ineffective public education system, , children in texas did not receive education.

growth of community: in 1875, paul bremond secured contract build railroad houston louisiana. tracks built through woods of east texas, sawmills opened along train s right-of-way. many sawmill communities developed , thrived along railroad, including in humble area. april 1877, 28 miles of track of houston east & west texas railway had been laid houston new caney. railway neared completion, generate funds, bremond ran daily entertainment excursions citizens of houston. in 1878, 1 popular excursion ran 19 miles houston san jacinto springs, located on north side of san jacinto river near present-day hamblen road. @ san jacinto springs, bremond s company provided dancing, fishing , swimming. these excursions introduced houston residents natural beauty of part of harris county.

in 1876, texas legislature passed updated constitution increased availability of schooling more children across state. constitution of 1876 resulted in creation of more school communities across harris county (a school community akin small school district). closest school community humble area established on west side of railroad tracks on december 22, 1876. harris county school community no. 13, durdin school community, had 1 school, higgs school. higgs school located on present-day lee road near fm 1960. pleasant humble on school board durdin school community. strangely, residents in area did not organize school community around joe dunman s schoolhouse on east side of railroad tracks. continued operate 1876 1883 private school.

the first town-like community develop in area centered around lord , noble sawmill on east side of railroad tracks. 1882, lord, texas established community, consisting of 4 sawmills, livestock business, , post office. higgs school closest school community.

the dunman school community organized on east side of railroad tracks in 1883. joe dunman s schoolhouse school in school community, , reported student population of 13 in 1883.

harris county common school districts: in 1884, texas passed common school law, provided system of county schools established across state. of harris county divided county school districts, each @ least 1 school , local school board. law mandated separate schools white students , colored students. mandated teaching of writing, reading in english, penmanship, arithmetic, english grammar, modern geography, composition, , other subjects. law established taxation system pay public schools, thereby providing free education students living in each district (although there still racial issues). common school law of 1884 beginning of current education system still in use in texas.

the area on east side of railroad tracks established harris county common school district no. 28 (dunman s school district). district boundary similar today s boundary humble isd. joe dunman s schoolhouse school in district. 1886, district had opened joe dunman s schoolhouse no. 2 colored students. progressive step, since fewer half of harris county school districts offered education colored students.

the area on west side of railroad tracks, higgs school located, became common school district no. 29. in 1935, district no. 29 became aldine independent school district.

lord, texas not able survive town. in february 1886, post officewas closed. pleasant humble took on responsibility mail. local legend states mail carriers other towns instructed deliver humble, meaning pleasant humble. through continued use of phrase, humble became name of town. whether story true or not, when application made have post office established in town in august 1886, official name of town listed on application humble, texas.

two school districts: community of humble began thrive around railroad tracks, residents wanted school located closer town (joe dunman s schoolhouse located in center of district, far new community). in 1888, residents petitioned have district no. 28 split 2 districts. northern section remained district no. 28 (humble), , southern section became new district no. 35 (dunman). joe dunman s schoolhouse ended in district no. 35, , renamed dunman s prairie school. new west river school built district no. 28, on land donated william humble (son of pleasant humble). west river school located @ corner of isaacks road , old humble road, humble cemetery located. school colored students renamed narrow gauge school. in 1896, district no. 28 had student population of 62 (27 @ west river school, 35 @ narrow gauge school), while district no. 35 had student population of 41 @ dunman s prairie school.

each district (28 , 35) had own 3-member school board, starting in 1888, school districts supervised superintendent of harris county schools. henry ben cline first county school superintendent, serving 1888 1893, , serving again 1902 1904. job of county school superintendent ensure school districts hired qualified teachers, ensure school board members followed state , county mandates, distribute taxpayer funds districts, , ensure funds spent , accounted properly. other county superintendents hold position on years, including b.l. james, l.l. pugh , joe lyle.

on november 9, 1889, local sawmill purchased charles bender. purchased thousands of acre of timberland in area. result, owned of land new humble community based. town continued thrive sawmill town. bender made 2 attempts officially establish town. on september 21, 1903, laid out streets , lots , town of humble, texas officially established. however, local residents didn t purchase lots or support structure of new town.

in march 6, 1903, joseph w. dunman died. @ end of school year, district no. 35 closed dunman s prairie school (which on dunman s land) , built new wooden schoolhouse further south on atascocita road. named singleton school in honor of reed singleton, member of school board , local election judge. school located waste management atascocita landfill stands.

charles bender tried again establish town in 1904. time, several companies drilling wells in humble in attempt discover oil there. bender laid out new plat town , filed on late october 22, 1904. town of humble recognized official town within harris county. area old historic downtown humble still located.

the humble oil boom: in november 1904, oil discovered in humble. led drastic increase in population of town oil field workers descended across state , nation. small, sleepy sawmill town of 100 families increased on 10,000 residents on course of few weeks. largest influx of people went work @ echols ridge, location of successful oil wells. 1907, echols ridge renamed moonshine hill, in honor of first company strike oil in humble, moonshine company.

student enrollment @ west river school (district no. 28) doubled in 1904-1905, 32 68. second teacher, lillian busch, hired mr. h. snell teach students. in summer of 1905, second building added west river school. following year, 1905-1906, student population more tripled, 217. third building, , teacher, added in 1906. school had library forty volumes.

the student population @ narrow gauge school (district no. 28) increased, 26 in 1903-1904 52 in 1904-1905. after that, population remained more or less stable @ 50 each year. ida green, virgie ruth scott, , p.m. flowers school s teachers. name of school changed pleasant grove school.

the singleton school (district no. 35) experienced increase in student enrollment, 14 in 1904-1905 28 in 1905-1906. during time, wealth in town increasing, residents of both districts voted voluntarily increase property tax increase quality of schools.

all of these schools listed intermediate schools. @ time, school educated students in grades 1-7. seventh grade typically highest grade students accomplish, root of popular phrase has seventh grade education. after point, students end schooling begin jobs or families on farms. students had pass county examination continue schooling high school (grades 8-11).

growth of districts: in 1909, due overcrowding, new school built replace wooden west river school. humble school board had two-story, six-classroom schoolhouse built on higgins street. county paid estate of charles bender $450 land, , $10,000 schoolhouse bond passed citizens pay building s construction. called humble school. housed grades 1-7, plus 2 years of high school study (grades 8 , 9). daniel henry womack (1867–1957) hired district s first superintendent, , served principal of humble school.

humble petitioned have school listed county high school, allow offer full 4-year high school course of study students in district no. 28 , in neighboring districts. petition granted, , grades 10 , 11 added in 1911. first students graduate high school in humble twins, edith , ethel inmann in may 1911. 12th grade not added texas school curriculum until 1941. old buildings of west river schools sold, , land sold humble cemetery association, used expand cemetery.

a new school built in 1909 replace narrow gauge school colored students. land purchased on west side of town, on railroad tracks. school never given official name, known colored school. african-american students in district attended school through 1947, when school burned down. after this, colored student transferred next door aldine isd, new school built in bordersville.

district no. 35 built new school @ moonshine hill in 1909. land donated producers oil company in moonshine heights area. two-room wooden schoolhouse built, , called woodward school. dispute erupted between 2 school districts on location of school. district no. 28 contended school had been built within attendance zone. question settled harris county commissioners court in 1914. determined woodward school built within boundary of district no. 28. commissioner s court gave school district no. 28, including students , teachers.

john franklin crawford hired district no. 28 s second superintendent in 1911. crawford instrumental in growth of district on next 8 years. served principal of humble school 1911 1914. in 1915, continued increases in enrollment caused overcrowding @ humble school. citizens passed $10,000 schoolhouse bond expand school more twice original size. 1915 first year texas initiated compulsory attendance students in state.

in 1917, district no. 28 began work on construction of new school. district passed $37,000 schoolhouse bond , hired architect oscar f. holcombe build new high school building, , new masonry building replace wooden woodward school (a few years later, oscar holcombe quit construction business , became mayor of houston). new high school opened in fall of 1918, , called humble high school. built on lot next humble school (renamed in 1918 humble grammar school). sometime in 1923 street between 2 schools filled in , became single, two-block lot of land. district retain ownership of land until 2011. humble high school opened on higgins street in september 1918 ms. frances r. hyde first principal. building had auditorium, superintendent s office, principal s office, , home economics room. impossible un-american became motto of school, , printed on every page of 1918-1919 yearbook.

by 1917, clear district no. 35 not going survive, due low enrollment. harris county superintendent of schools worked on plan combine district no. 35 district no. 28. @ same time, county superintendent worked out funding build new brick singleton school district no. 35.

consolidation , independence: in summer of 1918, district no. 35 , district no. 28 combined new district, district no. 50, consisted of: 1) new humble high school on higgins street 2) humble grammar school on higgins street 3) new woodward school @ moonshine hill (now referred hill school) 4) new brick singleton school on atascocita road 5) colored school @ bordersville

a few months later, on february 19, 1919, special act of 36th texas legislature transformed common school district no. 50 humble independent school district. becoming independent school district, humble schools no longer governed superintendent of harris county schools. school board became sole governing body of school district. however, error in creation of district caused problem. act creating school district neglected include language district collect taxes directly. humble isd still had rely on harris county taxation of property. error corrected few years later, when on may 14, 1923 legislature re-authorized humble isd.

surviving next few decades: population of town fluctuated on next few decades. combination of men going off world war i, , families moving off new oil towns, diminished student population. district still provided great education students. in 1921, new primary school opened on avenue f, across street humble grammar school.

most of sports activities @ humble high school started in late teens , 1920s, including football, baseball, basketball, girls basketball, girls volleyball, , tennis. auto mechanics programs existed 1924 1927.

in december 1926, humble high school received member of southern association of secondary schools , colleges. 1 other high school in harris county , comparatively few in state had received affiliation.

in 1926, singleton school closed due low enrollment.

a fire in hours of january 26, 1929 resulted in total loss of humble grammar school. citizens , school board authorized $140,000 schoolhouse bond pay construction of new junior-senior high school building. school board hired architect harry d. payne build smaller version of recent construction, robert e. lee high school in baytown. school christened charles bender high school, in honor of charles bender , past support of family. when opened 1930-1931 school year, 1 of advanced schools in county since had built-in cafeteria , gymnasium. @ time 1918 humble high school building renamed humble elementary school.

due housing shortages, construction began on teacher s cottage on avenue d, across street humble elementary. time cottage completed, there no longer housing shortage , became superintendent s home. first tenant humble isd superintendent a. g. mosley, charged $30 rent per month.

the hill school (aka woodward school) closed in 1932 due low enrollment.

from 1932 1947, white students in district educated @ humble elementary , charles bender high school on higgins street, while african-american students educated @ colored school @ bordersville.

dr. floyd h. burton becomes superintendent of humble isd in 1942.

the district purchased large tract of land on charles street in 1938. land became location of humble football stadium in 1946. new humble elementary school building opened on charles street in 1948, next humble football stadium. location of humble elementary until new campus built behind deerbrook mall in 1999.

the 1950s , beyond: beginning of 1950s, humble isd in danger of being dissolved , merged district due low enrollment. fortunately, time shift took place in population in , around houston. during 1950s, families started leave city of houston , took residence in suburbs, including humble. sudden increase in population saved humble isd being dissolved. growth resulted in changes charles bender high school. old 1918 humble high school building, being used elementary/junior high, demolished allow new cafeteria, band hall, , gymnasium added charles bender high school.

another humble isd school added 1959-1960 school year. lakeland school opened in lakeland subdivision off isaacks road grades 4 through 7. students in grades 1-3 attended humble elementary on charles street. next year school renamed lakeland elementary.

a continuous growth of enrollment resulted in new school being opened in 1965, new humble high school on wilson road, @ cost of $1.2 million. charles bender high school still used junior high school brief time. point on, growth has never slowed, , new schools have been constructed @ rapid rate.

humble isd s north belt elementary opened in southern part of district in 1968. year later, houston intercontinental airport opened on east side of humble in 1969 (later renamed george bush intercontinental airport). resulted in more business development in , around humble.

for 1968-1969 school year, curriculum coordinator bill woods introduced new staff development initiative. students released 1 hour on 6 days during year allow faculty participate in professional development. system of holding staff development during regular school hours still practiced humble isd today.

a kindergarten program first piloted in humble isd during 1969-1970 school-year. 2 half-day kindergarten sessions of 25 students each held 8:30-11:30 , 12:20-3:30 pm. parents charged $15 per month tuition program. neither transportation nor lunches provided.

in 1970, development began on new master-planned community in northern part of district, called kingwood. first village opened in 1971. first humble isd school built in kingwood foster elementary, opened in 1971. humble had grown 3 schools in 1947 6 schools in 1971.

in years leading 21st century, humble isd continued steady growth rate. development of kingwood , atascocita, humble isd expanded physical presence , curricular , extracurricular offerings. opening of kingwood high school, humble isd 2 comprehensive high-school district, , remained way until 2006, when atascocita high school opened doors. quest high school, magnet school of choice, opened in 1995, , evolved quest college high school in 2010-2011. humble isd has grown population of on 35,000 students (as of 2010-2011), , offers 6 comprehensive high schools, quest. hhs international baccalaureate diploma school, , students can select myriad of courses follow interests , talents. humble isd has been listed 1 of 25 fastest growing districts in state, , boasts outstanding honors in athletics, scholastic endeavors, , arts.

as of 2017 1 of school districts in state highest growth rates.