Bastrop in Bastrop County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Mina Ward School

Photographed by Larry D. Moore, March 8, 2019

1. Mina Ward School Marker

Inscription. Bastrop was established as a Mexican municipality (later renamed Mina) in 1832. As in many Texas towns, early 20th century grade schools here were segregated into three campuses, with separate facilities for Mexican American, African American and Anglo American students. Bastrop established a school for Mexican Americans in the 1910s, and in 1933 built the Mina Ward School on land east of Main Street and north of the M-K-T railroad tracks. The one-story yellow frame schoolhouse had classroom space and a stage for one or two teachers educating eight grades of students from Bastrop and the surrounding rural area.

In 1947, Samuel and Nemesia García asked school officials to let their granddaughter attend the Anglo American school, but the request was denied. On Nov. 17, 1947, on behalf of twenty students in four local school districts, San Antonio attorney Gustavo (Gus) C. Garcia, supported by University of Texas professor George I. Sanchez and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), filed a class action lawsuit titled Minerva Delgado, et al. vs. Bastrop Independent School District of Bastrop County, et al. The complaint accused the schools of depriving children of equal educational opportunities. At the hearing on Jun. 15, 1948, federal judge Ben H. Rice issued a summary judgment, ruling the segregation of children of "Mexican or other Latin American descent" was "arbitrary and discriminatory and in violation of plaintiff's constiutional rights as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States." The Mina Ward School closed, but statewide the decision preserved segregation of African American students and any first graders who did not exhibit English-language proficiency. The school and the Delgado v. Bastrop case are remembered for their significant contributions

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to the Civil Rights movement and for providing greater opportunities for generations of Texans.

Erected 2015 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18314.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Education • Hispanic Americans. A significant historical date for this entry is June 15, 1948.

Location. 30° 7.268′ N, 97° 19.211′ W. Marker is in Bastrop, Texas, in Bastrop County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and Hawthorn Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1903 Main Street, Bastrop TX 78602, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas

and in the Austin Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

Mina Ward School Marker Area image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Larry D. Moore, March 8, 2019

2. Mina Ward School Marker Area

distance of this marker: Crocheron-McDowall House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Brooks-Wilbarger House (approx. 0.4 miles away); H. P. Luckett House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Julia Dickinson Allen (approx. 0.4 miles away); Site of Bastrop Military Institute (approx. 0.4 miles away); Allen-Fowler House (approx. 0.4 miles away); White-Turner House (approx. half a mile away); Klockman - Elzner Home (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bastrop.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2019. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2019, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,312 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 8, 2019, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.