Smith High School

Smith High School. . , During the 1880s, many African American communities in the area, such as Teal Prairie, Cedar Creek, and Six Mile, did not have formal schools. In 1894, Horace and Charles Smith decided to open a school near Rita called Smith Grade High School. The first principal, Daniel Porter (1863-1916), later published the Central Texas Teacher newspaper and founded the Brenham Normal and Industrial College. Smith High School served the surrounding communities. Classes were held on the lower floor of the Knights of Pythias hall, as the school did not have its own building at the time., In 1919, the school received funding from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which through its programs sought to improve the quality of education for African American students, primarily in the southern U.S. Funds were used to build a permanent schoolhouse. The building consisted of two large classrooms. As more students from surrounding communities began attending, the two classrooms were then divided into four. In the 1930s, attendance increased greatly. Another building was added to the campus to teach vocational agriculture. Three additional classrooms expanded the original building, a teacher's cottage was built and home economic classes were added to the curriculum., The school continued to grow until the 1960s. Desegregation dissolved the Friendship School District which oversaw operations of several area African American schools. Rural to urban migration also led to a decline in population that led to the school closing. Smith Grade High School was one of the first schools in the area dedicated to equipping young African Americans with vocational and academic skills. Though many of the buildings were later razed, graduates and former students cherish the memories and achievements of this historic institution.