Forty-four years ago, Albert, R. W., and J. P. Maberry, with the help of
W. W. Sanders and Ben F. Williams as backers, erected the first school
house in the little community of Pritchett. Prior to this time the
children of the community attended a school at old Pleasant Hill, which
had been an important school center for perhaps half a century. This
community had long been above an average in school activities and
educational endeavor.
In the early fall of 1901, Mr. Sanders opened what was known as the
Pritchett Preparatory Institute, a school which, in addition to the
regular public school courses of that day, had also a thorough teachers’
training course that prepared students for regular county and state
examinations for teacher’s certificates. These classes grew rapidly in
interest and in number. Within the course of a few years, new homes were
built around the campus and industrious families moved into this
prosperous little town to educate their children.
Student boarding houses were built and a number of families made their
living and educated their children by keeping boarders. The people took
great interest in school affairs and cooperated with the school
authorities in a wonderful way. Board and rooms were furnished at the
same price to all students. A very reasonable rate was charged which was
agreed upon by the school authorities and the operators of the boarding
houses. The teachers made the rules for all boarding houses, and their
rules were uniform and reasonable, and strictly followed. While there
were few boarders for the first year or two the number soon grew to more
than a hundred each year. Students were from Upshur and all the
surrounding counties, some coming from as far away as the Panhandle of
Texas. Mr. Sanders remained with the school as principal and owner for
about four years. He sold his interest to F. M. Mathis, who continued
the school on the same basis until 1906, when W. A. McIntosh became a
partner with Mathis. The school continued under the ownership and joint
supervision of Maberry and Mathis and McIntosh until 1915, when the
property was sold to the Pritchett school district and became a regular
public school. Mr. Sanders bought an interest in 1902.
A number of prominent school men and women, other than the owners were
associated with the school during the fifteen years of its
activity—first as the Pritchett Preparatory Institute and later as the
Pritchett Normal Institute—among whom were
Ben F. Williams, J. V. Dean, A. J. Sanders, J. L. Boyd, B. B. Elder, J.
R. Melvin, Mrs. W. P. Ducan, Mrs. Ola Mathis, Mrs. Maude Palmers, and
others.
A new and larger building was erected in 1908, when the old building was
remodeled for a students’ dormitory in charge of Mr. Mathis and his
wife. After the erection of the new building, the name of the school was
changed to the Pritchett Normal Institute, to better indicate the nature
of the work pursued. Large classes were organized each year in
state-required subjects leading up to second grade and first grade
teachers’ certificates. The courses were thorough and few Pritchett
students failed to receive certificates on state and county
examinations.
Social activities formed an important phase of the student life. On
certain occasions boys and girls were permitted to keep company with
each other, and these occasions were looked forward to by most of the
students with great pleasure. Many close friendships, formed in this
school, have extended through the years. Now, over a quarter of a
century since the Pritchett Normal Institute closed its doors and left
to the public schools the education of the youth of this and surrounding
communities, the influence of this school is still evident in the lives
of those men and women who were inspired there to strive for greater
accomplishments. In all walks of life there are men and women who began
their careers in this now defunct institution.