Locke Hill School

Locke Hill School was established in 1868 and named for William J. Locke, originally from Rushville, Illinois. William Locke and his wife, Mary settled in the area of San Antonio that became known as Locke Hill in 1850. Starting in 1868, the school met in a shed behind the supply depot of the community. The Lockes donated land for the school, which was active from 1900 until 1975 when the school was moved to it's current location on DeZavata Rd. Currently the school site is Northside ISD Alternative Middle School campus, with the Locke Hill Auditorium being the only early building still standing.

A brief "through the years" chronology written by the school staff years ago of the Lockhill / Lock Hill / Locke Hill school, with a few updates.

1868 Locke Hill School was begun - probably in the rear of the supply depot - at the corner of Huebner and Fredericksburg Roads. Teacher was Judith Locke who according to Mrs. Doris Locke Veach had “fitted herself as a teacher by attending school at the Governor’s Palace in San Antonio.”
1870 Capt. William Locke became member of Texas State House of Representatives and served for four years.
1877 Capt. Locke donated the land where the depot-school was located and a combination school house and church was built of logs. Adena DeZavala was teacher.
1890 School was moved out Fredericksburg Road to Pecan Springs Road (near the Rexall Dairy north of Hausman Road). It was a one-room red building and named Shavano School.
1899 Alice Hutchinson came from Boerne to teach but left after two months – no pay!
1900 School was moved south and built on Fredericksburg Road - a white two-room building with attached shed – and named Locke Hill School.
1904 School term lasted for only six months with teacher’s salary of $35 – for the entire term!
1907 “Little red schoolhouse” replaced by a larger two-room building.
1913 School tax rate was increased from 10 to 15 cents resulting in such improvements as shelter for horses.
1914 Lockhill boasted two teachers and a full nine months of school. Salaries for the two teachers were $70 and $55.
1914 – 1915 Lock Hill District 5
1918 Miss Freda Parkerson teacher called an extra recess for the children while she bade her boyfriend farewell. He was off to the “war to end wars”. It’s sad to note that he never returned.
1928 Existing school building became a teachers’ home when a two-room brick school with bell tower was built. A school bell was donated by the W.W. Wolfe family. First teacher in the brick school was Roscoe Hinkle.
  PTA was started. Mrs. W.W. Wolfe first president remained in office for eight years.
1929 Locke Hill School Float
1930 Two Model T Ford school buses were put into operation and named “Archibald” and “Percival”. Mr. Liebe one of the drivers remembers his pride in the new bus and his consternation when all the passengers would gang up in the back end causing the front wheels to lift – and rendering the bus motionless.
1931 School Bus
1934 An auditorium was built by WPA labor with stones brought from the Lacey place located just north of the campus and dedicated to Mr. Worthy Wolfe.
Mrs. Chris Canuteson began a privately-run cafeteria preparing food at home and serving it in two trolley cars that the school bought from San Antonio Public Service and moved onto the campus.
Two wood frame buildings were eventually moved in as the enrollment grew.
First school paper – “Locke Hill School News”.
1936 Lock Hill School was awarded a Certificate of Approval as a Standard Rural School by The Department of Education.
  Certificate of Approval
1939 The newly-organized school band played two numbers at PTA: “America” and “Rock of Ages”. Among its eight members were a pianist guitarist and a drummer besides four assorted horn players.
  Two Class Room Building
  Front Gate
  School Yard
  Cafeteria Trolley Cars
1940 On January 22 the first snow in 11 years was reported. Pupils teachers and principal participated in a snowball throwing contest. Later that week the temperature fell to 4 degrees below zero.
At the October school board meeting held in Bluemel’s Filling Station on Fredericksburg Road it was announced that enrollment had reached 151.
The cafeteria – now school-operated and housed in one of the remodeled wood frame buildings – was feeding about 50 pupils and the hot lunches were prepared by Mrs. Gerfers and Mrs. Benke.
Lockhill Community Forum announced a lecture “Education in a Changing Order” with a free motion picture thrown in. Old timers remember that due to gas rationing as many as 15 people would come to these events in one car!
1941 Enrollment passed the 200 mark and it was reported that all the desks were “used up.”
The football team was furnished uniforms.
Raul Venegas was Lockhill’s first known war death.
Third and fourth grade classes were held in a double garage due to crowded conditions.
Mr. C.V. Compton principal asked for – and received – a raise to $2100 annually minus $50 monthly for house rent. No doubt what won it for him was the fervent please in his letter requesting it: “I am not trying to put anything over – look at it – would appreciate your signing it – a thousand times.”
1942 School library boasted 1500-2000 books.
1943 Eight stars were added to the school’s service flag.
1944 Educational radio was introduced to the classroom.
Eighth grade students planted six pecan trees to honor Lockhill’s war dead.
1946 School board approved the purchase of a movie machine provided the PTA pay for it.
Two additional classrooms were added onto the two-room brick building.
1946 Layout of Locke Hill School Buildings
1947 Library “boasted” 500 books. What happened to all those they had in ‘42?
On October 10th the PTA hosted a combined barbeque and barn dance on the school grounds as a fund-raiser on November 1st. It was called the Fall Festival.
A new concrete water tank was built – not a bit too soon! Mr. Teddy Zetner found a dead rat in the old wooden tank!
1949 Lockhill became part of the Northside Consolidated District. This move made available high school education and graduation within the district. No longer need students be transported to Edison High in San Antonio.
  1949 Entire Student Body
1951 Northside Consolidated District became Northside Independent School District. Thus Lockhill ended the era of pioneering country school to become a leader in a cooperative district program in modern education for northwest Bexar County youth.
1953 Four classrooms were added onto the brick building making it an eight classroom building.
1957 Bond Issue News Article
  School Bond Meeting
  After School Bond
  A new kitchen four classrooms principal’s office and restrooms were added onto the auditorium building. A new baby grand piano was purchased by the PTA for use in the auditorium. With District Bond money remodeling of the auditorium included a new ceiling and new lights plus removal of the wood burning stove in the corner of the auditorium.
1968 Lockhill’s first Historical Marker was dedicated.
Lockhill celebrated the school’s centennial at nearby Raymond Russell Park.
1974 Entrance Gate at the current locaion of Locke Hill Elementary School
1976 Student enrollment continued to increase and a new campus was built nearby on DeZavala Road (Historical Marker was relocated to the new site).
2015 A Historical Marker was placed at the former campus site recognizing the old auditorium and was dedicated on March 26th.
2018 The 150 year celebration!

Contributed by Elaine DeMunbrun