| Marker Text |
In 1900 a group of Indiana families, led by John M. Hart and Roland Alexander, migrated to this area of Texas. They arrived to find the land, which had been promoted as abundant in timber and rich soil, to be unfertile and susceptible to flooding. Many of the pioneers returned to their home state, but those who remained established a community they named Little Indiana. Soon after their arrival, the settlers of Little Indiana set aside land for a school. Construction of the schoolhouse was a community effort. Logs were hauled by oxen-drawn wagons to the local sawmill, where they were cut for use in the building project. The seven-grade Little Indiana School opened about 1901, with Alta Alexander Hart as the sole teacher. Later teachers included Hazel Alexander, Harrison Bullock, William McCreight, and OIa McCreight. The community grew for several years; by 1907, however, illness and poor crops brought about the abandonment of Little Indiana. The school and other establishments closed, and though many of the settlers returned to Indiana, others moved to different parts of Texas. Little Indiana School, while short-lived, remains part of the history of Wood County's early pioneering efforts. (1983) |
