Historical Marker
Harmon School
Historical marker location:
Burton, Texas
( School Road 11702, 77835)
Marker installed: 2015
In 1908, the Harmon Schoolhouse was built here through local donations. The first teacher at the school was J. Koehler. It continued to be a one-teacher school until 1943, when students consolidated with the burton rural school district. The schoolhouse also served as a chapel at times for the rural community. The school building was built with 12-inch planks, wooden shingles, and included a front porch for stage programs. The building had several windows and a wood heater during cold weather. Chalkboards and double desks were used in classes. The school site is on the Dietrich Family Century Farm and the only remaining structure is the school’s water well.
Texas has been a major oil-producing state for over a century. The first big oil discovery in Texas was the Spindletop field near Beaumont in 1901, which set off a massive oil boom that transformed the state's economy and made Texas one of the wealthiest states in the country.