Textbook Collection

Collection of Textbooks Used in the Public Schools, 1890s-1960s.

The Textbook Collection in the Eanes History Center Library contains books that are typical of the texbooks used in the Eanes Rural County School. These books were published between the 1870s and the 1960s.

Blue Back Spellers (1908) and the
McGuffey's Readers (1920) were the standard
textbooks for many decades in the classrooms.

"Textbooks in the County Rural Schools"*

One of the collections of books in the Eanes History Center Library represents the textbooks found in most Texas county rural schools from the 1870s into the 1960s. During the earliest decades of the Eanes one room school, the few books studied were probably brought by the students from home or were bought for the school by the local school trustees. These textbooks covered all the levels from first grade (children were seven or eight when they entered the five months a year school then) through the eighth grade (where students were sometimes older than the teacher.) When the County School Superintendent began to furnish textbooks, using county and state funds, each school and classroom began to have a collection of textbooks. These books were kept and used year after year even as newer ones were added. Especially readers, geography, history, and arithmetic books were collected. Sometimes an industrious student in one year could go through several readers and arithmetics.

The Eanes History Center has several copies of the original "Blueback Speller." Every page in this small book taught a list of words, usually of many syllables, with definitions, and always with a quotation or short paragraph with a "moral" emphasis. This was the standard speller for many decades dating from the middle 1800s to well into the nineteen hundreds. The reading books changed through the decades from mainly Greek and Roman myths, to stories of everyday people often with a guiding principle or with an example of good attitude or behavior. Many of these stories still read very well and are of interest to today's students.

The arithmetic textbooks are full of "stated" problems and provide plenty of drill in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and "long" division. A student working his way through these books in the elementary school easily could do "figurin'" in his head the rest of his life.

These eight decades of books are represented in the Eanes History Center Textbook Collection and provide an interesting comparison with textbooks used today.

*This was excerpted from an article that was published in the Westbank Picayune Distinct Section, August 30, 1996, and was written by a member of the History Center Board.

Textbook Collection

Adair, A. Garland: Texas, Its History. 1954

Attwood, Wallace: Visits in Other Lands. 1943

Avery, Fannie L.: Prose and Poetry, Junior Literature. Book II. 1929

Baker, Clara: Bobbs-Merrill First Reader. 1936. Display.

Baker, Clara: The Curriculum Readers IV - The Earth We Live On. 1937

Baker, Franklin: Everyday Classics, Second Reader. 1927. Display.

Barker, Eugene C.: A School History of Texas. 1924

Beauchamp, Wilbur: All Around Us, Guidebook, Book B, Pre-Primer. 1944

Beamer, Charles: The Texans! Tejas to Today. 1972

Bennett, Elizabeth: High Road to Glory. 1947

Bennett, Elizabeth: Wonder and Laughter: Stories to Remember. 1947

Benson, B.K.: The Practical Speller and Definer. Seven Hundred Spelling and Defining Lists. 1889

Betts, Emmett: Along Friendly Roads, Third Reader. 1948

Betts, Emmett: Around Green Hills, First Reader. 1948

Betts, Emmett: Beyond Treasure Valley, Third Reader. 1948

Betts, Emmett: Down Singing River, Second Reader. 1949

Betts, Emmett: Over a City Bridge, Second Reader. 1948

Bond, Guy: Days of Adventure. 1962 (1953)

Bringham, Albert P.: Essentials of Geography, Second Book. Includes Geography of Texas by Nelle McCorkle. 1925

Brown, Joseph: Champion Arithmetic, Grade 7. l933.

Brown, Mary: A Condensed History of Texas for Schools. 1895. Display

Brown, Thomas: The Winston Simplified Dictionary for Schools. 1937. Display

Burleson, David: Adventures in English, Grade 6. 1940

Chamberlain, James: How We Are Clothed: A Geographical Reader. 1914

Chamberlain, Rudolph: Junior Beacon Lights of Literature Series. 1937

Chambers, William: The Geography of Texas. 1946

Chutter, Frances Elizabeth: The Art-Literature Readers. 1905

Coates, Lydia: American Dressmaking, Step-By-Step. A Complete, Simplified Method of Sewing, Dress Making and Tailoring. 1917

Coe, Ida: Story Hour Readers - Primer. First Year-First Half. 1913

Condon, Randall: The Great Conquest Reader. 1930

Cooper, Mable: Favorite Stories. 1923. Display

Culter, Horace: The Rural School. Its Methods and Management. 1913

DeLancey, Floy W.: Across the Blue Bridge - The Prose and Poetry Series.

Doerner, Celia: Treasury of General Knowledge for School and Home. 1910 (1882)

Dressel, Herman: The Laidlaw Readers, Book 3. 1920

Dressel, Herman: The New Barne Readers Primer. 1916

Dutton, Samuel T.: School Management. Practical Suggestions Concerning the Conduct and the Life of the School. 1904

Eggleston, Edward: First Book in American History. 1889

The Elson Pupil's Hand Chart for Pre-Primer Work. 1921

Elson, William: Junior High School Literature, Book 2. 1928

Evertts, Eldonna: Crossroads. 1966

Evertts, Eldonna: Trade Winds. 1966

Faegre, Marion: Child Care and Training. 1930

Fernalde: Grammar School Standard Dictionary of the English Language. 1905. Gift Book

Gates, Arthur: Sharing Adventures. 1951

Gates, Arthur: The Pupils' Own Vocabulary Speller. Grade 3. 1950

Genung, John: The Working Principles of Rhetoric. 1900

Gray, William: Friends and Neighbors, Guidebook. 1941

Gray, William: Workaday Readers. A Basic Text in Reading for the 4th Grade. Display

Hamilton, Samuel: School Arithmetic for Grammar Grades. 1909

Hamilton, Samuel: Hamilton's Essential School Arithmetic for Higher Grades. 1920

Hanthorn, Alice: Billy Boy on the Farm. 1933

Henderson, Barbara: The Firelight Book. 1946

Hugley, Laura: Many Homes. 1950

Hunter, George: Essentials of Biology. 1911

Hunter, Lucretia: The Girl Today and the Woman Tomorrow. 1932

Irish, Marie: Good Things for Washington and Lincoln Birthdays. nd Display

Jacobs, William: The Practical Speller. 1901

Jeschke, H.: Oral and Written English. Beginners' Book in Language. 1921

Johnson, Eleanor: Treat Shop. 1954.

King, Allen: The Way of Democracy. 1941

Koffmeyer, William: Basic Spelling Goals. 1960

Knolle, Dorothy: Adventures in Reading - Exploration. 1947

Law, Frederick Houk: Mastery of Speech. A Course in Eight Parts on General Speech, Business Talking, and Public Speaking. Say How You Say It Under All Conditions. 1918

Leavell, Ullin: Widening Horizons. 1956

Lockwood, Sara: Lessons in English Adapted to the Study of the American Classics. 1897

Lyman, Rollo L.: Treasury of Life and Literature. Volume 3. 1937

Martin, Cora: At Home. Real Life Readers. 1930

Mathews, Mary Lock: First Lessons in Clothing and Textiles, Foods and Cookery, Family Relationships, the Care and Management of the House, the Care of Children, Home Nursing and Health. 1927

Mawson, C.O.S.: Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. 1922

McCallum, A.N.: The New Century Spelling Book. In Two Parts for Primary and Grammar Grades. Copy 1 1908; Copy 2 1912. Display

McGuffey's Fifth Electic Reader, 1879 Edition. 1962 reprint

McIntire, Alta: Working Together. 1965

McKee, Paul: Come Along. 1966

McKee, Paul: Sky Lines. 1953

McMurry, Lida: Our Language. First Book. 1905

McSkimmon, Mary: The Magic Spear. 1929

McSpadden, Walter: Texas, A Romantic Story for Young People. 1927. Display

Meek, Charles S.: English To-day. Manual for Teachers. nd

Mitchell, Lucy: Growing World: Animals, Plants, and Machines. 1944

Moffitt, Virginia: Broad Skies of Freedom. 1949

Morey, Charles: Elementary Arithmetic. 1919

New Texas School Reader. 1864. Reprint, 1962. Display

O'Donnell, Mabel: Alice and Jerry Books: If I Were Going. 1936. 1941 reprint

O'Donnell, Mabel: The Alice and Jerry Basic Readers: The New If I Were Going. 1950

Ontario Public School Composition and Grammar. 1920

Parker, Horatio: The Progressive Music Series. Book One. 1914. 1920 reprint

Parker, Horatio: The Progressive Music Series for Basal Use in Primary, Intermediate, and Grammar Grades. Book Four. 1915

Payne, Frank: Geographical Nature Studies. 1898

Pitts, Lilla: Singing on Our Way. 1949

Potter, Milton: Oral and Written English. Grade 5. 1917

Public School Methods. Fully Illustrated from Photographs, Paintings, and Original Drawings. Vol. V and VI. 1921

Purse, William: Always Be Careful - Coloring Book. 1957

Richardson, Rubert. Texas, The Lone Star State. nd

Roberts. Paul: The Roberts English Series. Book Five. 1966

Robinson, Helen: Open Highways. 1965

Sallen, Benjamine: A Child Experience Reader: Wings for Words. 1947

Scarbrough, W. Frances: Stories from the History of Texas. 1929

Sellers, David: Nature's Wonderland. 1938

Shane, Harold: Words with Wings. 1964

Sharp, Adda, and Eppsie Young: Woodland Frolics Series: Little Lost BoBo. 1947

Sharp, Adda: The Heart of the Wild. 1955

Shattuck, Marquis: Toward Pleasant Shores, Book 5. 1949

Smallwood, W.M.: Biology for High Schools. 1920

Smith, Eleanor: The Eleanor Smith Music Course, Book 4. 1908

Smith, Minna: The World and Its People. Our Country, Book III.

Smith, Nela: Distant Doorways. 1940

Spencer, Paul: Finding New Trails. 1945

Steen, Ralph: History of Texas. 1939

Stewart, Frank: The Constitution and Government of Texas. 1933

Stone, John: The Stone Arithmetic, Seventh Year. 1929

Strayer, George: Strayer-Upton Arithmetic, Lower Grade. 1928

Stull, Forest: Journeys Through Many Lands: A Textbook in the New Geography. 1946

Summers, Maude: The Summers Readers, Second Reader. 1909

Sutherland, William: The Teaching of Geography. 1909

Sutton, Rachael: Trails Beckon. 1946

Sutton, W.S.: Arithmetic, Lower Book. 1906. 1912 reprint

Texas Today, A Reference Book for Geography. 1960

Tippett, James: Here and There with Henry. 1947

Townsend, Herbert: Our America: The Story of Our Country. 1944

VonRoekel, Byron: From Elephants to Eskinos. Basic First Reader. 1969

Webster, Noah. The Elementary Spelling Book. The National Standard, An Improvement on the American Spelling Book. "Blue Back Speller." Display. Special Collection. 1857, 1880, 1908. Display

Wentworth, G. A.: New School Algebra. 1898

Wentworth, G.A.: A High School Arithmetic. 1894

White, E.E.: New Elementary Arithmetic. 1883.

White, Emerson E.: School Management. A Practical Treatise for for Teachers and All Other Persons Interested in the Right Training of the Young. 1893

Willis, Benjamin: Adventure. 1950

Witherspoon, Anna: Golden Bells Around the World. 1936

Witty, Paul: Peacock Lane. 1964

Yoakam, Gerald: Children Everywhere. 1940. 1947 reprint