Marker Inscription
In 1885 a two-story frame structure was built on this site and served as the first free public school in Jacksonville. It was destroyed by a tornado in 1890. A three-story brick building was erected here in 1910-12. Known as the East Side School, it served elementary and secondary students at different times until 1939. After decades of use for school purposes, the hillside stood bare until 1940. In that year a sports stadium, known as the Tomato Bowl, was begun by the Federal Works Progress Administration and the Jacksonville Independent School District.
About this site
First Free Public School is a historical marker in Jacksonville, Cherokee County, dedicated in 1988. It is one of 112 historical markers documented in Cherokee County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 245 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.9677, -95.2682 near Jacksonville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Jacksonville Independent School District (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Jacksonville Post Office, Love, John Wesley, Home, and Sweet Union Baptist Church.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5073006643. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
