Home of the Bulldogs

Near-Normal Traveler, Vince, began his career in education teaching science, coaching, and

Open field on the outskirts of Everman

picking up classes that no one else was available to teach at the Everman School. Once he even got to teach an art class because he was the only person who had instruction: it was a class he had in high school! A few years after he taught at this school, I began my education in this district. However, long before we entered the picture, the area was common to the Apache, Kiowa and Wichita tribes until the mid-1850s when the first Anglos arrived. They established two little hamlets, Oak Grove and Enos. Although Enos is long gone, Oak Grove (see Flying in and out) is still around.


Of course the International-Great Northern Railroad in had everything to do with the development and growth the Everman Village. The railroad gave the citizens transportation

Top: Everman School 1959
Bottom: Hommel Elementary 2017

and a means to ship freight both to Houston and to Fort Worth. Everman was named after Philadelphian John Wesley Everman, who headed the surveying party that platted the town site. Enon Street was named after the first settlement, but other of the original streets carried the names of the men in the survey party: Hansbarger, Noble, Parker, Trammell, and Trice. The post office was established in 1905, with a new school system beginning just after that. Surprisingly, there was a flight training school at Barron Field in 1917 that provided education to the United States Signal Corps and to the Canadian Royal Flying Corps. This encouraged the growth of the town, helping to create grocery stores, a bank, a drug store, and even a café. And on Enon Street were the very first Methodist Church and the Everman School. That school served all the grades until the population grew enough to support adding J.W. Bishop Elementary School.

Since the 1960s Everman has continued to grow adding elementary and middle schools.

Wall built by CCC

However, the old Everman School still exists as Hommel Elementary. In the early days of this school, it was surrounded by a rock wall. The Civilian Conservation Corps completed it as one of their projects. I loved sitting on it watching the other students and gossiping with friends; the wall is gone from the front of the school, but remnants are still on the side and back. There are some other remnants of the old Everman. One is a series of concrete pillars that have been just down the road from the school. I don’t remember what it was, but I don’t remember it not being there. The other area that is an institution is the Cross Roads Feed Store at the corner of Enon and Forest Hill Drive. Passing by in the spring meant that you’d see all sorts of critters roaming around behind this building and ducks sitting on the stream.

Top: Concrete structure
Bottom: Cross Roads Feed Store

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