GROESBECK, Texas — Washington High School in Limestone County will forever be an official part of Texas history after the former all-Black high school received a Texas Historical Marker.
"We've come a long ways from where the Lord brought us," said Brenda Harris- Jackson, former student at the school. Groesbeck is her hometown and she is one of the people who pushed for the school to become a historical marker.
"Whole life, born and raised," Harris - Jackson said. "Graduated, got married, moved away and came back and raised all my kids and grandkids."
Washington High school was built in 1957 for Black students at Groesbeck ISD during segregation.
"Everybody went to this campus," said Harris - Jackson's sister, Ethel Harris-Moffett.
"It's a blessing because all these years since Washington, no news reporter has ever been interested to come to town to want to know anything about Washington," said Harris-Moffett talking about Texas Today anchor Micah Wilson coming to interview the pair.
It's a school with so much history. But before Washington, there was Blackshear. The school served as Groesbeck ISD's all-Black school from 1922 to 1957. In 1957 Black Groesbeck ISD students moved to Washington High. It was named in honor of Blackshear Principal Nelson Washington, and served kids first - 12th grade.
"It was Washington, it was all we knew until we integrated," said Harris - Jackson.
Integration started in 19-65 with a "freedom of choice" policy. However, the school did not officially close until 1969.
"I was a junior when we were forced to go, when we first went to Groesbeck High School," Harris - Jackson explained. Adding that it took some getting use to. But she and her sister adjusted and graduated.
Although the school closed in 1969, the main building stood until 2018. Although the district still uses parts of the building. The café is being used for culinary students. While the gym is still being used for middle school students
"I really like that but I feel like it should be more," said former Washington Student, Debbie Wilson-McCall. She says she would like to see more of Washington's history preserved in spaces like the café. Showcasing old photos of students and and the school.
In September 2023, after at least two rejections, Washington finally became a Texas historical marker. The Limestone County Historical Commission made a post of the unveiling on Facebook. Now there's a push for the same to happen for Blackshear.
"Those sites should not be overlooked with just a little marker," said Alice Roberson - Thompson, former student and graduate of Blackshear. "Because it means just as much to me."
Roberson - Thompson and Wilson-McCall are proud of the progress made but are asking for more to be done.
"As I foresee it, it's going backwards instead of progressing forward," Wilson-McCall said. "I don't see a lot of progress that's being made here in Groesbeck, since the 70s."
But for now, the community is just celebrating the win of their former school being a Texas historical marker.