‘Nuestra Historia’ - Historical marker dedicated at former Mexican-American schoolhouse

Representatives from four generations of Rockdale Mexican-American families were on hand to help unveil a Texas State Historical Marker on Saturday at La Escuelita (the little school) on Saturday.
The building—which now serves as a meeting place and grounds for fiestas, wedding anniversaries, Easter egg hunts, and other activities—is a small, unadorned wooden structure, but the school will always play a part in the colorful history of this area’s Hispanic families.
None of the former students and some of their descendants who remembered the building as a reminder of their early education and experiences attended. Not much has changed about the school’s looks in some 50 years. The one-room wooden structure, which now sits across the road from the Zapata place, is the same one that early workers in the lignite coal mines attended.
In his spare time, F.L. “Chano” Zapata and family kept the area cleaned and free of debris until his death in 1991. Zapata was never paid for any of the upkeep.
“We didn’t know how important the work he did was at the time. We know now it’s a great source of pride for us all,” Thelma Mendoza, granddaughter of Chano, said.
Mendoza and Elena Olmos-Cook, along with other family members, still look after the building every day—putting up fencing, replacing glass, scrubbing the floors, mowing, trimming weeds near the school, and drinking its beauty in general.
Had they not cleaned up, La Escuelita would most likely be a field grown over with tall weeds. Historical Commission Chairman Joy Graham said she heard stories of some who wanted to see the building torn down until Texas Department of Transportation bought the land.
With no “official” historical designation, TxDOT could have condemned the land under imminent domain.
Research of school records and old Reporter archives by Bill Cooke, Joy Graham, Zeke and Carmen Silva, Roger Hashem, and others helped gather the information needed for the application.
The black plaque, which mentions “La Escuelita and La Reculta,” commemorates the school and its impact on families and workers. It also mentions a six-day drama in which eight miners were trapped underground after a cave-in in 1913. One miner was killed and seven others were trapped inside a mine tunnel for six days.
John Esten Cooke wrote in the October 16, 1913 issue of The Rockdale Reporter: “At 12 o’clock today during the torrential rainstorm, the Vogel-Lorenz lignite mine, three miles east of town, caved in and filled with water. Seven Mexican miners and a track mule were caught in the mine. All neighboring mines shut down and sent men to help with the rescue.”
The miners were found 100 feet from the shaft and had to be carried out. “That daylight sure did look good,” Mireles said. He was interviewed in 1974 and stopped working in the mines in the late Twenties.
Their teacher could speak no Spanish, and none of the students spoke English. Jose Lugo said: “You can imagine the challenge.”
Because of the building’s significance, the Texas Historical Commission granted a historical marker. A tract of land, once a cemetery for Mexican-Americans and now the site of La Escuelita, was dedicated to the St. Joseph’s Cemetery Association in 1953.
Michael and Gloria Zapata sang the National Anthem, and Rev. Doug Springer, pastor of Full Gospel Church, gave the invocation. Milam County Judge Dr. Frank Summers was the master of ceremonies.

COOKOFF—

The rest of the day was filled with festivities. A chili and menudo cookoff was held with first place winners being Sonya Monteleon and Steve Zapata. Other activities included horseshoe contests, children's games, and door-prize giveaways.
Chili winners were John and Thomas Ramirez, 1st place, Nick and Thomas Monteleon, 2nd place. A dance was held Saturday night at the Zaragoza Club.