EDITOR'S NOTE: Ten years ago, in 2000, the Zilker Elementary School community collected photos and documents recording the school's first 50 years. Most of the records are from PTA newsletters and annual reports, along with newspaper clippings and school correspondence. The archives trace the growth of the school from an enrollment of 270 in 1950, to 489 in 1953 (requiring two portable classrooms), to 721 in 1963, back to the more reasonable 500 of recent years. A few excerpts from these archives are reproduced here to provide a "then and now" perspective on the spirit of Zilker Elementary, as we celebrate its sixtieth birthday.
Thanks to Jackie Kraal, school librarian (since 1983), who has been working hard to preserve the archives and make them accessible. Most of the records quoted here are from her work on the 1950s archives. Visit "60 Years of Zilker Pride" (.doc file) on the school Web site for more school history. Thanks, too, to all the parents, teachers, staff, and students who have contributed to the school's history over the last 60 years. Happy Birthday, Zilker.
Lorraine Atherton, ZNews editor
ZILKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is celebrating its sixtieth birthday this year. In the year 2000, the school community dusted off and added to a collection of photos and documents recording the school's first 50 years. Ten years later, a quick look through the first few scrapbooks reveals a progressive community dedicated to creating a better neighborhood for its children and for the future. The problems they faced and the solutions they pursued are familiar to today's school community.
For instance, parking and traffic problems around the school in 1961 sound a lot like today's traffic warnings, and the origins of today's rules of doggie etiquette can be seen in a 1955 description of the "Dog Problem."
The most remarkable similarities, however, have to do with Zilker Neighborhood Park. A few years ago, ZNA negotiated a large contribution to Austin's park system from a Rolling Stones concert in Zilker Park (the big one). ZNA decided to invest its share of those proceeds in our little Zilker park next to the school. The master planning effort launched by Jeff Jack (then president of ZNA) immediately revived interest in the park.
The archives show how important this little park has been since the school's beginning. The first records of the Zilker Parent-Teacher Association, from September 1951, note that "The project of the year was to secure a playground for this area." Well before the school was built, the City Council had approved plans for a park somewhere in the area, and apparently the new Zilker PTA persuaded the city to choose the site next to the new school. A clipping from the American-Statesman, dated January 25, 1952, says a "large delegation," including Angus McDonald, PTA president, and Mrs. A. G. Sievers of the PTA recreation committee, was supported by city parks director Beverly Sheffield.
From History of Zilker Parent-Teacher Association, Sept. 1951-May 1952
The Zilker Parent-Teacher Association opened the years regular meeting September 1951. With a membership at this time of 308, 236 attended this meeting. . . . The project of the year was to secure a playground for this area. Several meetings were attended, a delegation met with the City-Council to inform them of the need of the playground.
In April 1953, the purchase of the property was stalled in court, and the PTA was back at city hall, urging the City Council to acquire instead three acres adjacent to the fire station on Kinney Avenue. A week later, the Austin American reported that the city had a new park property, but not next to the fire station. It was the original site that the PTA wanted, next to the school. The city had deposited $13,000, the condemnation value, with the County Court, so development of the park could move forward.
From Austin American April 3, 1953
Council plea -- Mrs. A. G. Sievers, spokesman for a delegation from the southwest part of the city, urged the City Council Thursday to acquire an option on three acres adjacent to the Kinney Avenue Fire Station for construction of a public playground in that district. The city has been trying to acquire a park site adjacent to the Zilker Elementary School, but it has been tied up in a legal dispute.--(Neal Douglass photo)
Playground asked for Zilker section -- A delegation from the southwest part of the city urged the City Council Thursday to hasten development of a public playground in their growing district.
The delegation, including State Senator Johnnie B. Rogers, asked the council to acquire an option on three acres adjacent to the Kinney Avenue fire station.
The council directed Mayor Bill Drake and City Manager Walter Seaholm to investigate the proposal and make a report next week.
Efforts of the city to acquire a park site adjacent to the Zilker Elementary School have been tied up for months by a dispute in the courts over the price. The case is now pending before the Third Court of Civil Appeals.
Mrs. A. G. Sievers, spokesman for the delegation, urged that the council drop the suit and acquire the Kinney Avenue property to avert further delay in providing the Zilker School area with a playground.
Under the headline "Good News," the Zilker Elementary School PTA newsletter, Zilker-Zip, reported: "The Canezio tract of land which is adjacent to Zilker School has been chosen as the site for our supervised park. It will be developed for use this summer. The work will be started within the next ten to thirty days. Our Recreation Committee, headed by Mrs. A. G. Sievers, deserves a big hand from us all." ("Canezio" may also be "Cannizzo," a name that still appears on subdivisions west of the school. The school archives do not say whether the owner was John Cannizzo himself or someone else, or whether the owner ever received more than the condemnation value.)
From Zilker-Zip (Zilker Elementary School PTA newsletter) April 1953
Good News -- The Canezio tract of land which is adjacent to Zilker School has been chosen as the site for our supervised park. It will be developed for use this summer. The work will be started within the next ten to thirty days. Our Recreation Committee, headed by Mrs. A. G. Sievers, deserves a big hand from us all.
Improving our property -- We the pupils in Mr. Hage's 6th grade class feel that the responsibility of maintaining and improving the school grounds belongs to us as future citizens of this community. Real pride in our community is felt only when we make contributions toward its improvement.
We have been arranging flower beds that have been neglected by weeding, transplanting, and watering them regularly. Another project undertaken by the class was to transplant trees to needed areas. The class is expecting to plant five trees on the south side of the building. Two of the five have been brought by Billy Stewart and Richard Sievers and have been planted. The class plans to improve other needed areas on the school grounds by the planting of trees and shrubs.
Valuable topsoil is being washed away by rain and drainage from the building area. Some of the boys have been combating erosion on the south and east sides of the building by putting brush, rocks, and dirt in the eroded areas.
This community project can only be accomplished by time, cooperation, and hard work.
This article was written through contributions of all members of Mr. Hage's 6th grade class.
The PTA immediately started planning improvements for the new park. In October 1953, Mrs. Girard Kinney, the PTA recreation chair, was planning a swimming pool for the playground. (By the end of the year, the PTA reported that although the "money was available, . . . improper drainage" made a pool "impossible.") In that same year, the Austin Civic Clubs "donated 25 trees, planted by the city."
The PTA excerpts that speak most poignantly to today's friends of the park are from the Zilker-Zip of March 1955:
"Approximately 75 trees were planted on the playground adjacent to Zilker School as a start toward many improvements planned for the park this spring. Many thanks to Mr. Johnson and his committee for the work that they put in to make this all possible." There is no mention of it in the archives, but Central Texas was in the grip of a terrible drought at the time. Planting 75 trees was a powerful demonstration of the community's commitment to the future of the park and to the more than 600 students. The report is followed by a list of people who donated 26 trees to the playground, including one "In memory of Donny Johnson."
From American-Statesman February 27, 1955
Zilker P-TA begins tree planting -- More than 600 school children Friday morning witnessed the planting of the first of 70 trees to be planted on the Zilker Playground, adjacent to the Zilker school.
Ford Johnson, chairman of a Parent-Teacher Association committee, presided at the tree-planting ceremonies. He said that P-TA representatives and other parents had been working for seven years to get the city to develop a playground in the area. He thanked members of the P-TA, City Council, Parks and Recreation Board, and Austin Recreation Department for their interest in the project.
Members of the Zilker Service Girls Organization introduced Mrs. Emma Long, Councilwoman; Ben White, Councilman; Frank D. ?inn, president of Parks and Recreation Board; Mrs. Alden Davis, secretary of the Parks and Recreation Board; Mrs. Lloyd ?yne, president of Zilker P-TA; Hollis Sanders, principal of Zilker School; and Beverly S. Sheffield, director of Austin Recreation Department.
Sheffield said that within the next few weeks a water sprinkler system would be installed on the playground. The tree planting is the beginning of a long-ranged development planned for the area, he said. Mostly sycamore and elm trees will be planted. The first tree was planted by Karen Vaughan and Ronnie Dipprey.
Planting the first of 70 trees on the Zilker playground on Bluebonnet Lane is Karen Vaughan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oran Vaughan, 1403 Gardner Street, and Ronnie Dipprey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Caradine Dipprey, 1305 Oxford Avenue. The trees were planted at special ceremonies Friday morning. More than 600 school children, members of the City Council, Parks and Recreation Board and Zilker Parent-Teacher Association participated on the program.
From Zilker-Zip (Zilker Elementary School PTA newsletter) March 1955
Playground underway -- Approximately 75 trees were planted on the playground adjacent to Zilker School as a start toward many improvements planned for the park this spring. A letter from Mr. Beverly Sheffield listed the following improvements to be made on our playground this year.
(1) A water sprinkling system. (2) Playground equipment such as swings, slides etc. (3) Grass will be planted. (4) Lights will be installed for night activities and (5) Either a double tennis court or a stage.
Many thanks to Mr. Johnson and his committee for the work that they put in to make this all possible.
Tree-planting -- Trees were donated for the Zilker Playground as follows:
Bobby Banay 1
Mrs. Fred Hooper 2
Mr. Ford Johnson 2
Mrs. Gant Johnson 2
Jerry Johnson 1
Mrs. Robt. Reed 2
Bobby Reed 1
In memory of Donny Johnson 1
Danny Reed 1
Mrs. J. B. Secrest 1
Mrs. A. G. Sievers 6
Bobby Sievers 2
Richard Sievers 2
Mrs. S. M. Thompson 2
S. M. Thompson, Jr. 1
According to the American-Statesman of February 27, 1955, most of the trees were sycamores and elms. Many of them must have been among the trees that were lost in last year's drought. Over the last ten years, with the help of neighbors like Carlene South of Tree Folks, the school community has embraced Zilker's tree tradition, planting new trees and adopting transplants at every opportunity. On March 6, the Friends of Zilker Neighborhood Park planted six new shade trees on the Ann Arbor side of the park, in the area under the last of those magnificent elms and sycamores planted 50 years ago by and for the schoolchildren of Zilker Elementary.
Other excerpts from the PTA Files
From PTA History, 1955-1956
The Zilker Playground Parents Club raised $232 for a water fountain.
From Zilker-Zip (Zilker Elementary School PTA newsletter) March 1955
Dog problem -- Almost everyone loves dogs, and most of us keep one as a pet. Nothing is more grateful or more loyal for such a small amount of love and attention.
Dogs at school, however, are quite a problem. They have become a nuisance at Zilker lately because they (1) turn over the garbage cans and scatter the trash, (2) consider an open door as an invitation to enter the school, (3) get in the way of the children and ruin their outside games.
Aside from being pests, there is a certain amount of danger involved in their presence at school. While most of the dogs are pets that have followed children to school, some are strays that are covered with mange, ringworms, and sores. The children pet and play with these diseased dogs as well as the clean well ones. Another danger is the fact that there are so many skunks in the neighborhood that might possibly be rabid and bite the dogs and they in turn might bite our children.
Something must be done at once about this problem so we are sending out this appeal to all dog owners in the Zilker District. PLEASE TRY TO KEEP YOUR DOG AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. The dog catcher will be called to pick up all stray dogs around the school. If everyone will cooperate with us, we feel sure that this troublesome situation will be cleared up without having to resort to more drastic action.
From PTA History, April 5, 1956
The Zilker Playground Parents Club raised money for play equipment.
Letter from the Principal, Zilker Elementary School, October 17, 1961
Dear Parent,
The traffic condition around the school premises needs our immediate attention. This is especially serious on Rundell and Bluebonnet streets. We of the staff are working hard with the pupils and bicycles.
As for the cars, only you can help. At the present time the most serious danger of accidents results from stopping cars on the opposite side of the street away from the building. When that is done, children either get out on the left side and step directly into traffic, or get out on the right side and dart around the car and into traffic. The same is true when leaving, except in reverse.
May we review some simple safety rules:
1. Pick up and unload children on side of street next to building.
2. Observe "No Parking" zones.
3. Do not turn into or park in School's Service Driveway.
4. Students are to cross streets at corners only.
5. Obey your school and safety patrollmen.
6. Students are to walk their bicycles on the sidewalks to the corners.
Sincerely yours,
Hollis Sanders, Principal