| City/Town: • Arnett |
| Location Class: • School |
| Built: • 1928 | Abandoned: • 1988 |
| Status: • Abandoned • Burned Down |
| Photojournalist: • Jeff Hodge |
Most people know Arnett, OK as being located in Ellis County but many don’t know there is another one in Harmon County. Now, this Arnett is the one we will be talking about but only consists of the abandoned school buildings and one farm structure left. The first Arnett school was constructed in 1928 as the sign reads above the entrance to the property. By 1934 the school was large enough to warrant the construction of a gymnasium. F.M. Pease Principal took care of the dedication on December 28th of that year. Just a year later more additions were added to the campus of the country school and construction of two additional classrooms, a native stone teacherage, and a truck shed were underway.
Being one of the largest rural schools it offered the popular sports of track, basketball, baseball, and a 4-H club. They received roughly $1,651 in state aid as opposed to the $150 that other schools in th district received. All grades were taught here having a total enrollment of ninety-five and eleven teachers in the 1940s. But like all of the other schools in Harmon County one by one they dropped like flies failing to support dwindling towns. Arnett was consolidated with Hollis at some point between 1964-1970 and the campus was left abandoned.
Gallery Below of Arnett School
https://www.newspapers.com/image/611565394/?terms=%22arnett%20school%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/700023938/?terms=%22arnett%20school%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/700048756/?terms=%22arnett%20school%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/700201803/?terms=%22arnett%20school%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/699975006/?terms=%22arnett%20school%22&match=1
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Arnett school didn’t close until 1989. My mother was a teacher there from 1970 until it’s closing. My brother graduated in 1978 and I graduated in 1981. It stayed open longer than a lot of the other schools because boys from Westview Boys Home were enrolled there.
I attended Arnett high school from 1972 to 1974. The main part of the school burnt down,so my senior year we went to class in the ag building. It was divided into 4 classrooms. I also called Westview my home.Thanks to Burl and Yvonne Butler,and Westview bous home…I finished high school and was able to attend college.Iwill always remember Arnett and still call Hollis my home town.
I was a senior in 73 right ahead of you. We farmed way up north of Arnett. I remember the old Jr High /High School burning between my junior and senior years in the summer, and the FFA Chapter built the AG Shop Building. It’s still there. Our Chapter helped build the plywood partitions in the north end of the Ag shop for classes. We also had classes in the gym and just out under the trees if it was nice out. 0ddly, I don’t remember you but I had many friends among the Westview boys. Louis Watts was my… Read more »
Sheri Mulkey is correct about the actual school closing year. I was one of the last residing school board members who managed the tedious fiduciary duties of making certain all legal original land contracts were honored so that property returned to the original land owners and proper steps were taken for consolidation of area students into the Hollis School district in Harmon County. All of the buildings furnishings, equipment, supplies, and tools were donated to the Hollis Independant school district. Non-removable structures, buildings, and other attached assets remained with the reclaimed property owners. Historical places such as old ghost towns… Read more »
My dad graduated from Arnett in 1985! So did his best friends, Tim Frank and Chad Powers. Tim & my dad also grew up in Westview Boys Home.
We moved to Arnett in 1942 0r 43, My dad, Elbert Patton Sr. was hired as the Supt. of school and coach. We lived there until 1948. My mom Alda Patton taught 1st & 2nd grade at that time, I remember the names of a lot of students, I know Dad had the best Girls Basketball teams around with the 3 Scott girls, & Wineth Wilson to name a few, not many boys in High School because of the War, but remember Jackie Rowe and a DeFor boy and Kenneth Scively. Lindy McDanials was in a class below me .… Read more »