Bertram School

Founded in 1882 along the Austin & Northwestern Railroad, Bertram soon established a combined school, Sunday School, and Masonic Lodge hall as one of its first buildings, with Rudolph Bertram contributing $50 toward its construction. The frame building was enlarged as the community grew, but by 1908 new facilities were needed for 264 students. In May 1909, Bertram voters approved incorporation as an independent school district and the construction of a new 2-story red brick school on land bought from T. D. Vaughn. Designed by architect George Endress and built by contractor M. L. Langford, the school opened in fall 1909 with J. N. Matthews as its first principal. During Bertram's cotton-growing boom, students often missed the start of school to work in the fields, and as enrollment rose, sports and other extracurricular activities were added. A separate high school was built in 1925 and a gymnasium in 1948, and over the years several smaller county schools transferred their students to Bertram before its schools merged with the Burnet district in 1970.

Bertram, Texas · United States