Pine Tree Band History

*Note from the website creator
This section on the history of the Pine Tree Band has come from personal research and contributions from band alumni. There are still many years that we do not have any info or photos. We need your help! We need photos from personal band memories or yearbooks and more info about the events and accomplishments of the band. Please send your contributions by e-mailing them to alumni@ptpride.org

Donna Peterson
web design

History and Photos
of the Pine Tree Band

Quickly jump to a decade or scroll down to browse

School History

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Photos	Date	Interesting facts and events
1937-1938	Fall	1st Band organized, Director: David Rose, Assistant Director: (student) Frank Pineda, Drum Major: J. W. Farmer.
1938-1939	.	.
1939-1940	.	.
1940-1941	.	.
1941-1942	.	.
1942-1943	.	.
1943-1944	.	.
1944-1945	.	.
1945-1946	.	.
1946-1947	.	.
1947-1948	Fall	Garrett Slaughter begins directing High School Band
1948-1949	.	.
1949-1950	.	.
1950-1951	Fall	Ed Lumpkin begins directing High School Band
1951-1952	.	.
1952-1953	.	.
1953-1954	.	.
1954-1955	Fall	Ed Lumpkin leaves directing to be Principal of Jr High School Campus. Carroll Colvert begins directing High School Band
1955-1956	.	.
1956-1957	.	.
1957-1958	.	.
1958-1959	.	.
1959-1960	.	High School Band chosen to represent the USA at the Red River Festival in Winnipeg, Canada.
1960-1961	.
1961-1962	.	.
1962-1963	.	.
1963-1964	.	.
1964-1965	Fall	Jack England begins directing High School Band
1965-1966	.	.
1966-1967	.	.
1967-1968	Fall	High School Band gets new uniforms, passes old uniforms to Jr High Band
1968-1969	.	.
1969-1970	.	.
1970-1971	.	.
1971-1972	Fall	Beginning band changed from 6th grade to 7th grade Jr High Band gets new uniforms (everyone called them plumber suits)
1972-1973	.	.
1973-1974	.	.
1974-1975	Fall	Jr High Band gets new uniforms (No More Plumber Suits!)
1975-1976	Fall	Jack England has a heart attack on 1st day of school, 1-month later Dee Hood is hired to replace Mr. England Jack England recovers and returns as Director of Instrumental Music
1976-1977	Fall	Band officially acquires the name "The Pride"
1977-1978	Fall	Pirate Stadium is expanded and the band is able to sit on the the press box side of stadium. (previous years the band sat on the visitor side beside the visiting band)
		The Pride performs as guest band for last home game at Stephen F Austin State University.
	Spring	Last performance at UIL Concert Contest as a 3-A band. Playing 4-A music the band gave an excellent performance that not only gave a I rating in UIL but also qualified them to perform in the 4-States Honors Band the following year.
1978-1979	Fall	Pine Tree goes from 3-A to 4-A class of school. (At that time 4-A was the largest school) First year to compete with Longview High School in UIL competitions. First year band marched with a Flag Corp.
1979-1980	.	.
1980-1981	.	.
1981-1982	.	.
1982-1983	.	.
1983-1984	.	The Pride is one of 4 bands chosen nationwide as an honor band for the Ark-La-Tex Conductors Conference at LSU. The University of Texas Longhorn Band performs at Pirate Stadium after homecoming. The flag corps, majorettes, and drum majors get new uniforms. Also the Pine Tree Pride Brigade (later known as the Pine Tree Precision Drill Team) is formed and debuts as the newest member of the band auxiliaries.
1984-1985	.	Last year Drill Team marches as part of the High School Band
1985-1986	Fall	Homecoming Game: Alumni band members played with band High School Band places 1^st at UIL Region C (what is now called Area C) Class 5A Marching Contest in Mesquite
	10/19	Alumni honor "Papa" Jack England as he retires.
	10/21	Jack B England Day in Longview, TX
	11/11	The Pride competes in the UIL State Band Contest in Austin as one of two representatives of Region C, Class 5A (Longview is the other representative). Pine Tree places 7th overall, receiving the highest possible ratings
		Mayor Lou Galosy proclaims a "Longview and Pine Tree Band Day", in honor of their reaching the state finals.
1986-1987	.	High School Band places 3^rd at Region Both JH (Grades 8 & 9) and HS bands perform at District wide celebration of the Texas Sesquicentennial
1987-1988	.	.
1988-1989	.	High School Band performed at halftime of Northwestern State University (La) football game 20^th Anniversary of performing at the Corpus Christi Buccaneer Days Parade. Dee Hood's last year at Pine Tree
1989-1990	Fall	Dr James Snowden begins directing the High School Band. By this time 4-A class had changed to a 5-A class. Pine Tree drops back down to a 4-A school, no longer competing with Longview High School in UIL competitions. Performed at Bands of America Regional Championships at Univ. of Houston
1990-1991	.	.
1991-1992	.	.
1992-1993	.	High School Band placed in top 7 of Class 4A – TMEA Honor Band Finals Performed for President George Bush at Gregg County Airport with the Kilgore College Band
1993-1994	.	.
1994-1995	.	.
1995-1996	.	.
1996-1997	Fall	Beginning band changed from 7th grade to 6th grade.
1997-1998	.	Dr James Snowden last year with Pine Tree
1998-1999	Fall	8th graders began marching in the Junior High band along with the 9th graders. Pine Tree hires all new band directors: Nick Luggerio, Scott Johnson, Steven Parkman, & Connie Lingle
1999-2000	Fall	9th graders began marching in the Senior High band with 8th graders marching as the Junior High Band. Dr Richard Holsomback begin directing middle school bands Connie Lingle has to leave the band due to health, Steven Parkman takes over directing the Sr. High Band. High School Band gets new uniforms
2000-2001	Fall	Diane Schrumpt begins directing Jr High band
	Feb	Band boosters starts web site: www.ptpride.org . Created and designed by Donna Hayes Peterson
	Spring	Steven Parkman announces he will leave Pine Tree to pursue further education in music.
2001-2002	Fall	Scott Williams begins directing High School Band with Angela Holt as Assistant Director
	10/27	Band placed alternate for state at Area C Marching Contest (only Military Band at the Contest), this also placed them 1st in Region IV
	April	Band travels to Disney World to march in Magic Kingdom parade
2002-2003	Fall	Paul Stroud, previous Middle and Jr. High Director passed away.
2003-2004	Spring	Diane Schrumpt leaves Pine Tree as Jr High Director
2004-2005		Les Pack directs Jr High Band for One Year
	Spring	Scott Williams leaves Pine Tree as High School Director
2005-2006	Fall	Glenn Wells begins directing the High School Band Michael Moody begins directing the Jr High School Band
	Spring	Angela Holt leaves Pine Tree as Assistant High School Director
2006-2007	Fall	Lauren Carter joins Pine Tree as Assistant High School Director

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PINE TREE SCHOOL EARLY LANDMARK

It began in 1847 with a small group of parents and children who were studying under a cluster of pine trees. The Pine Tree Independent School District has really grown since then. The formation of the original Pine Tree School came about over 100 years ago when citizens in a small community three miles north of the Sabine River began the Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church at a site where the middle is presently located. Paralleling the church organization was the beginning of the present Pine Tree School. When it was first established, the school was supported by tuition and both church and school were housed in a log cabin until 1858, when two separate buildings were erected. It was a two-story frame with two classrooms on the lower floor and on the top floor was the Masonic Lodge. The lodge was also credited with making major contributions to the school in its early days.

Before the Civil War and later until about 1870, Pine Tree was the leading school in East Texas. Boarding students often came from communities nearby and came there to finish their education.

In 1873, Gregg County was created and from that date until about 1930, Pine Tree's enrollment averaged approximately 100 pupils and three teachers. When the oil boom came in 1931, the size the size of the school grew rapidly. Shotgun shacks were hastily erected to keep up with the enrollment boom and in the year 1932, the first brick structure was opened. In 1935, the north wing was constructed for the high school students. Four years later, a full high school plant was in operation for grades 1-12. It had a football stadium, cafeteria and a gym. These were in use until the enrollment increased to about 700 in 1949.

Today, Pine Tree Independent School District has expanded to 6 separate campuses including Primary (Pre-K, Kindergarten), Elementary (Grades 1-2), Intermediate (Grades 3-4), Middle (Grades 5-6), Junior High (Grades 7-8), and Senior High (9-12).

Complements of Pine Tree High School Cutlass - Special History Edition

Pine Tree schools celebrate 150 years of education, 1847-1997

Students attending school in 1907 either walked, rode a horse or possibly carpooled with a horse and wagon. A near-by spring and well supplied the drinking water to go with lunches they brought in tin pails from home. Looking back 150 years, PTISD grew out of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, still located in its original site on Pine Tree Road. The founders discussed ideas for organizing the church and school under the shade of a cluster of pine trees in October 1847. The pastor was Rev. Solomon F. Awalt, a pioneer of Cumberland Presbyterianism. He left Tennessee in 1846 with his wife on their journey to the tiny Texas community of Pine Tree where they were to be reunited with her parents. On the way they made stops in Alabama and Jefferson, Texas, organizing new churches in each location before continuing on their way. The Pine Tree Presbyterian Church is the oldest church in Gregg County.
One of the first concerns in organizing was to build a structure to serve as a church and school. Joseph Castleberry deeded three acres of land to the church for this purpose. A small log cabin for both church and school was built in 1850 and was used until it was replaced by two separate buildings in 1857. A hexagon-shaped building was constructed for the church and a two-story building, for the school. The Masonic Lodge made major contributions to the early development of the school and was housed on the upper level of the school building as shown in the 1907 photo above with Pine Tree classes held on the lower floor. Later an extra room was built which made an "L" shaped structure off the original frame building.
Since the school could not be supported tuition-free, it was at first a "pay school." Prior to the Civil War and as late as 1870, Pine Tree was the leading school of the East Texas area. Many boarding students from adjoining communities and even other counties attended the school.
When the railroads came in 1872, more people moved into the area, and as neighboring communities grew, they organized their own schools. Gregg County was formed in 1873. The area was previously Upshur County.
From 1873 until 1931 Pine Tree had an average attendance of 100 pupils and three teachers, but the discovery of oil in 1931 changed that. Population rose quickly when the oil boom hit, and to keep pace with the enrollment, a shotgun building was erected in front of the two story school and another shotgun building with six classrooms was built on the south side of Hwy 80 near the railroad tracks. With the oil boom came money and in 1932 the first brick structure was opened for grades 1-8. It contained 12 classrooms and an auditorium. Much more was to come.



	Sponsored by Pine Tree Band Boosters Last updated: 09/06/2009