The first Christmas celebrations in the valley were a simple affair. In the fall of 1860, a school was built by Albert Heaton from the planks of the nearby cypress trees. The schoolhouse was located close to the Blanco River on a half-acre of land owned by John C. Wilson. Children from the nearby settlement of Glendale (now known as Wimberley) attended the three-month school term. Wilson School was the first school in the Wimberley School system. America “Mary” Heaton was the first school teacher. Church services were held in the schoolhouse whenever the circuit preacher visited the small community. The schoolhouse also served as a place for social gatherings and a townhall.
Each Christmas Eve the Glendale community gathered at the schoolhouse for fellowship and to celebrate the holiday. A yule log burned bright in the school fireplace. An evening meal was shared with wild game (turkeys or deer), home grown vegetables, cornbread, native nuts and homemade preserves made from wild berries or mustang grapes. Sweets such as pies or cookies were non-existent as sugar and flour were extremely expensive to acquire. The festive program included Christmas readings and a musical sing-a-long. With the arrival of German settlers in the region, the Christmas tree became a part of the annual celebration in 1872.
Prior to 1876, the length of the school term was three months with classes usually held in late spring or early summer. The school board renamed Wilson School to Glendale School to reflect the community’s heritage after an 1869 flood devastated the community and the school was rebuilt east of the square.
