Lincoln High Grads Upset Fire Destroyed Part of the Historical Building

The Memorial 9th Grade Campus was Lincoln High School until about six years ago.

Three generations of Phyllis Beckett's family attended Lincoln High School in Port Arthur. Beckett is part of the class of 1965,"when I passed here I started crying, I said I can't believe this happened. This is sad. We had reunions, we sit back and think about the things we've done."

One memory she never thought she'd live to see is her beloved school on fire. Especially at the hands of an arsonist, "whoever did this they need to go straight to jail this doesn't make any sense. It's a disgrace, this is all we had."

Lincoln Produced a number of NFL players, NBA stars, and numerous college graduates who went on to become leaders in their professions.

1986 graduate James Payne is now an attorney with the Provost Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, "it was our family, our friends, everything we understood about life we learned at Lincoln."

Payne attributes his success to the teachers at Lincoln. He says the lessons he learned about life can't be found in a textbook. Traditions, beliefs, the idea that you can become whatever you desire as long as you put your best foot forward.

Payne is saddened to hear part of the school he treasures is gone but he says this building is not what carries the Lincoln High School spirit, "one thing about Lincoln folks, we bleed purple and gold, it's in our hearts and the building can't change that."

Lincoln High School opened in 1905 and closed in 2002.