Tivy Mountain

These are the graves of Captain Joseph A. Tivy, his wife and sister. The purpose of our pilgrimage as Freshman and Seniors to Tivy Mountain is to remember and honor the life of Captain Tivy. We know that our school was named after him, but who was he, what did he do, and why do we care? He was born in Canada 201 years ago, came to Texas when he was 19, joined the California Gold Rush when he was 31, and returned to Texas at the age of 40. He fought in the Civil War and finished as a Captain in the Confederate army.

When he moved to Kerr County in 1872, at the age of 54, he had also been a surveyor, hotel manager, and state legislator. In 1889, when Kerrville was incorporated as a city, he became its first mayor. The original limestone Tivy High School, now reconstructed and used as the KISD Administration offices behind what is now the B.T. Wilson 6th grade campus, was completed in time to open in March, 1891. It was constructed on land that he donated and paid for by the sale of additional land that he had donated. He died the next year at the age of 74. After Tivy High School was opened and dedicated, the first 3 graduates received their diplomas in 1895.

Since that simple beginning, many other schools and facilities have been built. The campus now used for KISD Alternative Education was built in 1924-26 to serve as the original elementary school. The current middle school campus, 6th grade campus and the elementary schools were added later. The original high school campus was on Tivy Street. The second high school campus, located on Sidney Baker Street, was built in 1961 as Hal Peterson Junior High and in 1967 the junior high and high school campuses were switched. Today, the original junior high campus on Sidney Baker has once again become the current Hal Peterson Middle School. Classes graduated from the Sidney Baker Street location beginning with the senior class of 1968 and continuing through the senior class of 2003. The current high school, located on Loop 534, was built in 2003. The class of 2004 was the first senior class to graduate from the new campus.