Dacula Middle School - History of DMS

Community

The first settlement in the area was called Chinquapin Grove. In 1891, tracks were being laid for the Seaboard Railroad, approximately six miles east of Lawrenceville, and the contractors selected it as their temporary camp. In its earliest days, the area was known as Hoke, and a post office was established in this name to honor a railroad official, but the railroad refused to have the town continue under that name. The townspeople called the town Freeman Town, after a prominent family in the area. The family owned a mill which is still operational. John W. Freeman, the first postmaster, suggested the name "Dacula" as a combination of "Decatur" and "Atlanta" and the name became Dacula.

Mr. J. W. Hamilton, born in Gwinnett County on November 7th, 1847, was Dacula's first settler. He built his small wooden house in 1891 and Dacula grew around it.

In 1905 Dacula was incorporated, with Dr. S.L. Hinton as its first mayor. He was also the owner of the first drug store. Other Dacula mayors were: A.M. Wilson, L.C. Mauldin, Beverly Ambrose, G.F. Pharr, K.E. Taylor, Claude Hinton, Otho Pharr, J.W. Hamilton and Taylor Whitley.

The city boomed in the years between 1910 and 1935, largely due to the cotton trade. There was a large cotton gin here, where many people came to buy, sell, and process their cotton. In 1935, a city hall was erected at a cost of $2,500.00.


Schools
In 1892, there was a small two story wooden building built on the current site of the Dacula Middle School campus. In 1910, a school was built that was the pride of school officials in the area for years. This building burned in 1944. After the fire, classes were held in the vocational building, canning plant, lunchroom, garage, and local stores. The next school building was opened in 1947. This building still exists at the center of our campus. This campus housed grades kindergarten through 12th grade until 1974 at which time the current high school was built. After construction of the high school, the campus served students in kindergarten through 8th grade with one administration until 1979. In 1979, Dacula Middle became a separate entity housed in the rear wing with the first principal, Mike Moody. Dacula Middle School began with only 250 students. In 1988, the current media center was built. Dacula Elementary School moved to its current location in 1989. At this time, students were rezoned to Dacula Middle from the Collins Hill and North Gwinnett clusters, raising the school population to 520. In 1995 the two story buildings, in the front and back of the school, along with an additional gym were completed.