It was a day of celebration and sharing memories as the community gathered Saturday for the Dotson Days Festival that is held each year to keep alive the spirit of the former Dotson High School.
Originally known as Princeton High School in 1910, the school with over 200 students changed its name to Dotson High School in the 1920s.
In 1938, the Federal Works Progress Administration program approved the construction of a new 12-grade school that was completed in 1941. Dotson High School was destroyed by fire in 1968. In 1984, the property was leased to the city of Princeton for a park.
At Doston Park on Saturday, the community enjoyed lots of food, vendors, a deejay, games, inflatables, a cornhole tournament, dirtball, and other activities. This year’s guest speaker was Agnes Radford of Cadiz, an alumnus of Dotson High School.
Princeton City Councilwoman Pat George was at the festival handing out black and gold swag bags filled with school supplies, along with free water and freezer pops.
George is a former student at Dotson High School who transitioned to Caldwell County High School in the 1960s.
click to download audioDotson High School has a lot of history and brings back a lot of memories for George that she wants to keep alive.
click to download audioGeorge also shared that the Dotson High School basketball team started playing their best ball in the 1960s.
click to download audioChevy McGowan of Chevy’s Summer Sips was also at Dotson Park for her last lemonade stand of the season. Chevy wanted to be involved with the Dotson Days Festival because it’s an important family tradition.
click to download audioThe Dotson Days celebration kicked off Thursday with the Community Disciples Banquet and concluded Sunday with a Community Worship at the park.
