Groesbeck Independent School District

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, in my own words. Now, most school districts don't get started with a vote, a judge, and a two-day turnaround. But Groesbeck isn't most places.

Developers established the town of Groesbeck in February of 1871, and two months later, Groesbeck College opened its doors on Trinity Street. That's moving fast for a frontier town, and somebody clearly believed in putting education first. Education for African American children in this community dates from 1881, when trustees bought an acre of land right next to the Lone Star Cemetery, two miles south, set aside for school and church purposes.

That's a quiet, important line in the history of this district, and it deserves to sit there for a moment. By 1886, Limestone County had acquired the old Groesbeck College property to stand up the town's first public free school. Things were moving.

And then on May 24, 1890, the citizens of Groesbeck went to the polls and voted forty-three to twenty-four in favor of incorporating the town for school purposes. Two days later, County Judge L.B. Cobb signed off and the Groesbeck Independent School District was officially born.

Two days. The ink wasn't even dry on the election results. By 1892 the district had erected two new buildings, one for white students and one for African American students.

New campuses followed over the years. Then in 1896, they put up a large two-story frame school that must have felt like the crown jewel of the whole operation. It burned in 1910.

That fire, hard as it was, prompted construction of the first brick school. Sometimes it takes a loss to build something that lasts. Meanwhile, the district was growing in another direction entirely.

Rural schools from the surrounding area started consolidating with Groesbeck. Frost Creek came in first, in 1926. Thornton was last, in 1965.

Each one brought more students, more square miles, more of Limestone County under one school system. Integration began in 1966 and was complete by 1969. Today, the Groesbeck Independent School District covers hundreds of square miles and takes in the incorporated cities of Groesbeck, Kosse, and Thornton.

Now, a school district is more than buildings and boundary lines. It's the stuff people remember. Groesbeck fielded its first football team way back in 1900.

In about 1925, somebody decided the Goat was the right mascot for this place, and that choice has stuck. The TAOG yearbook launched in 1937. The high school colors went official as red and white in 1939.

And in 1952, the Groesbeck Ex-Students Association was founded and held its very first homecoming. From a two-month-old college on Trinity Street to a district spanning hundreds of square miles, that's one long road. And somewhere in the middle of it all, forty-three people raised their hands in 1890 and said yes.

Everything else followed.

What the marker says

Developers established the town of Groesbeck in February 1871, and Groesbeck College opened two months later on Trinity Street. Education for African American children dates from 1881, when trustees bought an acre of land adjacent to the Lone Star Cemetery (2 mi. S) for school and church purposes. In 1886, Limestone County acquired the former Groesbeck College property to establish the town's first public free school. On May 24, 1890, citizens voted 43 to 24 in favor of incorporating the town for school purposes. Two days later, County Judge L.B. Cobb approved formation of the Groesbeck Independent School District. By 1892, the district erected two new buildings, one for white students and one for African American students. Over the years the district established new campuses throughout the city. A large two-story frame school built in 1896 burned in 1910, prompting construction of the first brick school. Starting with Frost Creek in 1926 and ending with Thornton in 1965, several rural schools consolidated with Groesbeck, vastly increasing the attendance area. Integration began in 1966 and was complete by 1969. Today, Groesbeck Independent School District is a large school system covering hundreds of square miles and including the incorporated cities of Groesbeck, Kosse and Thornton. Groesbeck fielded its first football team in 1900. School traditions include selection of the Goat as the school mascot in about 1925, introduction of the TAOG yearbook in 1937, adoption of the high school colors as red and white in 1939, and the founding and first homecoming of the Groesbeck Ex-Students Association in 1952. (2006)