Trinidad Independent School District

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the Trinidad Independent School District, right there in Henderson County. Pull up a chair, because this story starts with a name that didn't quite fit, and ends with a century of kids finding their way through a schoolhouse door. Trinidad wasn't always Trinidad.

The town first went by Trinity Switch, on account of its location on the Trinity River. That name held until 1880, when residents applied for a post office and ran straight into a problem: there was already another location going by the same name. So Trinity Switch became Trinidad, and the town got its mail.

Eight years later, in 1888, the first school opened. Now, don't picture anything grand. We're talking about a small log hut, sitting on the N.

Addison Survey, on land that is now known as the Trinidad Cemetery. That's where the education of Henderson County's children began. One year later, Trinidad and the Mankin School District decided to cooperate, and together they built a log school about one mile north of town.

People called it the Gadberry School. That partnership didn't last forever. By 1894, the two districts divided, and the Trinidad Common School District No. 6 was formed.

School was then held in a one-room building across the street from the old Calvary Church. One room. That's it.

Around 1903, a new building went up, and this one pulled double duty as both a school and the Methodist Church. Practical folk, those Trinidad residents. But by 1912, enrollment had outgrown even that arrangement, and so lots were purchased and a three-room school was built.

Three rooms, single desks for the students, jacketed stoves to hold off the cold, and a large cloak room. Things were looking up. Then came 1925, and with it a development that changed everything: the TP&L Power Plant opened in Trinidad.

The need for a larger school became evident, and the 39th Legislature stepped in to form the Trinidad Independent School District. A year later, the new school opened, with K.B. Adair elected as the superintendent.

The district was picking up momentum now. In the late 1940s, parents organized the PTA and operated school health clinics, making sure the children weren't just educated but looked after. A gymnasium was added in 1952.

And then, in 1954, under the leadership of Coach Leonard Rollins, Trinidad won the regional championship in football. Let that sink in. A town that started in a log hut on a cemetery survey, fielding a regional champion.

In 1965, the school board integrated Trinidad Schools for grades one through twelve. That decision, like all of the steps before it, shaped what the district would become. For over a century, the marker tells us, Trinidad Schools have educated and fostered the youth of Henderson County.

From a log hut to a regional championship to integration to a century of opened doors. That's not just a school district. That's a town deciding, again and again, that its children are worth the effort.

What the marker says

TRINIDAD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT THE TOWN OF TRINIDAD WAS FIRST KNOWN AS TRINITY SWITCH BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION ON THE TRINITY RIVER. IN 1880, WHEN RESIDENTS APPLIED FOR A POST OFFICE, THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO TRINIDAD SINCE THERE WAS ANOTHER LOCATION BY THE SAME NAME. TRINIDAD'S FIRST SCHOOL OPENED IN 1888 IN A SMALL LOG HUT LOCATED ON THE N. ADDISON SURVEY THAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE TRINIDAD CEMETERY. ONE YEAR LATER, THE TRINIDAD AND MANKIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS BUILT A LOG SCHOOL ABOUT ONE MILE NORTH OF TOWN KNOWN AS THE GADBERRY SCHOOL. IN 1894, THE TWO DISTRICTS DIVIDED AND THE TRINIDAD COMMON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 6 WAS FORMED. SCHOOL WAS HELD IN A ONE-ROOM BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE OLD CALVARY CHURCH. AROUND 1903, A NEW BUILDING WAS ERECTED THAT SERVED AS A SCHOOL AND THE METHODIST CHURCH. BY 1912, ENROLLMENT OUTGREW THE BUILDING AND LOTS WERE PURCHASED WHERE A THREE-ROOM SCHOOL WAS BUILT WITH SINGLE DESKS FOR THE STUDENTS, JACKETED STOVES AND A LARGE CLOAK ROOM. IN 1925, THE TP&L POWER PLANT OPENED IN TRINIDAD AND THE NEED FOR A LARGER SCHOOL BECAME EVIDENT. THE TRINIDAD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS FORMED BY THE 39TH LEGISLATURE AND, A YEAR LATER, THE NEW SCHOOL OPENED WITH K.B. ADAIR ELECTED AS THE SUPERINTENDENT. DURING THE LATE 1940s, PARENTS ORGANIZED THE PTA AND OPERATED SCHOOL HEALTH CLINICS. A GYMNASIUM WAS ADDED IN 1952. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COACH LEONARD ROLLINS, TRINIDAD WON THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN FOOTBALL IN 1954. THE SCHOOL BOARD INTEGRATED TRINIDAD SCHOOLS IN 1965 FOR GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE. FOR OVER A CENTURY, TRINIDAD SCHOOLS HAVE EDUCATED AND FOSTERED THE YOUTH OF HENDERSON COUNTY. (2012)