Trinity, Texas
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Trinity is a city in Trinity County,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, United States. The population was 2,343 at the 2020 census.


History

Trinity was founded in 1872 on land purchased from the New York and Texas Land Company. The town was a railroad station on the Houston and Great Northern Railroad. The town was originally named Trinity Station after the Trinity River. The name of the town was later changed to Trinity City, then to Trinity. The town was incorporated in 1910.


Civilian Conservation Corps

A camp site for
Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
Company 839 was established 1.6 miles east of Trinity on June 8, 1933. The company was under the command of Captain Charles H Brammel and the medical department was under the direction of Dr H H Thornton. The field activities of the camp were mainly construction and maintenance of fire lanes, fire break roads and telephone lines.


Texas Long Leaf Lumber Company

In 1907, Thompson Brothers' Lumber Company built a
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...
and 37 acre pond at Trinity. Texas Long Leaf Lumber Company, which started at Willard in 1912, bought Thompson Brothers' Trinity mill in 1922. Under management of Paul Sanderson for 22 years, the company was one of the nation's most successful manufacturers of
Yellow Pine In ecology and forestry, yellow pine refers to a number of conifer species that tend to grow in similar plant communities and yield similar strong wood. In the Western United States, yellow pine refers to Jeffrey pine or ponderosa pine. In the S ...
and Southern Hardwoods. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, production reached 140,000 board feet daily, resulting in lumber flown to Europe and Africa and the awarding of the
Army-Navy "E" Award The Army-Navy "E" Award was an honor presented to companies during World War II whose production facilities achieved "Excellence in Production" ("E") of war equipment. The award was also known as the Army-Navy Production Award. The award was cr ...
in 1944. As one of the largest employers in Trinity, the closing of the mill in 1955 had a devastating impact on the local economy.


Hardin-Sublet Gunfight

On August 7, 1872,
John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming h ...
and Phil Sublet got into a gambling dispute at John Gates' Saloon. The saloon was a plank structure with a bar and a ten pin alley. After making peace, Sublet left the saloon and called out Hardin from the street south of the front door. Hardin appeared at that door and Sublet fired one shot at him. Hardin returned fire not intending to kill him. Distracted, Hardin was pulled into a middle door and Sublet wounded him with the other barrel of his shotgun. Hardin then went after him through the streets and into a dry goods store. After a pistol malfunction, Hardin fired again and hit Sublet in the shoulder. Too weak from his wounds, Hardin was unable to pursue him.


Geography

Trinity is located at (30.945495, –95.375599). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km), all of it land. Trinity, north of
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, has two stoplights. Mandy Oaklander of the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' said that Trinity "is a speck of a town .. Milltown, a community in the periphery, housed employees of the town lumber mill. It had 208 houses, with 156 for white lumber mill workers and 52 for the black ones.


Demographics

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 2,343 people, 1,134 households, and 717 families residing in the city. As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,721 people, 1,098 households, and 703 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 720.2 people per square mile (277.9/km). There were 1,284 housing units at an average density of 339.9 per square mile (131.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 57.18%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 33.88%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.40% Native American, 0.48%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 6.76% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.29% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 10.92% of the population. There were 1,098 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,474, and the median income for a family was $28,678. Males had a median income of $24,470 versus $21,290 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $14,320. About 15.2% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Old Red Schoolhouse

Completed in 1915, the
Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...
, T-Plan building housed all grade levels until completion of an adjacent High School in 1928. "Old Red" served as a schoolhouse for 80 years. When it was slated for demolition in the 1990s, concerned citizens and former students worked with the School District to preserve the historic building for continued use. Listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
by the United States Department of the Interior.


Education

The City of Trinity is served by the
Trinity Independent School District Trinity Independent School District is a public school district based in Trinity, Texas; a portion of the district extends into northern Walker County. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agenc ...
. The city also has a public library named th
Blanche K. Werner Public Library


Media

The ''Trinity Standard'' newspaper is published weekly by Polk County Publishing Company. Previous newspapers included The Trinity Tribune (1894), Democracy (1901), Trinity County News (1905), The Trinity Times (1927).


Employment

Trinity was historically a lumber town and Texas Longleaf Lumber Co. was the main employer; its operations closed in 1955. As of 2014, employment makeup of the city was; 25.8% Health Care & Social Assistance; 22.9% Retail Trade; 16.6% Accommodation & Food Services; 9.9% Educational Services; 7.3% Public Administration; 7.3% Wholesale Trade; 2.6% Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services; 2.2% Construction; 2.0% Administration & Support, Waste Management & Remediation; 1.2% Utilities; 1.0% Finance & Insurance; .4% Information; .4% Other Services; .2% Real Estate & Rental & Leasing and .2% Transportation & Warehousing.


Trinity Steel Fabricators, Inc.

Trinity Steel Fabricators was founded in 1976 by the Karnes family. In 2013 the company moved its headquarters to Houston, Texas. In 2014 the company acquired United Steel Fabricators, Inc., a structural steel fabrication facility in Trinity, Texas.


Avalon Place Nursing Home

Avalon Place has a rating of 2 stars based on the health inspection, staffing, and quality measures ratings combined into one. The 118 bed
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
is owned by Southwest LTC Trinity, Ltd, a for profit partnership.


Higginbotham Brothers

Higginbotham Brothers is a hardware and sporting goods chain serving Texas since 1881. The company acquired Wilkison Hardware & Furniture in July 2017.


Trinity Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center

Trinity Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center has a rating of 1 star based on the health inspection, staffing, and quality measures ratings combined into one. The 76 bed
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
is owned by Trinity Rhc LLC, a for profit - limited liability company.


Infrastructure


Fire Department

Organized February 14, 1914, the Trinity Volunteer Fire Department began with 12 volunteers, 500 feet of hose, a shotgun and "some mighty strong lungs." When a fire broke out, one member would fire the shotgun and the rest would start yelling. Today TVFD members have advanced firefighting certification from the State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Association.


Healthcare

CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Clinics opened an outpatient clinic Monday, August 7, 2017 in Trinity. CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial officially signed a management service agreement with the Trinity Memorial Hospital District Board and its outpatient clinic. Hospital has yet to open back up.


Post Office

The post office was established February 28, 1872, with the appointment of Samuel Robb as postmaster. Construction of the current building was finished in August 1941, with Congressman Nat Patton as a keynote speaker during the opening ceremony.


Notable people

*
Linda Ellerbee Linda Ellerbee (born Linda Jane Smith; August 15, 1944) is an American journalist, anchor, producer, reporter, author, speaker and commentator, noted as longtime Washington correspondent for NBC News and host of NBC News Overnight. She is widel ...
, journalist, spent a significant amount of time with her grandmother in Trinity as a youth *
William Goyen Charles William Goyen (April 24, 1915 – August 30, 1983) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, editor, and teacher. Born in a small town in East Texas, these roots would influence his work for his entire life. In World ...
, novelist, born in Trinity April 24, 1915, whose first novel is somewhat based on the town * Rebert H. Harris, Gospel Singer, born in Trinity, March 23, 1916, original founding member of the Soul Stirrers gospel group. *
Ollie Matson Ollie Genoa Matson II (May 1, 1930 – February 19, 2011) was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1966. Drafted into the N ...
, NFL Hall of Fame halfback, born in Trinity, May 1, 1930 * Charlie Wilson, Texas politician


Notes


References


External links


City of Trinity
*




Blanche K Werner Public Library

Texas State Historical Association

Trinity 1909 Sanborn Map Company


Gallery

File:Trinity_Chapel_A.M.E._Church_full_shot.jpg, Trinity Chapel A.M.E. Church, 1890. File:Dorcas_Wills_Memorial_Baptist_Church_est._shot.jpg, Dorcas Wills Memorial Baptist Church, 1934. File:Trinity_tx_post_office_mural.jpg, Post Office mural "Lumber Manufacturing" by Jerry Bywaters, 1942. File:Wildman_Statue_by_Jim_Robertson.jpg, Wildman statue by Jim Robertson, 2000. {{authority control Cities in Trinity County, Texas Cities in Texas Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Texas