Gainesville in Cooke County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Booker T. Washington School

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, December 19, 2023

1. Booker T. Washington School Marker

Inscription. In 1880, two years before the City of Gainesville created a public school system for all its children, Island Sparks, a young mulatto, taught the Black children of the city. In 1886, the city built a frame school building on this site for the community's Black youth. Originally known as the Gainesville Colored School, the school adopted the name Booker T. Washington sometime before 1927. The original two-story facility was replaced in 1939 with a red brick, WPA project structure. Desegregation in 1965-66 resulted in the closing of Booker T. Washington as a Black institution. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 453.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.

Location. 33° 37.778′ N, 97° 9.064′ W. Marker is in Gainesville, Texas, in Cooke County. It is at the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior Avenue and Mill Street, on the right when traveling west on Martin Luther King Junior Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:

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701 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Gainesville TX 76240, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: American Paint Horse Association (approx. ¼ mile away); Gainesville Community Circus (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cooke County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cooke County C.S.A. / 2nd Frontier Regiment (approx. 0.4 miles away); Moffett Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cooke County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Gainesville, Texas Gold Star Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Old California Trail (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gainesville.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, December 19, 2023

2. Booker T. Washington School Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 300 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 20, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.