Central Consolidated School

The Central Common School District was formed in January 1930 from the Clawson, Durant, Allentown (Old Union) and Pollok schools. That year Central was classified as a four-year high school. It began with one building whose combined auditorium and basketball court also served as the lunch room, and a second building followed in 1939 with federal aid. Part of the Simpson district and the Red Town district joined Central in the 1930s, while the rest of Simpson went to the Wells district in Cherokee County. Central became an independent district in 1954.

What the plaque says

Central Consolidated School Central Consolidated School This school traces its origin to five small schools in the Pollok-Central area: Union, Durant, Pollok, Clawson and Allentown. An effort to solve the problem of inadequate funding for each of these rural schools led to their consolidation in 1929 as the Central Consolidated Common School District. A new brick building at this site greeted approximately 200 students in grades one through eleven when it opened in September 1929. With J. W. Dunn presiding as superintendent, Central Consolidated boasted nine teachers and had eight students in its first graduating class. Over the years, Central Consolidated became the focal point of the community. Its growth led to the construction of separate buildings for primary, elementary, junior high and high school classes, three gymnasiums, a cafetorium, and technology and agricultural buildings. Additional schools, including Cordaway Springs and Simpson, merged with Central Consolidated in 1939-40. In 1955, central converted from a common school district to an independent school district. Providing a strong educational foundation and extracurricular activities for students in the northwestern part of Angelina County, Central Consolidated has played a significant role in the county's educational history. (2002)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Caddo Mounds State Historic Site — 23 mi
  Three earthen mounds of an ancestral Caddo village and ceremonial center on the old El Camino Real, settled about A.D. 800 and still sacred to Caddo people, with a grass house and visitor center.

More markers nearby

• Redland School — 5.2 mi
• Vicente Micheli — 5.2 mi
• German POWs in the East Texas Timber Industry — 6.1 mi
• Angelina & Neches River Railroad — 6.9 mi