Redland School

Liberty School was organized by 1885, and by 1924 official records used Redland in its place. Brick construction began around 1914. Redland was classified as a two-year high school in 1919 and a three-year one in 1930. When it consolidated with Lufkin in 1970, it was the last independent school district in Angelina County to merge with another independent district. The alumni association began the effort for the marker in 2017, and a school bell from one of the 1924 buildings was unveiled with it on grounds now owned by LEAD Academy.

What the plaque says

Redland School In April 1846, local engineer William Gordon Lang was assigned to survey Angelina County. He and his wife, Nancy Martin (Bonner) Lang, settled this area in 1854, and other settlers soon followed, including William Manson Perkins. Early settlers held private lessons for their children until the first area school was built on William Perkins' property after the Civil War. In this one-room structure with split log seats, classes were held for only three months, during the fall. This school relocated to the Davisville Road and was called the Liberty School District #34. In 1903, Liberty School moved to a new location on Old Nacogdoches Road, with church services held there on Sundays. By 1914, the school had grown to a two-teacher, three-room facility, and still a new buildling was needed. A new two-story brick building was constructed, and the name changed to Redland School in 1924. Enrollment continued to increase and new structures were added to the campus. By the 1950s, Redland School excelled in the arts and was a leader in effective methods of education, chosen by the State of Texas to learn new teaching methods, receiving audiovisual equipment and other visual aids. Students at Redland School also participated in athletics such as baseball, volleyball and basketball, earning many championships over the years. Other activities included homemaking, 4-H, music, American Red Cross, cheerleading and pep squad. On July 25, 1970, the Redland Independent School District closed when it consolidated with the Lufkin Independent School District. Although the school district no longer exists, its legacy and contributions live on through alumni and their families. (2018)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Caddo Mounds State Historic Site — 28 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

• Vicente Micheli — 2.7 mi
• Angelina & Neches River Railroad — 2.9 mi
• German POWs in the East Texas Timber Industry — 4.1 mi
• Southland Paper Mills, Inc. — 4.5 mi