Dayton Historical Society

231 S Colbert St.

The namesake for Colbert Elementary was Annie Colbert who taught at this African-American school in Dayton from 1927 until 1967. The school is sometimes referred to as Dayton's Rosenwald school due to funding having been provided by a grant from Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears, Roebuck & Company, and his partner Booker T. Washington, founder of the Alabama-based Tuskegee Institute.

They established a foundation that paid for the construction of 5,300 African-American U.S. schools, places for their teachers to live and industrial shops for skills development. 

The school was scheduled for demolition until Greg Hayman, Dayton ISD Superintendent, saved the building from destruction. Instead, it is now a museum.  

90 Cherry Creek Road; 2400 North Winfree

The namesake for Richter Elementary was Dr. Ernest Rowland Richter. He was born on July 31, 1912 in Harlingen, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1935. He met Alphene Paden while she was in nursing school and they later married in 1936. Dr. Richter practiced medicine in Dayton from 1936 to 1980.  

During 2015, there were actually two Richter Elementary schools in Dayton. The old school on North Winfree was built in 1981, the year after Dr. Richter's death. The ground-breaking ceremony for the new school was held Thursday, May 28th at its new location on Cherry Creek Road next Dayton ISD's administration building.

151 Brown Road

The namesake for Kimmie Brown Elementary is Kimmie M. Brown who was born in 1901 in Aubrey, Texas. At the age of 24 (1925), she moved to Dayton to begin her teaching career and soon advanced to becoming the primary school principal. In 1946, Kimmie and her family moved to San Marcos to own and operate a hotel. They returned to Day in in 1955.  

In January 1957, she was hired as a teacher to teach 2nd grade at Dayton's Stephen F. Austin Elementary after the death of one of the teachers. Because she had only two years of college, Kimmie continued her education while teaching in order to receive the required Business Administration degree in Elementary Education.  

She taught 1st grade until her retirement in 1973 at the age of 72.  Prior to her retirement, Kimmie was named "Teacher of the Year".  In addition to being active in the Teacher's Association and PTA activities, she also taught Sunday School classes for several at First Baptist Church of Dayton.  

701 West Houston St.; 701 South Cleveland St.

The namesake for the Stephen F. Austin schools was Stephen Fuller Austin, the founder of Anglo-American Texas. He was supposed to travel with his father, Moses Austin, to San Antonio to obtain a grant of land and permission to settle 300 families in Texas; however, his father died shortly before the trip. Stephen proceeded with the trip and arrived in August 1821 at which point he was authorized to explore and colonize the coastal plain between the San Antonio and Brazos rivers.  The first colonists arrived in Texas in December 1821. 

During 2015, there were actually two Stephen F. Austin Elementary schools in Dayton.  The school located on Cleveland street was built more than 60 years ago in ???? .  Flooding and subsequently sick children complaints in 2014 spurred the decision to build a replacement.

The SFA school located on West Houston street next to the Bronco football stadium was built in 2015 with the groundbreaking ceremony held on May 28, 2015.  Upon completion of the new school, the old school was converted into a school maintenance facility.

309 Hwy TX-146

The namesake for Woodrow Wilson Junior High was Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921.  He was from Virginia and was the first southerner elected as President since Zachary Taylor in 1848. He led the United States during World War I. 

When the new Dayton High School on Hwy TX-321 (3200 North Cleveland) was finished, the old high school on Hwy TX-146 was renamed to Woodrow Wilson Junior High.  The old junior high was torn down to make room for the new post office. 

302 South Cleveland St.

The namesake for Nottingham Middle School was Fredda Alice Nottingham who was born in Humansville, Missouri in 1904. Her family came to Liberty County in 1911 and settled in the Stilson community west of Dayton on Hwy 90 where she attended Stilson community schools until 1916 when the Dayton schools were consolidated.  She graduated from Dayton High School in 1923 and continued her education - obtaining a bachelor's degree in Education from Texas Wesleyan, a masters degree from University of Houston; and worked on her Ph.D. at University of Chicago.  She retired in May 1969 as Principal of Wilson Junior High with 45 years of service in education and 37 as a Dayton Principle.  {where was Fredda Nottingham Elementary School - at the same place as the original high school?] Did Fredda ever marry and have children?

3200 North Cleveland St.

Dayton High School is the only school in Dayton Independent School District that has never had a namesake.  The high school was originally located at 302 South Cleveland St. After the high school was built on Hwy TX-146, the old high school at 302 South Cleveland was renamed to Nottingham Middle School.  After the high school was built on Hwy TX-321 at 3200 North Cleveland, the old high school on Hwy TX-146 was renamed Woodrow Wilson Junior High.