Settlers from Tennessee arrived by wagon train from their home state in 1852. At the time of their arrival, the settlement and surrounding area was known by the colorful name of "Wild Cat Thicket". With the arrival of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, a townsite was platted by Dr. W. C. Holmes, a pioneer physician and editor of Trenton Tribune, and known as "the father of Trenton". The name "Trenton" was submitted to the postal authorities, and the post office opened under that name in 1881. The railroad drew people to Trenton from nearby communities, and a depot was built. The first population figures available show 200 people living there in the mid-1880s. Fifteen years later the population was 300 and the town had a school and all essential businesses, including a newspaper, a steam gristmill, a hotel, and a boardinghouse. At that time it became a major shipping origination point for cotton, corn, and oats produced by area farmers. A national bank was opened in Trenton in 1901 and by 1914 was capitalized at $40,000. By the mid-1920s the population had risen to just over 600 people, and the Trenton school system had 300 students enrolled. In the early 1930s farmers in the vicinity, influenced by the success of local farmer P. E. Brown, began large-scale commercial production of onions. This new crop grew rapidly in importance, and production reached a peak in 1933 when 158 rail carloads were shipped from Trenton. The effects of the Great Depression were devastating in the region, and by 1936 Trenton's population had declined to less than 500. During this time of economic hardship, the number of businesses serving the community dwindled to 28. With the recovery of the economy, the population also began to rise, with 634 reported in 1948 to an all-time high of 712 by 1967. In 1977 Trenton reported 615 residents and seventeen businesses. By the early 1980s the town had become the third-largest shipping point for onions in North Texas. It had an estimated 682 people and twenty businesses by 1988. In 1990 its population totaled 655, and in 2000 662 people made up the town.
Geography
Trenton is located in southwestern Fannin County at . U.S. Route 69 passes through the northeast part of the city, leading northwest to Denison and southeast to Greenville. Texas State Highway 121 passes through the northern part of Trenton, crossing US 69 at a diamond interchange. Highway 121 leads northeast to Bonham, the Fannin County seat, and southwest to Melissa. The center of Dallas is southwest of Trenton via Melissa and McKinney. According to the United States Census Bureau, Trenton has a total area of, all of it land. A small portion of the city now extends west along FM 814 into Grayson County.
As of the census of 2007, there were 750 people, 276 households, and 187 families residing in the city. The population density was 416.8 people per square mile. There were 313 housing units at an average density of 197.1/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 84.89% White, 6.34% African American, 1.21% Native American, 6.04% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.33% of the population. There were 276 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,066, and the median income for a family was $43,906. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $26,458 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,129. About 13.4% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
