According to the deed of records which was filed on February 28, 1901, "Twenty resident citizens of the village of Crandall requested an election for the purpose of incorporating for free school purpose as provided by law." The election was held on March 9, 1901. The citizens also voted at the same time to "levy a tax of 0.25 cents on $100 to raise money so the district might float bonds to build a good school building." The building was completed in 1903 at a cost of $9,000. The school had five teachers with an enrollment of about "225 scholars." CISD is proud to celebrate over "100 years of excellence."

Nola Kathryn Wilson was born in Terrell, Texas on June 7, 1939. Her parents were Wenonah and Bill Wilson. Nola had one sister, Jimmie Anne, who was three years older. At the time Nola was born, the Wilsons lived at Post Oak Bend just outside of Kaufman, Texas. Mr. Wilson worked for Ford Motor Company in Dallas, Texas and farmed on the side.
Until age seven, Nola was a typical little girl. In October of 1946, Nola became very ill and was diagnosed with polio, the first case in Kaufman County. Initially, Nola ran a very high fever and while in Kaufman’s hospital was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and polio. She was taken to Parkland Hospital where she was quarantined. Seven to eight weeks later she was moved to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital where she was treated for 11 months. Polio’s devastating effects paralyzed Nola’s lungs and took away her mobility requiring her to wear braces for the remainder of her life as well as requiring her to make numerous visits back to the hospital until she was 16 years of age. She underwent multiple surgeries such as three spinal fusions as well as several foot and leg surgeries to improve her mobility.
In January of 1947, the Wilsons moved to Crandall to live on a cotton farm located on Hwy 175 about a mile out of town between Crandall and Kaufman. Upon being released from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Nola enrolled in school becoming the first student with physical disabilities to attend Crandall Schools. As she dealt with the crippling limitations of polio throughout her life, Nola was blessed with a caring and loving family who devoted their lives to supporting Nola so she could attend school and participate in school activities. Nola became a true inspiration to everyone around her as she never allowed her limited mobility to interfere with her studies or the day to day routine of the school. In fact, she graduated from Crandall High School as valedictorian in 1958 and two years later came back to the District to work as secretary for L. F. Raynes, Superintendent of Schools.
Throughout her life, she worked diligently always demonstrating her exceptional willingness to do whatever was needed until she retired twenty-five years later in 1985. Nola was a member of Central Baptist Church and was extremely active in her church both while growing up and as an adult. After Nola’s retirement, she developed post polio and died December 20, 1988, at the age of 49.

Walter Allen Martin was born in Roxton, Texas, on September 30, 1925, His parents were the late Walter Burnett and Cora Lee Martin. He had one brother, Charles Martin. Although his father was a farmer who moved from farm to farm, he and his family resided in the general area of Roxton in Lamar County throughout his childhood. W.A. graduated from Roxton High School in 1943 and promptly enrolled in Draughns Business College. Soon thereafter, he enlisted in the United States Seabees, serving our country overseas during wartime. Upon release from the service 2 ½ years later, he attended Paris Junior College, and continued his education at East Texas State Teachers College, earning his Bachelor of Science Degree. Later in the mid 50’s, he completed his Masters’ Degree and an additional 30 hours of graduate work at East Texas State University in Commerce.
Mr. Martin came to Crandall in 1949 as an elementary principal with part time teaching and coaching duties. A year later, he married Gwen Chowning, and together they were blessed with two children, Walter Lynn and Lisa Ann. W.A. proved himself to be a hard working and industrious young man, working at the Murray Gin Company and measuring land for Kaufman County during the summers and other times when school was not in session. W.A. worked in Crandall until 1955 when he left to become a full time minister in Blue Ridge, Texas. After one year, he returned to the education profession securing the position of elementary and high school principal at Scurry-Rosser.
In 1968 , he left Scurry-Rosser and returned to Crandall as principal of the elementary school. He also served in a variety of other jobs for the district until his retirementd in 1986. He. was in charge of maintenance and was personally responsible for mowing the football field with a push mower. He also did much of the janitor work. He was in charge of buses and was responsible for riding the roads to determine if school was going to be called off for inclement weather. He. also served as textbook custodian for the district, which back in those days meant he was required to personally gather the textbooks, put them in a towsack and return them to Austin at the end of every year.
In 1980, he received the Crandall PTA Life Membership Award. In 36 years of service in the education profession, he never missed a day of school except for one day due to having surgery. In 2002, W.A. and his wife, Gwen, were awarded the Black & Gold Partners in Education Combine-Crandall Award. He also worked for Trinity Valley Community College in Kaufman for 5 ½ years, teaching Drivers’ Ed and Defensive Driving.
In addition to his service as a public school educator, Mr. Martin is well known for serving Crandall and the surrounding communities for over fifty years as a spiritual leader. From 1958 to 1961, Mr. Martin preached for the Kaufman Church of Christ. From 1962 to 1976, he served as a part-time minister and elder for the Scurry Church of Christ. In 1976, W.A. became an elder of the Crandall Church of Christ and served as a part time minister there until 2005.

Barbara Wells Walker was born in Port Arthur, TX on May 3, 1926. She was the third of four siblings, two of which survive her today. Her parents, Allen and Julia Morrison Wells met in England when Allen served in World War I, and Julia immigrated to the US, via Ellis Island, as a war bride. Barbara’s father was the manager of the Plaza Hotel in Port Arthur, and the hotel was also the residence of the family. Two days following the birth of the fourth child, when Barbara was only 5, her mother died, and all four children were sent to live with the father’s parents, Sarah and Frank Wells, in Rogers, Texas. Only three years later, the grandmother, Sarah, suffered a stroke, and the children faced yet another change. They continued to live in the same house, but two aunts became their guardians. Dr. Cora V. Wells and Zada Wells had joint custody and reared the children. Cora V. practiced medicine in the family home, and Zada taught school in Dallas at Woodrow Wilson High School.
Barbara was a gifted musician who played at least five instruments. She was a member of the school band, the college orchestra, and a polka band. By age 13, she competed at the state level in homemaking and sewing. Barbara Wells graduated from Rogers High School at age 15 and attended what is now TWU. When Barbara was home from college for summer break in June of 1944, she wrote in her memoirs that she was sitting on the front porch watching the troops go by as she reflected that all her friends were either serving in the war or working. Her diary goes on to say that she felt she needed to do something to help the war effort. Instead she saw an ad in the Dallas Morning News advertising for an elementary teacher in Crandall, Texas. Without telling her aunt, she wrote a letter of application. The first week in September, on a Sunday morning, the phone rang as the family was eating breakfast. It was the Crandall superintendent, Mr. Ray Vanderburg, asking if she could come for an interview. Barbara turned away from the phone and told her Aunt Cora. Dreading the answer, her aunt replied, “Tell him we’ll be there Tuesday morning”.During her interview for her first teaching job at age eighteen, the school board asked how old she was. Her answer was, “I’m old enough”. It’s obvious she was. She taught fifth and sixth grades and met her future husband, Herman Walker. She completed her B.S. degree at East Texas State University, now Texas A& M at Commerce, following the birth of her only child, Carol Walker Powell.
Shortly after Ms. Walker began teaching, she was joined by Shirley and Leroy Wright, fellow professionals who became lifelong friends. Ms. Wright taught third grade and Mr. Wright was the agriculture teacher. Ms. Walker and Ms. Wright, along with Ms. Aline Raynes and Ms. Beulah Workman comprised the elementary faculty for many years. With four energetic women teaching the entire first through fifth grades, those post-war years were productive ones. These women, a mighty team of four, taught generations of Pirates the core subjects and the arts as well. They will long be remembered for the spring operettas they produced, involving anyone who wanted to be on stage. Ms. Walker played the piano and taught the music, and they all directed, chose casts, helped with costumes, and designed the sets. The entire town attended the productions, applauding their young performers and the women who guided them.
During the other seasons of the school year, they worked in the concession stands, sold tickets at ball games, cheered for the Pirates, and planned banquets for various groups. Barbara Walker and her friends provided the children of Crandall many opportunities to become productive, competitive citizens. They understood that education did not end when the school bell rang at the end of the day. They believed that they could only educate the whole child by being with their children at every possible opportunity.
Later in her career, Ms. Walker had a new team of younger co-workers, many of whom she had taught. She stayed current with educational trends, helped to introduce instructional accountability unheard of when she began teaching, and determined her own curricula that resulted in superior reading scores.
Except for a short time teaching in a military prep school in Virginia while Herman served in the U. S. Army, Barbara Walker devoted her considerable talents and energy to the school children of Crandall until her retirement in 1984. The City of Crandall and the surrounding communities were enriched because one teenage girl took a risk by accepting her part of the work of World War II.
Without question, Barbara was an exceptional teacher who became a tremendous inspiration to all who knew her. Not only was Barbara’s love and appreciation for Crandall felt by her students and colleagues then, but it also lives on in the hearts of those who knew her even today.