Martha Scott Trimble (1914-1994)

Martha Trimble was born into a Fort Collins pioneer family on May 27, 1914. Her grandfather, William Harrison Trimble, brought his family to Fort Collins in 1874.

Her upbringing was a comfortable one, as her family invested in many businesses and left a legacy that is demonstrated in the Trimble Business Block and Trimble Court. Her family owned a restaurant and a barbershop on Trimble Court, as well as other businesses on College Avenue. Below, Trimble Court is pictured, with Martha at center, located on the North side of the Town Pump and leading into Old Town Square.

Martha’s father also sold livestock feed. Her family’s financial status and place in society allowed Martha to be involved in many social clubs and extracurricular activities growing up. Below is an image of the Trimble House on 117 South Howes Street in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Here is an image of “Trimble Cottage” in Poudre Canyon, at the turn in to Pingree Park – this home is still there today.

SPILLED INK Staff

Editor l lnrold }--,:irr('n:-. A. �i,hml F:ditors :.\rrrna I b1rri!>i. Cecil l lobhs Busin�:- )luna�wr ..... P:iul Blnke Xpori-or )!is, Berl ha )le'.':,ibl,

October-Si�h:,,. of relief! \\"r 1 \'t• j11:l fi11ii.hrcl tlw t'ir..;t l-.pl'cial eclition ot' rlw papf'r f�r the ye,;1r. flint r�r IInllow,,'rn. Ordi1wr,,· ,•diliou .... :1n• wrat•ki11i? c11o�g-h. h111· if all tlw oflwr �pecrnls ;1r(• _µ-oing f? I� a:-. tryiu;:r .as this 011f' thr .staff

THDIHLI-:. ,JOII�. "1101·· ,,�ooth:tll �(IU:HL I: kp:n1h•·h ('Juh. i: Hl•II 7.t'nt• Hin�. 4; .l1111ior Ill Y. I; ln1,•rrn11lonnl <"luh. 4.

THl-'IHI.K )l.\1('1'11.\, "�l;n1y·· l<ouncl Tnhll•. I. 2. :{. I: (':1hl111•t. 4; Girl Hi· t-( -. nt•i-. t. :?, I: :..pilli•U l111i: �lnl'f. :!. '.i, I: Hril'lkf'lh:lll. I. :!: \'0114·�·1):111 I. �: l�l�l·h.iH. I: (; .• \ .. \ .. I. -:t. ;{_ I: Douhlf• .\ 1-'olllt•i:1. I, 2: Ho11i,;l(•rt1 ('luh. :-s: llt•11;,.,·1w Hin�. I; Lalin Cluh, :�. -4: 1,111µ-hf� :111d r•u::"-'lil, I: Sh:nt..s ('luh. 4; 11,,uor SoC"h·t.v. a. -I: St.•crt·l:1r:r Trt•a nr(•r. 4: I 111t•r11:11 ional t'lnh. 1.

\'.\); SJ('"r.l� . .'.\IEBHIJ,I, t:li>i• t'luh, I; On·lit•tllr:t, I. ., !{. -f: H<•nzf'nt" Hlu,:!'. -1.

,-1-:.\SI=:\ .. f.\.\"E. • ,-,,a8e�·" Homul Tnbh•. 1. :.!. :J. I: flh}t• ('luh. :t 4: 01wrt•ll:1 ('1!11r1hs. :l. 4: llt•11\·"-·r Chorus ;.t,: )flxt•d � ·1wr11i,:. :i. -f: Girl H<· nn•s. 1, :!, 3. -l; t'11hinl'l. t: �pi11f'tl Ink s1:1(f. -t; Haskt•thnll. :! :t I: \',,Jh·;rh:11J. I. :!. ::. 4: lbi,;,1•h:1II. I. :t: '1'1•11111..::, :�. t: I f•lf'kt·�-. '.!. :;, I: 0 .. \ .. \ .. 1. :.!. :i, I: .\II St·ho,11 .\wnrd. 4: Hou hie• .-\ l•'olllr-i;i. 1 :.!. :J. J: Op1•r1•ll:I. I; "I)" f"luh .. 4:: ,'1H111ish {'111". -I: Bt'IIZt'IH' ltlrt,.I,.:'. 4: Knh:hts uni! l'a�t·�- I: )'rn•s ('luh. I: lntt'rlltlllonnl Ch1h. �.

\'J•;ST. 11():'\'.\LU. "Jfl1,11tlit.•" (;Jt,,, (.'Jnh. -4: OJl('rt•tt:1 ('lwrn •. 4: Or1·lu·�t r�1. -1: I h•u\·t•r ('ll,1ru:ii. -l: .'.\llxt•!I ( ·111,rus I: Foot -�!111_1_ s.'Jll:HI. 4:

1

.\taJnr l'J:},\". J: \':.111t!1•l'ill<·: -1.:

1-'inll lto1w lh1Ur,1h. \\l't, Tfh-r t,·.,urcb Ho" -\lun•h, ll,•11tli•r1w11. �Ueti . W11h

'l'l1trd Hu" -,\ul•I. i\l't•rv. Hhhl�II. Irwin, M••('uff,·rt.) .' 1111!1 lt,,w \ ,,111117. Ta)·h,r, �bOt1I(•)' \'ouk. J•'IF"t'I lt,•w ,\lurl"t), 'J'rlu,blt•. )II ii- Bdluw.d. l.:rndhlnm, lllll,•r.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY Officers

Pr(',ide11t Vitr Prt.•sitlt.·111 �tl'ri•1;ti-y-'l'r1•11,11n•r S1lon,or

Elt•Hnor (.;anclblom \\'"arnrr ".\I illrr

. )lartha Trirnhle �I il',,, Ba rim r:i Hcllow.s

December :"\ilw rn•\, mt•mhl'r:o, or tlw llcmor �oc.:i�1.,· \H•n· in .. tall<'d lo<.IHy ,tt ,\i...,emhl,v pro�1·mn. Our local c·hnfl1Pr. or::anhwd in .1fl2-l. nuikt·� ii� :-tlL'-C-1 ion of mc·m1wr. i11 uecor(lnrn·1• wi1h the ruh:, of thi• ua11011nl org-an11 .. nt1on. 011 1hc ba�i!',. oi' (.'hara�·h•r. :o;chola�·ship. l�t·lHlcr.:-hi�), �md St•n-ic•t.·. 'l't.•11 teach�':'

Martha was a Fort Collins High School alumna, class of 1932. In high school, she was involved in Spilled Ink, the school’s newspaper, National Honor Society, Latin Club, and many other activities. She went on to Colorado State University (at the time it was Colorado Agricultural College, then Colorado State College).

Here she is at the groundbreaking for Johnson Hall Student Center. She stayed active in clubs and extracurricular activities in college, including being a reporter for the Collegian newspaper.

Martha graduated in 1936, earning a bachelor’s in economics and sociology. After college, Martha taught at Washington County High School, then Fort Lewis College. While teaching at Fort Lewis, she obtained her Master of Arts degree at CU Boulder, and was soon after hired by her alma mater, CSU, as an English instructor in 1940.

Her education didn’t stop there – she continued with post-graduate work at University of Iowa during her time teaching at CSU.

Soon after the US entered WWII, Martha joined the Navy WAVES – Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.

The WAVES division was created to free up male personnel for sea duty. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Navy Women’s Reserve Act into law on July 30th, 1942, and Martha enlisted on December 14th, 1942.

In a letter dated December 14th, 1943, a year after being sworn into the Navy, she writes:

“I joined the WAVES because I have always wanted to join the Navy; I’ve always said had I been a man, I should have tried for an appointment to Annapolis or, because I saw the Fleet come into Wilmington in 1925, I should have enlisted to see the World."

"When war came, I knew that I should do whatever little I could; the Navy was the logical choice. It was hard, as you all know, to pick up all that I had worked for and gained, throw it all to the four points of the compass, put on the Navy blue, and hup myself away. Not once have I regretted it.”

She served for 3 years in Pensacola, Florida at the Naval Air Station as a navigation instructor for the male aviation trainees, and also served as a technical writer in the Office of Naval Information in Washington, DC. Martha attained the rank of Senior Grade Lieutenant.

After the war, Martha went back to teaching. She married Alan B. Adam in 1953 – the marriage ended in divorce, and she once again returned to teaching. In 1961, she returned to her position as an English instructor at CSU. She was honored throughout her career for her teaching and community service, and attained full professor status in 1977.

Martha was very active in St. Luke's Episcopal Church and other community organizations, including the American Association of University Women, Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Collins Woman’s Club, and the Fort Collins Historical Society. She is a published author, and was included in the 11th edition of “Who’s Who of American Women.”

Learn more about local history by visiting the Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, visiting the Poudre River Public Library District, and by checking us out

online at the Fort Collins History Connection.