The first Paleo-Indians reached the north-central Florida area near the end of the last ice age, as they followed big game south.

[8][9] As the ice melted and sea levels rose, these Native Americans ended up staying and thrived on the peninsula for thousands of years.

Within 150 years, the majority of the pre-Columbian Native American peoples of Florida died of new infectious diseases or warfare, with their societies disrupted.

[8][10][11] Little is left of these first Native American cultures in Trenton except for scant archaeological records, including a few personal artifacts.

By the early 19th century, the remnants of these tribes merged with the Muscogee (also known as Creek) who migrated from Georgia and Alabama.

[9][11] Most of the Seminole were removed from north-central Florida by the United States after wars from the 1830s to 1842, while some resisted by moving south into the Everglades and survived.

[3] Western Alachua County was developed largely for farms and timber, which sometimes attracted itinerant workers.

[14] Trenton is in a rural area, and is the hometown of country music singer Easton Corbin and MLB player, Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers.

On Thursday, April 19, 2018, two Gilchrist County Sheriff's deputies were attacked and slain by a lone gunman while on duty, eating lunch at a local restaurant.

The killer, identified as Gilchrist County resident John Hubert Highnote, was found outside the restaurant in his vehicle, where he had committed suicide.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Trenton has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), all land.