African Americans in Texas: Historical &

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Texas Historical Commission ★

African Americans in Texas: Historical & Cultural Legacies

Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Historical & Cultural Legacies ★ Welcome to the land that became the country, that became the state, that became Texas! You are invited to discover the rich cultural and historical legacies of African Americans in this great state.

page 1 African Americans in Texas Historical & Cultural Legacies ★

About this guide Key to Designation Abbreviations: This informative and Properties with historical educational guide is an introduc- designations and/or state histori- tion to the exemplary participa- cal markers are noted with the tion of African Americans in following abbreviations at the Texas history that we hope will end of each entry: provide a basis for stronger ap- preciation for the total heritage NHL Designated a National of the state. It identifies a sam- Historic Landmark pling of communities, cultural NR Listed in the and historical attractions and en- National Register of tertainment/ special events. Most Historic Places of these attractions are signifi- RTHL Designated a cant African American cultural Recorded Texas sites with national, state and/or Historic Landmark local historical designations. SM Texas Historical Others were selected to high- Subject Marker light additional sites of distinc- LL Designated a Local tion throughout the state. The Landmark or District sites are listed alphabetically by city. There is also a listing of lo- More information on desig- cal chambers of commerce and nated properties is available at convention and visitors bureaus the Texas Historical Commission that can be contacted for infor- library in Austin (512/463-5753). mation on other African Ameri- On the Internet, visit the Com- can attractions and events. mission’s Historic Sites Atlas For information about other www.atlas.thc.state.tx.us to ex- attractions across the state, the plore historical markers, Na- official Texas State Travel tional Register sites, museums Guide is available free by calling and more. Information on his- 1-800/8888TEX. For additional torical designations is available copies of this publication, please by calling the Texas Historical contact the Texas Historical Commission at 512/463-6100. Commission at P. O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276; Notice 512/463-6100. For a better travel experience, please contact the local chamber of commerce or at- traction to verify the days and hours of operation of specific sites.

page 2 African Americans in Texas: An Enduring Legacy Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas An Enduring Legacy ★

of the Rio Grande. The stories of his adventures helped open the American Southwest to Euro- pean settlement, which led to the eventual coming of Africans as forced laborers to this new land. txdot African Americans in Spanish African Americans in Texas: and Mexican Texas An Enduring Legacy By 1716, Spain had The rich historical and established permanent settle- cultural legacy of African Ameri- ments and missions in the terri- cans in Texas is a mosaic inlaid tory then known as Tejas. The with memories and experiences cultural history of African dating back to the first Spanish Americans thus began with the expeditions to this land in the importation of African slaves to early 16th century. The slave Es- the region. In 1803, however, the tevan, a survivor of the failed Spanish declared any slave who Narváez expedition in 1528, was escaped across the Sabine River the first black per- into Texas automatically free. son known by The border became a sieve and name to explore many African Americans fled to the land north Spanish Texas. Residing al- most entirely in East Texas, they made a living as teachers, merchants, shoemakers, carpenters, miners, laborers, domestics and farmers. In 1821, robert parvin robert African Americans in Texas An Enduring Legacy ★

Texas became the pos- Buffalo Soldiers, Fort Concho session of Mexico. txdot Even though there near Brownsville in were Spanish May 1865 at the slaveholders Battle of Palmito throughout Mex- Ranch—one ico, many blacks month after the in Texas were official end of the able to own land, war at Appomat- amass wealth, hold tox. Emancipation office and marry from slavery came in freely. 1863, but African Americans in Texas were African Americans during the not made aware of the procla- Republic, Statehood and the mation of freedom until June 19, Confederacy 1865—now celebrated as June- Under the Republic teenth. Immediately, colonies of (1836-1845), the status of African newly freed blacks sprang up all Americans deteriorated sharply over the state with names such as and was deﬁned by slave codes St. John, Peyton Colony, Jake’s and a constitution that did not and Armstrong. grant them full rights as citizens. In 1861, Texas joined the Confed- African Americans in the late 19th eracy and slavery continued as a and 20th Century mainstay of its war economy. As the Texas frontier While African Americans in expanded westward, a line of forts Texas were not officially engaged was erected to protect American in ﬁghting the Civil War, black settlers from Native Americans soldiers of the 62nd Colored Regi- who forcefully resisted the ad- ment fought the Confederacy vance of newcomers upon their robert parvin robert Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas An Enduring Legacy ★

Texas. Higher education for Texas blacks was advanced by several church-sponsored colleges like Tillotson, Huston, Jarvis and Southwestern Christian, St. Philip’s, Wiley and Texas College. Northern missionaries and philanthropists were also instru- mental in the development of organized education for African Americans. Most notable is the Julius Rosenwald Foundation— created by and named for the president of Sears Roebuck & Company—which cooperated with local school districts in building more than 500 school-

jesse hornbuckle houses for African Americans. Gothic window of Wesley Chapel AME Church, At the dawn of the 20th cen- Georgetown tury, churches, schools and social organizations formed the nu- lands. Buffalo Soldiers—as the cleus of many African American Congressionally authorized black communities. Rural crossroads regiments became known—and developed into thriving agricul- Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts tural centers supported by the were recruited into West Texas ﬂuctuating cotton economy. Ten- and served with distinction in ant farmers labored hard while many of the frontier forts. maintaining their distinctive cul- Through the end of the 19th tural practices. Former freedmen century, African American towns evolved into urban neigh- churches were important to the borhoods as African Americans progress of black Texans as they purchased land and established served as catalysts for motivating themselves as homeowners. social change. These churches, Black urbanization continued along with black fraternal and well into the mid-20th century, sororal organizations, established stimulated by the world wars and the ﬁrst schools for blacks in rapid industrialization. Yet, the james ussery james jesse hornbuckle

Sweet Home High School class of 1950, Seguin Night Shift Day Care, Dallas

page 6 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas An Enduring Legacy ★ rapid industrialization. Yet, the dent that the true history of this social and legal status of African great state cannot be told without Americans continued to be char- recognizing the contributions of acterized by Jim Crow laws. its African American community. Weary of violence and discrimi- nation, they sought various M. L. King Jr. Statue, Dallas means to achieve equality. With the advent of the Civil Rights Movement, church leaders, community organizations and black-owned newspa- jesse hornbuckle pers joined forces to com- bat “separate but equal” practices throughout the state. Fighting sometimes insurmountable odds, African Americans struggled for voting rights, improved education, accessibility to all public facilities and fair hiring practices. These efforts not only achieved political, educational and economic progress for the black community, but also al- tered the course of Texas and U.S. history. Fortunately, most of the history recounted in this brief overview is recorded for future generations eager to research their ancestry. Other facets of African American history, however, will survive only as long as the chain in the oral tradition is not broken. In many cases, a grave marker in a cemetery or a roadside historical marker are all that exist to commemorate the lives of African Americans who were signiﬁcant in Texas history. As research efforts deepen, however, it becomes evi- Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Five Hundred Years of History ★

African Americans in Texas: A Timeline

Estevan, the first 1528 1835 African American volunteers African American known by Hendrick Arnold, Samuel Mc- name to explore the region Cullough Jr., Greenbury Logan, north of the Rio Grande, is Joe Travis and Maxlin Smith cast ashore near Galveston. fight in the Texas Revolution.

African Americans in Texas 1865 1908 Jack Johnson becomes heavy learn of their freedom on weight champion of the world. June 19, more than two years after the signing of the 1913 Ellie Alma Walls Montgomery of Emancipation Proclamation. Houston becomes the first The 19th has been celebrated African American to earn a de- as “Juneteenth” throughout gree in social work. She is also Texas and the nation. the first female president of the Teachers State Association The Julius Rosenwald 1920 of Texas (1948-1949), founded Foundation begins a Rural in 1884 to advance the cause School Building Program that of education for black Texans. is credited with constructing 527 school buildings for 1921 Texan Bessie Coleman African Americans in Texas. receives her pilot’s license from the Federation Dr. Connie Yerwood Conner be- 1936 Aeronautique Internationale in comes the first African Ameri- France. Coleman is the first can physician on the staff of African American to earn an the Texas Department of Health. international pilot’s license.

The U. S. Supreme Court orders 1950 1941 Doris Miller of Waco is the integration of the University awarded the Navy Cross for of Texas Law School as a result heroism during the attack on of a suit filed by Heman Sweatt. Pearl Harbor on December 7th.

The Voting Rights Act 1965 1954 The U. S. Supreme Court of 1965, passed by the U. S. rules in Brown v. Board of Congress, outlaws state and Education of Topeka, Kansas local voting restrictions im- that segregated schools are posed on black voters. unconstitutional.

Wilhelmina Delco becomes 1991 1973 Barbara Jordan is elected the first woman Speaker to the U. S. House of Pro Tempore of the Texas Representatives. House of Representatives. African Americans in Texas: Cultural & Historical Attractions Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Abilene & Albany ★

tumn of 1869, the 9th Cavalry of Abilene these regiments engaged in com- bat with Comanche and Kiowa Abilene Negro High School braves at this fort. In operation (Woodson Elementary) only from 1851 to 1854, the fort 520 N. 9th St. now lies in ruins. The stone This 10-room brick school guardhouse, powder magazine was constructed for African and commissary still offer a sense Americans in 1929 on more than of frontier life as it was over a six acres of land. It became century ago. Interpretive signs Woodson Elementary in 1953. SM guide visitors in this privately owned property. Hours: Daily until Fort Phantom Hill sunset. No Admission. 10 mi. N. of Abilene via FM 600 In 1866, the U.S. Congress Albany established six African American regiments, which became known Fort Griffin State Historical Park as the Buffalo Soldiers. In au- 1701 Hwy. 283 N., 915/762-3592 The 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers spent some of the 1870s stationed at this fort. This park conducts historical reenactments that include the African Ameri- can contribution to the Texas Hours: Park, daily 8 a.m.-10 texas parks and wildlife parks texas frontier. p.m., Office 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission.

Buffalo soldier checking rations, Albany Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Austin ★

services be provided for slaves. This church was subsequently organized in 1867 by Rev. Jacob Fontaine. The current building is the fourth location of the congregation. NR, SM

Gold Dollar Newspaper Building 2402 San Gabriel St. This stone structure is

jesse hornbuckle one of the last remaining buildings Folk style house in Clarksville, Austin of a 19th century black neighborhood called Wheatville, which ex- tended from 24th and 26th streets Austin and Rio Grande Street to Shoal Creek. Its history is connected with Clarksville Historic District Rev. Jacob Fontaine, who pub- bounded by W. Lynn, Waterston, lished the ﬁrst black-owned news- W. 10th and the Mopac Expressway paper in Austin, The Gold Dollar, Clarksville is a historically in 1876. This building was also African American neighborhood where Fontaine organized New and is one of the oldest existing Hope Baptist Church and helped communities in Austin. It was run a community grocery store. LL established in 1871 when Charles Clark, a freedman, purchased two acres of land in an effort to Significant African Americans begin a settlement for former in Texas History slaves. Though Clarksville is no longer exclusively inhabited by

African Americans, the center- Rev. Jacob Fontaine (1808-1898) piece of this district is the Sweet Born a slave, Rev. Jacob Home Missionary Baptist Fontaine was one of the most Church (1725 W. 11th) founded influential persons in the state. in the 1880s by the Rev. Jacob During the 33 years he lived as Fontaine and the residents of the a free man, Fontaine founded NR, SM (at Sweet community. at least seven churches, pub- Home Missionary Baptist Church). lished one of the first African American newspapers First Colored Baptist Church in Texas, was 4805 Heflin Ln. a political and The oldest black Baptist civic leader church and the second oldest and owned church of its denomination in several Austin, this congregation was businesses. founded when the Austin Baptist Association deemed that separate

page 11 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Austin ★

Significant African Americans Austin in Texas History (Continued) George Washington Carver Branch Library and Museum John Mason Brewer (1896-1975) 1165 Angelina St., 512/472-4809 One of Texas’ most distin- This one-room frame guished folklorists, Brewer building housed the first Austin wrote African American tales public library from 1926 to 1933. in the black dialect. He was the The library was later remodeled first African American mem- and renamed for the well-known ber of the Texas Folklore African American educator, Society and George Washington Carver. the first of Housed in this library, the Carver his race to Museum pays tribute to the become vice “peanut doctor” whose work aided president of black sharecroppers and small the American farmers throughout the South in Folklore the early 20th century. The mu- Society. seum hosts changing exhibits and programs that explore the African American experience. SM Hours: Tue.-Thu., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; River created for the higher edu- Fri.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Admission. cation of African Americans. Samuel Huston College was or- Huston-Tillotson College ganized in 1876 in Dallas, and 900 Chicon St., 512/505-3000 moved to Austin in 1890. The Tillotson Collegiate and two historically black colleges Normal Institute of Austin merged as Huston-Tillotson Col- opened in 1881 with Allen Hall, lege in 1952. NR (Administration the first building of its kind in Building and Evans Industrial Build- Texas and west of the Mississippi ing), SM (for original site of Huston College at E. 12th and IH-35). Evans Industrial Building at Huston-Tillotson College, Austin jesse hornbuckle Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Austin ★ jesse hornbuckle

Cows grazing near Ebenezer Baptist Church, Webberville

Webberville and Webberville jesse hornbuckle Ebenezer Baptist Church Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, Austin 13 mi. E. of Austin on FM 969 Named for Anglo settler Wesley Chapel United Methodist John F. Webber, who moved Church here with his African American 1164 San Bernard common-law wife and family in This congregation was 1839, this community was the established at the end of the Civil site of an early ferry crossing on War for former slaves living in the Colorado River and grew to the Austin area. One of the lead- include numerous businesses, ing African American churches homes and farms. Still primarily in Texas, this congregation has an African American enclave, actively participated in commu- Webberville remains a pastoral nity projects and educational rural community. SM leadership activities. NR, SM

1987 Texas Blues Reunion performers, Austin

Special Events: Clarksville/West End Jazz and Arts

tary owens tary Festival (June) - 512/477-9438 This festival, occurring Victory Grill during the second week of June, 1104 E. 11th St., 512/474-4494 brings in nationally and interna- Step back in time to the tionally acclaimed jazz musicians 1940s in this historic post-World and artists to the Austin area. War II blues night club that was once a part of the “Chitlin Cir- Black Expo (June) - 512/472-5111 cuit,” a network of venues Festivities include a throughout the South where job fair, motivational workshops blacks were allowed to perform. for businesses, a children’s cor- Enjoy the live music talents of ner, African American story- local musicians in the Grill’s Ko- tellers, ﬁne music and the Black vac Lounge. NR Taste of Austin.

page 13 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Bastrop & Belton ★

ers and talented music teachers. They rented out the facility for social events, lodge meetings and en- tertainment. During World War II, it was used as a United Service Organization (USO) center. NR

Jennie Brooks House

jesse hornbuckle 1009 Walnut Sandra Reed holds portraits of Lula & Beverly This 1890 vernacular Kerr, Bastrop Greek Revival style house is sig- niﬁcant for its association with Bastrop Jennie Brooks, one of only a few black home owners of her time Ploeger-Kerr-White House in Bastrop. It is one of the oldest 806 Marion houses in Bastrop built by a Robert Kerr was the first black family. NR black legislator from Bastrop and one of the few African Americans to hold office in the Belton years immediately following Re- construction. He was the second Mount Zion United Methodist Church owner of this c. 1863 house. NR 218 Alexander This church was constructed Kerr Community Center in 1893 during the cotton boom 1308 Walnut when the black community of Built in 1914, this two- Belton was rapidly growing. It is story wood frame structure was one of the few surviving early built by Beverly and Lula Kerr, black churches in Bell County. NR prominent black community lead- Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, Blanco thc

page 14 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Blanco & Brackettville ★ isnstitute of texan cultures Blanco Seminole Indians c. 1980s selves with the Buffalo Soldiers of Peyton Colony Lime Kiln the 24th and 25th infantry, were roadside park on FM 165, 0.4 mi. headquartered at the fort. These S.W. of RM 2325/165 inters., scouts served for more than a 8 mi. N.E. decade and won recognition for Peyton Colony was a their skill and bravery. Four of freedmen’s community estab- the Negro Indian Scouts received lished in the 1860s under the Medals of Honor. The museum leadership of former slave Pey- contains exhibits and memorabilia ton Roberts. This kiln was built pertaining to military life at the by Roberts and his neighbors to fort. NR, RTHL provide high quality building Hours: Sat.-Sun., 1-4 p.m.; other materials. SM times by appointment with the Fort Clark Springs Information Center, Mt. Horeb Baptist Church 830/563-2493. No Admission. 8 mi. E. on FM 165, then 1 mi. N. on CR 409 Seminole-Negro Indian Scout This church was estab- Cemetery lished in 1874 in what was then 3 mi. past Old Fort Clark, S. of called Peyton Colony. Since Re- Brackettville construction, Mt. Horeb has One of the toughest served as a focal point for the units in the U.S. Army, Semi- black community in this rural nole-Negro Indian Scouts were area. SM recruited in 1870 from free blacks living in Mexico. The scouts were descendants of es- Brackettville caped slaves who settled among the Seminole Indians of Florida. Old Fort Clark Guardhouse Museum These brave soldiers protected Hwy. 90, 830/563-9150 the Texas frontier. A group set- Established in 1852, Fort tled in Brackettville around Old Clark is one of the most notable Fort Clark. Many, including frontier forts resulting from the those who received Medals of American westward expansion. Honor, were buried in this segre- The famed Seminole-Negro In- gated plot on the grounds of the dian Scouts, who allied them- fort. SM

page 15 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Brenham, Brownsville, Calvert & Crockett ★

Brenham Brownsville

African American Catholic Palmito Ranch Battlefield Community 10 mi. S.E. on Hwy. 4, 12 mi. N.E. of Brenham E. of Brownsville, 956/787-3079 on SH 105, then N./N.W. This site marks the last on CR 100/Sweed Road land battle of the Civil War in This community traces May 1865, where 250 men of the its history to the late 1840s, when 62nd Colored Infantry fought. the Spann families brought a NHL, NR, SM (for Battle of Palmito number of slave families (known Ranch). as the Sweeds) to the area from South Carolina and Mississippi. A Catholic mission was estab- Calvert lished in 1888 for the African American community, and the Calvert School (Spigner Church of the Blessed Virgin Elementary) Mary emerged out of this mis- West Texas Ave., 409/364-2882 sion. Presently, the community Built in 1929 for African consists of approximately 35 Americans, Calvert is the largest families, all descendants of the school constructed in Texas with original Sweed families. It is funds from the Julius Rosenwald thought to be the oldest African Foundation. It has been in con- American Catholic settlement in tinuous use as a school since its Texas. SM construction.

Land owners in Germany Community Crockett

Germany Community from Crockett, 10.1 mi. N.E. on SH 21 from inters. w/Loop 304, 9 mi. N. CR 1545, .9 mi. on CR 1655 Named by former slaves in reference to the German family that ﬁrst resided in the area, Ger- many is a farming community settled by African Americans immediately following Emancipa- tion. Although not incorporated as a city and without businesses or industries, this community has maintained its autonomy and continues to reﬂect African

robert parvin robert American rural life in Texas. SM

page 16 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Dallas ★ jesse hornbuckle jesse hornbuckle

Museum of African American Life and Culture Deep Ellum Historic District, Dallas

Deep Ellum Historic District Dallas bounded by Elm, Commerce, Oakland and Good Latimer Sts. The Museum of African American Shops, restaurants and Life and Culture live music clubs await tourists in 3536 Grand Ave. in Fair Park, this historic district. Deep Ellum 214/565-9026. was the city’s center for African This museum has an im- American business, music and art pressive collection of African and African American art and fea- Sculpture at the tures one of the largest black Museum of African American Life and Culture folk art collections in the nation. The Texas Black Women’s Archives, the Dallas County Black Political Archives, the Freedmen’s Cemetery Collec- tion and a center for African American religions are all part of the museum’s collections. Lec- tures, exhibits and festivals that celebrate African American heritage are also held here. Hours: Tue.-Fri., noon-5 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 1-5 p.m. Minimum tour time: 45 minutes. No Admission. jesse hornbuckle Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Dallas ★

gists. This memorial symbolizes the reconstitution of a sacred place and commemorates the contributions of African Ameri- cans to the city of Dallas. SM jesse hornbuckle

Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House, Dallas Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House 2618 Warren Ave., 214/670-8637 in the pre-World War II era. LL This house is a memorial to the achievements of Civil Rights activist Juanita J. Craft. Dallas Craft became the ﬁrst black (Continued) woman to vote in Dallas and was Freedmen’s Cemetery Memorial a national delegate to the 1976 S.W. corner of N. Central Democratic convention. The mu- Expressway and Lemmon Ave. seum features general exhibits of Freedmen’s Cemetery, both the Dallas and national which dates to 1869, was a vital Civil Rights movements. NR part of Freedmen’s Town, a com- Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; munity of former slaves and their Tours: Thu.-Sat., 9 a.m-6 p.m., descendants. Desecrated from the other tours by appointment only. early 1920s by various public No Admission. projects, more than 1600 gravesites were discovered in Knights of Pythias Temple 1986 during the widening of Cen- 2551 Elm St. tral Expressway. Many of these This building’s eclectic, graves were relocated and Freed- Beaux Arts style can be traced to men’s became one of the nation’s its designer, William Sidney largest cemetery excavation proj- Pittman, Dallas’ ﬁrst black archi- ects ever undertaken by archeolo- Knights of Pythias Temple, Dallas jesse hornbuckle Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Dallas ★ thc thc

Queen City Heights Historic District, Dallas Romine Avenue Historic District, Dallas tect and son-in-law of Booker T. This district was built Washington. LL exclusively for African Ameri- Queen City Heights Historic District cans as segregated housing in roughly bounded by Eugene, early 20th century Dallas. The 17 Cooper, Latimer, Kynard houses in the district, built be- and Dildock Sts. tween 1928 and 1940, were the Developed around a ﬁrst in the area to be constructed Reconstruction-era settlement of of brick and stone and were his- farmers and workers, Queen torically occupied by prominent City is signiﬁcant as the historic African Americans: educators, center of the African American hotel proprietors and Pullman community in South Dallas. porters. NR Populated by working-class black families in the late 19th St. Luke Community United and early 20th centuries, Queen Methodist Church City helped spawn the subse- 5710 E. R.L. Thornton Freeway, quent development of surround- 214/821-2970 ing African American The 53 stained glass neighborhoods. NR windows in this community church were designed by African Romine Avenue Historic District American artist Jean Lacy. Each Romine Ave. between Octavian window panel tells of the en- and Latimer Sts. in South Dallas durance of the African Ameri- can spirit. Windows viewed by “The Migration”: Stained glass panels at St. Luke Communityappointment United Methodist only. Church, Dallas jesse hornbuckle page 19 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Dallas & Eagle Pass ★

toric houses were built between 1890 and the early 1940s in various folk designs: shotgun, double shotgun, and camel back. These modest houses are indicative of the skill and artistry of African American craftspeople. NR jesse hornbuckle

Tenth Street Historic District, Dallas Wheatley Place Historic District bounded by Warren, Atlanta, McDermott, Meadow, Oakland Dallas and Dathe Sts. (Continued) This district, consisting Tenth Street Historic District mostly of wood frame bungalows roughly bounded by E. Clarendon, dating from 1916 to the mid-1930s, S. Fleming, IH-35E., E. 8th, east- is one of Dallas’ first planned resi- ern end of Church, E. 9th, Plum dential areas for black families. It This district is the old- was constructed in an effort to seg- est relatively intact freedmen’s regate African American housing town in Dallas, with many of its in Dallas in the early 20th century. original buildings still standing. A Named for the 19th century starter neighborhood for African American poet Phyllis Wheatley, Americans soon after Emancipa- the district attracted black minis- tion, most of the remaining his- ters and business leaders who made up the African American community’s middle class. NR Significant African Americans in Texas History Eagle Pass Juanita J. Craft (1902-1985) Fort Duncan Museum/Park An ardent Civil Rights activist, Juanita Craft worked to organ- 210 Bliss St., 1 block from ize more than 100 chapters of International Bridge, 830/773-1714 the NAACP across Texas and Seminole-Negro Indian played a crucial role in desegre- Scouts first reported to this fort gating several Texas organiza- in 1870 for enlistment in the U.S. tions. She became the first Cavalry. Most of these scouts African American woman to were relocated in 1871 because of vote in Dallas and was a na- racial tensions created by the tional delegate to the 1976 De- presence of black soldiers in Ea- mocratic Convention. gle Pass. The museum contains memorabilia from the pioneer and Civil War days of the fort. NR, SM Hours: Mon.-Sat. 1-5 p.m. No Admission.

page 20 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas El Paso, Fort Davis, Fort Stockton & Fort Worth ★

Three of the original eight offi- El Paso cers’ quarters, guardhouse with jailer’s quarters, three solitary con- Fort Bliss Museum ﬁnement cells and a large holding Pleasonton Rd. and Sheridan Dr., cell remain. Hours: Sept.-May: Mon.- 915/568-4518 Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; June-Aug: Mon.- A replica of the original Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission adobe fort is maintained as a museum of frontier military era, and includes photo exhibits on Fort Worth the Buffalo Soldiers. Hours: daily, 9 a.m-4:30 p.m. No admission. Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church 116 Elm St. Fort Davis Built in a modified Tudor Gothic style, Allen Fort Davis National Historic Site Chapel is one of the more archi- Hwys. 17 and 118, 915/426-3225 tecturally sophisticated, early Fort Davis, an important 20th century black churches in frontier defense, was destroyed the Southwest. It was designed by the Apaches after its abandon- in 1914 by African American ar- ment by Confederate troops in chitect William Sidney Pittman. 1862. In 1867, four companies of NR, RTHL, SM the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers rode into the ruins of the fort and began the task of rebuilding. All four Buffalo Soldier regiments protected the Texas frontier while stationed at this fort from

1867 to 1875. Attractions include jesse hornbuckle the parade ground, historic Bill Pickett Statue, Fort Worth buildings and a museum that of- fers a slide program on the his- Bill Pickett Statue tory of the fort. NR, NHL 121 E. Exchange Ave., in front of Hours: June-Aug.: daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Cowtown Coliseum Sept.-May: daily, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. This bronze statue com- Admission. memorates the world famous black cowboy Willie M. (Bill) Pickett, the inventor of the sport Fort Stockton of bulldogging (or “kissing the bull”) and the first black man in- Historic Fort Stockton ducted into the Cowboy Hall of 300 E. 3rd., 915/336-2400 Fame. The statue is the first in In 1867, the fort became the country erected to honor a the first headquarters in Texas of black rodeo cowboy. (See also the the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers. city of Taylor).

page 21 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Fort Worth & Galveston ★

James E. Guinn School Significant African Americans in Texas History 1200 S. Freeway James E. Guinn, the son of former slaves, grew up in Fort Dr. Lawrence A. Nixon (1884-1966) Worth and was educated in the When the state of Texas moved city’s earliest school for African in 1923 to formalize black ex- Americans. After serving as a clusion in the Democratic pri- professor at Prairie View Col- mary by legislation, El Paso lege, Guinn returned to Fort physician Lawrence A. Nixon Worth in 1900 to become the challenged the law in Nixon v. principal of South Side Colored Herndon (1927). School, the city’s ﬁrst African The U.S. American public school. The Supreme school was later rebuilt and re- Court ruled named for Guinn after his death that all-white in 1917. NR, SM primaries violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Galveston

Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church 2612 Ave. L This congregation traces Fort Worth its origins to 1840 when mem- (Continued) bers of Galveston’s ﬁrst Baptist Stop Six Historic African American church organized a separate Neighborhood church for their slaves. The pres- roughly bounded by Rosedale, ent structure was designed and Loop 820 S. and Miller St. constructed by black architects This African American and contractors in 1916. SM community developed originally as the sixth stop on the Interur- Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church, Galveston ban train line. Originally known as Cowanville, Stop Six encompasses a number of early 20th century subdivisions with a range of housing forms and building types. The focal point of this community is Sagamore Hill Ne- gro High School/Dunbar Junior High School (5100 Willie St.). This well-preserved structure was built in 1924 with funds from the Julius Rosenwald Foun- dation and has been in continu-

ous use since its construction. thc

page 22 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Galveston ★

West Point Missionary Baptist Church 3003 Ave. M This congregation traces its history to 1870, a time when there were few sanctioned black churches and African American ministers had to create and govern their own. The current edi- ﬁce was built in 1921. SM

Norris Wright Cuney Historical

jesse hornbuckle Marker First Union Baptist Church, Galveston 722 Moody, on county courthouse grounds First Union Baptist Church Born in 1846 in the slave 1027 Ave. K quarters of Sunnyside Plantation This African American near Hempstead in Waller church was founded in 1870 as County, Norris Wright Cuney the First Union Free Baptist was educated in Pittsburg, Penn- Church by a delegation represent- sylvania. Moving to Galveston ing the American Baptist Free following the Civil War, he oper- Mission Society of Boston, an in- ated a wharf contracting com- terracial antislavery group. SM pany and became involved in Republican Party politics. A na- Mount Olive Baptist Church tional leader, he was instrumen- 3602 Sealy tal in giving Texas African This African American Americans a voice in both state church was organized in 1876 as and national politics. (See also an outreach congregation of Av- the city of Hempstead). SM enue L Baptist Church. The his- Pastor Arthur Ferguson of Reedy Chapel, toric brick building features Galveston classical architecture and impres- sive stained glass windows.

Reedy Chapel AME Church 2013 Broadway Originally constructed in 1863 by white Methodists for the use of their slaves, this chapel was later used by free blacks as the ﬁrst African Methodist Epis- copal church in Texas. The current building was constructed in 1886 and restored in 1947 and

1957. NR, RTHL, SM jesse hornbuckle

page 23 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Georgetown, Hawkins & Hempstead ★

Georgetown

Wesley Chapel AME Church 508 W. 4th Founded in 1869, the congregation has owned the land

on which the present church thc stands since 1881. It is one of the Campus of Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins very few extant historic buildings in Georgetown’s historic cans in the Hawkins area. The black neighborhoods. NR, RTHL school was incorporated as a college in 1928, and high school in- struction was eliminated in 1938. Hawkins Stained glass windows in the sanctuary of the campus’ Christ- Jarvis Christian College ian Church tell the story of the 1 mi. E. on U.S. 80, 903/769-5700 founding of the college. SM Initiated through the efforts of Mary Alphin, the African American leader of the Hempstead Negro Disciples of Christ in Texas, this college is a histori- Norris Wright Cuney Historical cally black institution affiliated Marker with the Christian Church. Until 14.8 mi. S. of Hempstead on FM 529 1937, Jarvis Christian Institute This marker is located existed as the only accredited near the birthplace of Norris high school for African Ameri- Wright Cuney. (See also the city of Galveston). SM

Wesley Chapel AME Church, Georgetown jesse hornbuckle Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Houston ★ jesse hornbuckle jesse hornbuckle

Freedmen’s Town Historic District, Houston Stained glass panel of Rev. E. L. Harrison, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church 1922-31, Houston

Houston Antioch Missionary Baptist Church 313 Robin St. Freedmen’s Town Historic District Located in historic roughly bounded by Genesse, Freedmen’s Town, this church W. Dallas, Arthur and W. Gray Sts. was organized in 1866 and is the This 40-block residential oldest black Baptist congregation area represents the ﬁrst settle- in Houston. The current struc- ment of the city’s freed blacks. ture was built in 1879 by African The district contains many ex- American contractor and politi- amples of shotgun houses. As the cian Richard Allen. NR oldest black community in Houston, the district has long Rutherford B. Yates House, Houston been considered the “Mother Ward for Black Houston.” NR

Rutherford B. Yates House 1314 Andrews, in Freedmen’s Town This 1912 Queen Anne style cottage was home to Rutherford B. Yates, son of Rev. Jack Yates and co-founder of Yates Printing & Lithography Company in 1921. The building will house a museum that will focus on the work of African

American printers. RTHL jesse hornbuckle

page 25 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Houston ★

Independence Heights bounded by N. Yale, E. 34th and I-610 This community was established about 1908 as middle-class African American families began moving into the north Houston area. The ﬁrst African American community to be in-

jesse hornbuckle corporated in Texas, Indepen- Historic Houston Negro Hospital dence Heights operated as a city from 1915 until its annexation by the city of Houston. SM (at 7818 Houston N. Main), NR (Continued) Project Row Houses Houston Negro Hospital 2500 Holman (Third Ward), (Riverside General Hospital) 713/526-7662 3204 Ennis St. This community-based Completed in 1926, the arts project encompasses neigh- Houston Negro Hospital is a borhood revitalization, historic three-story building in Spanish preservation and cultural educa- Colonial Revival style located in tion. Programs are held in 22 the city’s Third Ward. It was the identical late 19th and early 20th ﬁrst nonproﬁt hospital for black century shotgun houses that oc- patients in Houston, and it pro- cupy an entire city block. Shot- vided a place of work for black guns were typically found physicians. The hospital campus throughout the South in neigh- is still in use for medical pur- borhoods populated by freed poses. NR blacks who migrated to the cities after the Civil War. Hours: Wed.- jesse hornbuckle Sun., 12-5 p.m.; Office: Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. No Admission.

Project Row Houses, Houston

page 26 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Houston ★

African American, Latino and Native American contributions to America’s cowboy legacy. Hours and Tours: by appointment only, 713/613-9777.

Texas Southern University (TSU) 3100 Cleburne, 713/313-7011 Originally named “Texas

jesse hornbuckle Southern University for Ne- American Cowboy Museum, Houston groes,” this school was established by an act of the Texas Taylor-Stevenson Cowboy Museum Legislature in 1947 as a way for 11822 Almeda, 713/433-4441 the state to circumvent the antic- The Taylor-Stevenson ipated U.S. Supreme Court rul- Ranch is one of the ﬁrst and still ing that would allow Heman one of the few black family- Sweatt, an African American, to owned working cattle ranches in enroll in the University of Texas the U.S. A variety of historical Law School. The campus and educational events are of- grounds display sculptures by fered in this century-old ranch, African American artist Carrol which is also the site of the Sims. American Cowboy Museum. The museum highlights the Sculpture at TSU

Significant African Americans in Texas History

Barbara Jordan (1936-1996) Educated at Texas Southern University and Boston University Law School, Barbara Jordan was the ﬁrst black since Reconstruction to be elected to the Texas Senate (1966). She became the ﬁrst southern black woman to serve in the U. S. Congress (1973-1979). jesse hornbuckle

page 27 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Houston ★

Significant African Americans Houston in Texas History (Continued)

Trinity United Methodist Church Rev. Jack Yates (1828-1897) 2600 Holman St. Though he spent over half of This congregation grew his life as a slave, Rev. Jack from a small mission organized Yates emerged as a pioneer in in 1848 for the slaves of the mem- the Houston African American bers of the Houston Methodist community and was instru- Church. The oldest African mental in bringing the ﬁrst American church in Houston, Baptist college to Texas. He Trinity is known for its role in founded Bethel Baptist Church founding the and was pastor Freedmen’s Aid of Antioch Society, Wiley Col- Missionary lege and Houston Baptist Church Colored Junior in Fourth Ward. College (later incorporated into Texas Southern University). The church is noted for its stained Special Events: glass windows. Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo SM (February) 713/791-9000 This annual month-long event every February features a parade, livestock show, live en- tertainment and the Black Go Texan Day!

Houston International Jazz Festival (August) 713/227-8706 Jazz groups from around the world convene here for this popular annual event.

Spire of Trinity United Methodist Church, Houston jesse hornbuckle Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Jacksboro & Kendleton ★

Jacksboro

Fort Richardson State Historical Park Hwy. 281 S. in S.W. edge of city, 940/567-3506 Seven of the original buildings still stand at what was once a base of operations for the African American Buffalo Sol- diers. The park features a scout- ing map of the 10th Cavalry and a list of the Buffalo Soldiers sta-

tioned at the fort. Hours: Museum: adams marjorie Wed.-Sun., 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Tours: pre- Green family members c. 1920s arranged. Recreational facilities and grounds: daily, daylight hours. Henry and Annie B. Green House Admission (67 and older free). 1/2 mi. S.E. of old US 59 feeder & Hwy. 118 This house is the most Kendleton intact remnant of post-Civil War Kendleton. Continually occupied Powell Point School by the same African American FM 2919 at family for more than 100 years, Powell Point School Rd. the house is associated with Re- The African American construction-era multiracial po- town of Kendleton was estab- litical activities in Fort Bend lished in 1884, when several for- County because of the political mer slaves purchased the land career of its ﬁrst resident, Henry offered by a white lawyer, M. Green. NR William Kendleton. Tellie B. Mitchell, a Kendleton native and Kendleton farmer graduate of Wiley College, established this school in 1914. In 1923,

Mitchell obtained funds from the jesse hornbuckle Julius Rosenwald Foundation for a new school building. It was erected in the 1924-25 school year and became a top high school for black students in the area. The present brick building operates as an elementary school and Powell Point continues to be the center of Kendleton community activities. SM

page 29 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Laredo & Lockhart ★

Laredo Lockhart

Fort McIntosh Historic District Lockhart Vocational High School W. of city center on the campus of (Carver High) Laredo Community College 1104 E. Market St. The 62nd U.S. Colored Lockhart Vocational Infantry occupied this fort in the High School is the last of two, fall of 1865 to protect the city of two-story Rosenwald schools Laredo. The 10th Cavalry Buf- built in Texas in 1923. NR falo Soldiers were also stationed here. Many of the original build- St. John Colony ings remain, including the hospi- 12 mi. N. E. of Lockhart on FM tal, officers’ quarters, barracks 672, 0.2 mi. E. of CR 294/CR 167 and chapel, which serves as a intersection museum. NR, RTHL, SM Founded in the early 1870s by freed blacks and led by the Rev. John Henry Winn, St. John Colony is an offshoot of the Webberville community east of Austin. At one time home to about 100 African American families, the colony still boasts active churches and organizations. Many of the pioneer set-

lockhart isd lockhart tlers are buried in the St. John Lockhart Vocational High c. 1935 Cemetery. SM jesse hornbuckle

Wiley College, Marshall

page 30 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Lubbock & Marshall ★ tom goolsby/city of lubbock

Chatman Hospital, Lubbock

Lubbock Marshall

Chatman Hospital Wiley College (Chatman Memorial Center) 711 Wiley Ave., 903/927-3300 2301 Cedar Ave., 806/749-0024 Founded in 1873, this Completed in 1945, this college was the ﬁrst school west was, for many years, the only of the Mississippi River estab- hospital for African Ameri- lished by the Freedmen’s Aid cans in West Texas. The Society of the Methodist building’s eclectic design Episcopal Church. The and construction reﬂect campus was relocated to the scarcity of building this site in 1878. SM materials during World War II. The building, Old Powder Mill Cemetery which was restored as on George Gregg St. a medical cen- (FM 1997) ter in 1994, This ceme- was designed tery is the old- by black archi- est African tect Louis Fry American bur- and named for ial ground in Joseph A. continuous use Chatman, the sec- in Marshall. The ond black doctor name derives from to practice in Lub- the 230-acre Con- bock. LL federate powder mill that operated at the site from thc 1863 until its de- struction in Zinc monument at Old Powder Mill Cemetery, 1865. SM Marshall Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Menard & Mexia ★

Fort Parker State Park Menard 8 mi. S. on Texas 14, Park Rd. 28, 254/562-5751 Fort McKavett This park’s buildings State Historical Park were constructed by the Civilian 23 mi. S. W. of Menard on Conservation Corps (CCC), Com- FM 864, 915/396-2358 pany 3807C, between the mid- After its abandonment 1930s and 1941. The camp of by the federal government dur- mostly African Americans built ing the Civil War, this fort was the inﬁrmary (now park head- reopened in 1869 and completely quarters), park house, activity cen- rebuilt by the members of the ter, pavilion, roads to picnic area, 9th U. S. Cavalry (Buffalo Sol- picnic tables and the dam. SM diers). Emanual Stance earned Hours: Daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m. the Congressional Medal of Admission. Honor while stationed at the fort. Also, the headquarters for the 24th Infantry Buffalo Sol- diers was here. Fort McKavett is a day-use park with picnic facilities and a visitors’ center. Attrac- tions include exhibits and 18 restored original buildings. NR Hours: Daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission.

Mexia

Booker T. Washington Emancipation Proclamation Park W. side of Lake Mexia, 9 mi. W. of Mexia This park is the location of the annual “Juneteenth” celebration commemorating the day slaves in Texas were made aware of their freedom (June 19, 1865). This parkland was purchased in 1898 by a group of African Americans seeking a permanent place to hold the annual festivities. NR, SM

Zion Hill Baptist Church, Nacogdoches thc

page 32 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Nacogdoches ★

point of this community. Its Nacogdoches present building, constructed in 1913, is one of the oldest extant Zion Hill Historic District church structures in the city and roughly bounded by Park St., has undergone virtually no struc- Lanana Creek, Oak Grove tural modiﬁcation. NR, SM (at Zion Cemetery and N. Lanana St. Hill First Baptist Church), RTHL Representing the most intact surviving African Ameri- Special Events: can community in Nacogdoches, Multicultural Festival (May) this collection of wood frame, 409/564-0849 two-room shotgun houses dating This is a celebration of from the late 19th century re- the many cultures and nationali- ﬂects standard housing types of ties that make up Texas and its African American communities history. The festival includes in the South. Until well after food, music and dance. World War I, Zion Hill remained as the pre-eminent Pinetop Blues Festival (September) African American neighborhood 409/564-7354 in Nacogdoches, housing prima- Celebrate the unique rily service workers. Zion Hill sound of the blues in this annual First Baptist Church (located festival of live music. east of Park Street Cemetery), established in 1879, is the focal Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Palestine & Prairie View ★

Palestine Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery FM 1098, between Pond Creek Historic African American Sites and Cameron Rd. of Palestine This cemetery, an all- Experience Palestine’s black burial ground, is located African American history with on land that was originally part “Legends and Legacies,” a guide of the Alta Vista Plantation (now available at the convention and Prairie View A&M University). visitors bureau that includes in- According to oral tradition, the formation on Mount Vernon slaves of Jared E. Kirby, planta- AME Church, the oldest black tion owner, were buried at this congregation in the city; the Lin- site, as well as the slaves from the coln School, the only historically Liendo Plantation. The cemetery black school remaining in Pales- was later associated with and tine; the 1868 Freedmen’s March, named for Wyatt Chapel, a an event in 1868 when ex-slaves nearby African American ﬁrst exercised their right to vote; church. SM and more. (For contact information, see the Special Events: listing of the local chambers of Prairie View Trail Riders (February) commerce in this brochure.) 409/857-5093 Since 1957, this group of enthusiasts rides horseback in Prairie View the opening of the Houston Livestock Show, Rodeo, and Prairie View A&M University Parade. FM 1098 and University Blvd., 409/857-3311 This university was established as the Alta Vista Col- lege for Colored Youth when the Alta Vista Plantation was deeded to the state in 1876. Later renamed Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, this was, for years, the only publicly funded historically black college in Texas. The campus has several historic buildings designed by renowned African American architects who studied and later taught at the University. NR, SM

Anderson Hall at Prairie View A&M University thc

page 34 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Rio Grande City, San Angelo & San Antonio ★

a museum compete for visitors’ Rio Grande City attention. NHL, NR, RTHL, SM Hours: Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fort Ringgold Sun., 1-5 p.m. Admission. E. Hwy. 83, Fort Ringgold Campus, 956/716-6700 Constructed in 1869, this fort was one of four military posts built by the federal government along the Lower Rio Grande following the Mexican War. African American troops

(the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th thc and 10th Cavalries) served at the Bowden Building at St. Philip’s College, San Antonio fort from the end of the Civil War to 1875. Although diligent in their efforts to help protect San Antonio American settlements, these African American troops experi- Historic African American Sites enced extreme racial prejudice. of San Antonio A majority of the original build- Information on the cul- ings still stand. NR, SM tural influence of African Ameri- cans in this “river city” can be found in its brochure, “San Anto- San Angelo nio African American Visitors Guide.” Included in this guide is Fort Concho National Historic documentation on significant Landmark and Museum African American figures such as 630 S. Oakes, 915/657-4444 Victor Blanco, the first African Fort Concho, located American mayor of San Antonio; at the confluence of the three and significant historic sites such Concho rivers, guarded the terri- as St. Philip’s, one of nine histori- tory associated with the San An- cally black colleges still in opera- tonio-El Paso Upper Road, the tion in the state; St. Paul United old Butterfield Trail, the Good- Methodist Church, the oldest night-Loving Trail and an east- African American church in the ern branch of the Comanche city and St. Paul Square, the site War Trail. Today, Fort Concho of many black-owned businesses is one of the nation’s best-pre- during the age of segregation. served frontier forts and Texas’ The guide also features museums premier showcase for interpret- and attractions such as the Carver ing the role of African American Community Cultural Center and regiments in the settlement of the Institute of Texan Cultures. the West. Exhibits relating to the (For contact information, see the Buffalo Soldiers, military reen- listing of the local chambers of actments, restored buildings and commerce in this brochure.)

page 35 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas San Marcos & Seguin ★ thc

jesse hornbuckle Sweet Home Vocational & Agricultural Calaboose African American Museum, San Marcos High School, Seguin

Wesley Chapel AME Church San Marcos 224 S. Fredericksburg Built in 1879, this is Calaboose African American Museum believed to be the oldest African corner of Martin Luther King Dr. American church in San Marcos. and Fredericksburg St., SM 512/353-0124, after 5:30 p.m. Constructed as the first Hays County Jail in 1873, this Seguin building was later an annex for black prisoners. It became a Sweet Home Vocational and neighborhood recreation center, Agricultural High School and served as a World War II 3340 Sweet Home Rd. USO center. The museum is a This 1924 school campus repository for vestiges of the city’s is believed to be the most African American past. RTHL intact structure in Texas funded Tours: by appointment only. by the Rosenwald Foundation. No Admission. The site contains the original schoolhouse, teacher’s home, Dunbar School (Dunbar Park) outhouses and playground Porter & Endicott equipment. NR Founded in 1877 with 50 students, this was the ﬁrst public Wilson Potteries school in San Marcos for the in- 10 mi. E./S.E. of Seguin on struction of African American FM 466 (Capote Rd.) at children. The school was moved to Capote Baptist Church this site in 1918 when it was se- Three former slaves— lected to receive funds from the James, Hiram and Wallace Wil- Rosenwald Foundation. In 1961, it son—operated a highly successful was named for renowned black pottery business near the planta- author Paul Laurence Dunbar. tion where they had been kept in This site, which was occupied by bondage before the Civil War. the school until it closed with de- During an era in which many ex- segregation in 1969 is now being slaves found work only as share- used by the San Marcos Recreation croppers, they created a unique Department. One of the original style of pottery and remained in school buildings still stands. SM business until 1884. SM

page 36 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Sheffield, Taylor. Terrell & Tyler ★

gon shape to give better protec- Sheffield tion in times of danger. It is the ﬁrst dwelling of its kind erected Fort Lancaster State in Terrell and one of the few Historical Park such houses remaining in the U. 8 mi. E. of Sheffield off old S. RTHL (Round House) U.S. 290, 915/836-4391 The 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers were stationed at this outpost to protect the Pecos River crossing on the San Anto- nio-El Paso Road. It was the ﬁrst major battle site of the Buffalo Soldiers in Texas. Hours: Mon.- Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; summer hours (Memorial to Labor Day): open

Mon.-Sun., 9 a.m-6 p.m. Admission. jesse hornbuckle Round House at Southwestern Christian College, Terrell Taylor

Bill Pickett Historical Marker Tyler 400 N. Main St., on Heritage Square. Texas College This marker commemo- 2404 N. Grand Ave., 903/593-8311 rates the life of Taylor native Bill This historically black Pickett. Working as a cowboy in college was established under the Central Texas, he pioneered the auspices of the Christian art of bulldogging, in which a Methodist Episcopal Church in cowboy jumps from his horse to 1894. Texas College is the oldest twist a steer’s horns to force it to of the three institutions of higher the ground. (See also the city of education in Tyler. Fort Worth). SM President’s home at Texas College, Tyler Terrell

Southwestern Christian College 200 Bowser Circle, 972/524-3341 Established in 1949, the campus of this historically black college contains several buildings that date to the late 19th century. On the college circle is the 1864 Round House (Robert A. Terrell

Home), constructed in an octa- thc

page 37 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Victoria, Waxahachie & Yoakum ★

Victoria Significant African Americans in Texas History Webster Chapel United Methodist Church Wilhelmina Delco (1929- ) 405 S. Wheeler In 1991, Wilhelmina Delco was The history of this con- the first woman and the second gregation dates to the late 1860s. African American to be chosen Its first sanctuary was built in as Speaker Pro Tempore, the 1889 and named for the first pas- second highest tor, Rev. N. Webster. NR, SM position in the Texas House of Representatives. Waxahachie

Joshua Chapel AME Church 110 Aiken Organized in 1876, Joshua Chapel AME Church is a prominent architectural, social and religious landmark for Wax- Yoakum ahachie’s black community. This building was designed in 1917 by Asberry High School (Yoakum noted black architect William Intermediate) Sidney Pittman. NR, RTHL 208 Aubrey, 512/293-2741 This Rosenwald School Wyatt Street Shotgun House was built in 1930 and has been in Historic District continuous use as a school since E. side of the 300 block of Wyatt St. its construction. This district contains a row of small, single-family shot- Joshua Chapel AME Church, Waxahachie gun dwellings built around 1918. The houses stand on narrow lots in an area that has historically been Waxahachie’s black community. NR thc

page 38 African Americans in Texas: Visitor Information Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Visitor Information ★

Abilene Black Chamber of Commerce Brenham/Washington County P.O. Box 3572 Chamber of Commerce/ Abilene, TX 79604 Convention & Visitors Bureau 915/672-7950; fax 915/672-6490 314 S Austin St Brenham, TX 77833 Albany Chamber of Commerce 409/836-3695; fax 409/836-2540 P.O. Box 185 Albany, TX 76430 Brownsville Chamber of Commerce 915/762-2525; fax 915/762-3125 1600 E Elizabeth St Brownsville, TX 78520 Capital City Chamber of Commerce 956/542-4341; fax 956/504-3348 Convention and Tourism 5407 N IH-35 Ste 304 Brownsville Convention Austin, TX 78723 and Visitors Bureau 512/459-1181; fax 512/459-1183 P.O. Box 4697 Brownsville, TX 78523 Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau 956/546-3721; fax 956/546-3972 201 E Second St Austin, TX 78701 Calvert Chamber of Commerce 512/474-5171; fax 512/404-4383 P.O. Box 132 Calvert, TX 77837-0132 Bastrop Chamber of Commerce 409/364-2559 927 Main St Bastrop, TX 78602 Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce 512/321-2419; fax 512/303-0305 2838 M L King Jr Blvd Dallas, TX 75215 Belton Area Chamber of Commerce 214/421-5200; fax 214/421-5510 P.O. Box 659 Belton, TX 76513 Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce 254/939-3551; fax 254/939-1061 P.O. Box 1188 Eagle Pass, TX 78853-1188 Blanco Merchants & Business Assoc 830/773-3224; fax 830/773-8844 P.O. Box 1258 Blanco, TX 78606 El Paso Chamber of Commerce 830/833-2201 10 Civic Center Plaza fax 830/833-2201 *51 El Paso, TX 79901 915/534-0500; fax 915/534-0513 Kinney County Chamber of Commerce Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce (c/o Tourism Director) P.O. Box 378 P.O. Box 386 Fort Davis, TX 79734 Brackettville, TX 78832 915/426-3015; fax 915/426-2474 830/563-2466; fax 830/563-9393

page 40 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Visitor Information ★

Fort Stockton Laredo Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 790 P.O. Box C Laredo, TX 78042-0790 Fort Stockton, TX 79735 956/722-9895; fax 956/791-4503 915/336-2264; fax 915/336-6114 Lockhart Chamber of Commerce Fort Worth P.O. Drawer 840 Black Chamber of Commerce Lockhart, TX 78644 3607 E Rosedale 512/398-2818; fax 512/376-2632 Fort Worth, TX 76105 817/531-8510; fax 817/534-9274 Marshall Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 520 Galveston Chamber of Commerce Marshall, TX 75671 621 Moody Ave Ste 300 903/935-7868; fax 913/935-9982 Galveston, TX 77550 409/763-5326; fax 409/763-8271 Mexia Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 352 Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Mexia, TX 76667 P.O. Box 346 254/562-5569 Georgetown, TX 78627 512/869-3535; fax 512/930-3587 Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau Hawkins Area Box Drawer 631918 Chamber of Commerce Nacogdoches, TX 75963 P.O. Box 345 406/564-7351; fax 409/560-3920 Hawkins, TX 75765 903/769-4482; fax 903/769-4320 Palestine Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 1177 Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Palestine, TX 75802 P.O. Box 517 903/729-6066; fax 903/729-2083 Hempstead, TX 77445 409/826-8217; fax 409/826-0286 Palestine Convention & Visitors Bureau Houston Citizens P.O. Box 2828 Chamber of Commerce Palestine, TX 75802 2808 Wheeler St 903/723-3014; fax 903/729-6067 Houston, TX 77004 713/522-9745; fax 713/522-5965 Rio Grande City Chamber of Commerce Houston County P.O. Box 502 Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande City, TX 78582 P.O. Box 307 956/487-3024 Crockett, TX 75835 956/716-8560 fax 409/544-2359; fax 409/544-4355

page 41 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Visitor Information ★

San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Victoria 500 Rio Concho Dr Convention and Visitors Bureau/ San Angelo, TX 76903 Chamber of Commerce 915/655-4136; fax 915/658-1110 P.O. Box 2465 Victoria, TX 77902 San Angelo 512/573-5277; 800/926-5774 Convention and Visitors Bureau fax 512/573-5911 500 Rio Concho Dr San Angelo, TX 76903 Heart of Texas 915/653-1206; fax 915/658-1110 Black Chamber of Commerce 409 Turner St San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Waco, TX 76704 P.O. Box 1628 254/756-0933; fax 254/756-3733 San Antonio, TX 78296 210/229-2100; fax 210/229-1600 Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 2570 San Marcos Waco, TX 76702-2570 Chamber of Commerce/ 254/750-5810; fax 254/750-5801 Convention and Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 2310 Waller Chamber of Commerce San Marcos, TX 78667-2310 P.O. Box 53 512/393-5900; 888/200-5620 Waller, TX 77484 fax 512/393-5912 409/372-9210

Seguin Chamber of Commerce Waxahachie P.O. Box 710 Convention & Visitors Bureau Seguin, TX 78156 P.O. Box 187 830/379-6382; fax 830/379-6971 Waxahachie, TX 75165 972/937-2390; fax 972/938-9827 Taylor Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 231 Yoakum Chamber of Commerce Taylor, TX 76574 P.O. Box 591 512/352-6364; fax 512/352-6366 Yoakum, TX 77995 512/293-2309; fax 512/293-6739 Terrell Chamber of Commerce 1314 W Moore Terrell, TX 75160 972/563-5703; fax 972/563-2363

Tyler Chamber of Commerce 407 N Broadway Tyler, TX 75702 903/592-1611; fax 903/593-2746

page 42 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Notes ★

page 43 Texas Historical Commission African Americans in Texas Historical & Cultural Legacies ★

Compliments of

The Texas Historical Commission (THC), the state agency for historic preservation, administers a variety of programs to preserve the archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas.

Texas Historical Commission Mission Statement To protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, economic beneﬁt and enjoyment of present and future generations.

For more information on THC heritage tourism brochures or programs, contact us at P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276 Phone: 512/463-6100 Visit us at www.thc.state.tx.us

Interested in learning about the THC’s support organization? Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Inc., is a nonproﬁt corporation dedicated to its mission of protecting, preserving and promoting Texas’ rich and unique heritage. For more information or to make a donation, call 512/936-2241

Concept Development Texas African American Heritage Task Force: Gemeral Berry, “Our Texas” Magazine Rob Blair, Texas Department of Economic Development Karen Charleston, Prairie View A&M University Lauren Charleston, Prairie View A&M University Creola Shaw-Dosreis, Capital City Chamber of Commerce Willie Lee Gay, Historian Vicki Hagen, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Dr. Mamie McKnight, Black Dallas Remembered Kenneth Pollard, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Dr. Alexander Pratt, College of the Mainland Alvin J. Sander, San Antonio National Cemetery Mike Talley, Texas Department of Transportation and staff members of the Texas Historical Commission

For information on tourism in Texas, or to receive a free Texas State Travel Guide, visit www.TravelTex.com

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