LOCKHART, Texas — On June 19 in 1865, slaves in Texas finally heard the news that they were free, news of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was signed by Abraham Lincoln two years before.
It was on land in Lockhart, Texas, nearly 150 years ago, where former slaves built a self-sufficient community, known today as St. John Colony.
Dating back to the 1800s, a message of strength and the power of education is written on the walls of an old school building. Underneath the message are photos of former slaves and their families, residing in freedom at St. John Colony. The old school building has now been converted to a museum where Louis Sims, a historian and descendant of one of the 14 families who purchased the sacred land in the colony, gives us a tour of St. John.
“In 1872, trailblazers blazed the trail to St. Johns Colony with women, clothes and children and everything they owned on horseback, mules and some of them probably just walked because this was indeed the promise land,” said Sims.
Rosie Darby and her brother Marshal Hill are descendants of the first families as well.
They’re hoping to preserve the land and turn the grounds into a park for future generations to come. Darby says St. John has a lot of history and hopes that one day it will be a resource of education.
This week marks 157 years of freedom. Members of St. John and descendants of the 14 families are planning celebrations on the emancipation grounds. The group wants to continue the legacy of their ancestors by honoring the past in the present to educate the next generation on where they came from.
Virginia Stewart Miller is a descendant of one of the founding families who works on the historical committee of St. John. She says the holiday stands for family, faith and freedom.
“There is a new way of doing things and that we are free to use our mind, use our hands and we are free to do everything that God has empowered us to be,” said Miller.
Miller says the legacy of St. John will live, and her mission is to make sure that her ancestors is represented and documented on official records in the state of Texas.