African-American History Resources: Reconstruction to the Present
Central High School Baseball Team, from the Leon A. Morgan Photographic Collection (Special Collections #122), Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas
The Galveston and Texas History Center has many resources you can use to research African American life in Galveston from Reconstruction (1865) to the present:
These materials contain general overviews of famous Black people and places in Galveston. Search the library catalog for books.
Leon A. Morgan Papers, MS83-0049. Papers relating to Dr. Leon Morgan's career in education, including his time as Principal of Central High School.
Alfreda Houston Papers, MS96-0002 and MS2001-0008. Collections containing personal correspondence and printed matter from organizations to which Galveston civic leader Alfreda Houston belonged.
Ross, Dezon, and Jones Papers, MS2012-0004. Papers of Victoria Jones Dezon, Lucy Estelle Jones, and June Pinckney Ross, including biographical materials, writings, programs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and other items reflecting their civic, social, and religious involvement in Galveston.
Ralph Albert Scull Papers, MS85-0003. Manuscript copy of Black Galveston: A Personal View of Community History in Many Categories of Life, written by the Reverend Ralph Albert Scull.
Bert Carson Armstead, Jr. Papers, MS89-0019. Papers consisting primarily of historical information Armstead collected about Avenue L Baptist Church, as well as printed matter of the church and other African-American institutions in Galveston and elsewhere.
Gus Allen Collection, Special Collections #191. Collection of photographs of Galveston civic leader and businessman Andrew Augustus “Gus” Allen Sr., his family and friends, and his businesses: Gus Allen’s Hotel and Gus Allen’s Café.
Vertical File Collection.Files containing writings, newspaper clippings, and other printed materials relating to notable Black Galvestonians, including Morgan, Houston, Cuney, and others such as Lillian Davis, Jessie McGuire Dent, Jack Johnson, and “Uncle” Newton Taylor. Subject index available online.
Name Files Photographic Collection.Collection of approximately 1,000 photographs of individuals, mostly from Galveston and Texas, including notable Black Galvestonians such as those mentioned above, obtained from various sources.
Manuscript collections and books concerning the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) in Galveston and the United States. Search the library catalog for books.
United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Records, MS04-0015. General orders, circulars, and incomplete rosters of officers and civilians on duty issued by the U.S. War Department and Headquarters, State of Texas, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, also known as the Freedmen's Bureau.
United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands records, MS45-0001. Printed circulars and official orders from the Galveston headquarters of the Freedmen's Bureau concerning the administration of schools and labor geared towards recently freed African Americans.
Reconstruction in Texas, MS31-1190. A paper delivered by John C. Walker to the Texas Historical Society about events in Texas post-American Civil War.
American Missionary Association Records (Texas), MS85-0006. Microfilm copies of American Missionary Association records documenting the Association's work in Texas during and after the Reconstruction period.
New York Herald, MS2006-0013. Issue from July 15, 1865, which includes an article titled "Texas/The Negro and Labor Question," concerning orders issued by the Office of Provost Marshal General, District of Texas, Galveston, TX on June 28, 1865, regarding formerly enslaved African Americans.
C. B. White Letter to John B. Wilson, MS2015-0005. Letter dated July 20, 1865, from Surgeon C. B. White in Galveston to Dr. John B. Wilson, which describes conditions in Galveston and Dauphin Island, Alabama after the American Civil War.
Manuscript collections and books concerning labor history from the perspective of African Americans in Galveston and Texas. Search the library catalog for books.
Ball, Hutchings and Company Convict Labor Contracts, MS28-0037. Contracts awarded to Ball, Hutchings and Company by the Penitentiary Board of the State of Texas for the labor and service of sixty convicts, who were required to be African American men.
Kempner Family Business Records, MS80-0003. Business records kept by the Kempner Family, prominent leaders of the Texas cotton industry. Box 6, File 41, contains Imperial Sugar Company convict labor contracts stipulating that most or all convicts must be African American.
Reginald Moore Interview on Convict Leasing System, MS2018-0050. Interview with Reginald Moore for the series "Meet in the Middle Chronicles," about Mr. Moore's research into the convict leasing system in Texas in the 1890s and the site of plantations in Sugar Land, Texas, where in April 2018 the remains of 95 convict laborers were found.
International Longshoremen's Association. Local 851 Records, MS83-0003 and MS93-0014. Collections of administrative records of International Longshoremen's Association Local 851, which was one of two African-American locals in Galveston, Texas.
These materials contain historical and congregational records documenting historically Black religious institutions in Galveston. Each of the churches was destroyed or heavily damaged during the Great Storm of 1900. Search the library catalog for books.
Irenaeus Jordan collection on Holy Rosary Catholic Church, MS2023-0005. Historical materials about Holy Rosary Catholic Church compiled by Irenaeus Jordan, a lifelong parishioner at the church, including bulletins, programs, photographs, publications, news clippings, correspondence about the church's functions, and Mrs. Jordan's speeches and writings.
Ivan C. Marsh collection, MS2023-0015. Photographs and newspaper clippings documenting the life and ministry of Fr. Dr. Ivan C. Marsh, O. Carm., the only parishioner from Holy Rosary Church who became a Christian Brother and a Catholic priest.
Bell, Harris, and Pope Families papers and photographs, MS2023-0004. Materials formerly belonging to the Bell, Harris, and Pope families of Galveston and Houston, Texas, including copies of a St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church centennial publication and a copy of "This Far by Faith: A History of the African-American Presence in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas."
St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church Records, MS88-0017. Records contain financial papers and St. Paul's "Ideal Church Record" of baptisms, marriages, church members, and pastors.
Avenue L Baptist Church Photographic Collection, Special Collections #120. Photographs of Avenue L Baptist Church, Texas’ first African-American Baptist church and one of the oldest churches in Galveston.
St. Vincent's Episcopal House Scrapbooks, Special Collections #145 and 177. Scrapbooks of photographs and newspaper clippings showing people and activities of the St. Vincent's Episcopal House and its then-executive director Alfreda Houston.
Galveston Photographic Subject Files (G-Files): Religion. Photographic collection showing churches, synagogues and religious organizations in Galveston, including historically black churches such as First Union Baptist, Reedy Chapel AME, West Point Baptist, Avenue L Baptist, and St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church.
Vertical File CollectionFiles containing writings, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other printed materials relating to historically Black churches, including St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal, Reedy Chapel and Shiloh AME, Avenue L and First Union Baptist, and Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church. Subject index available online.
Cemeteries
Manuscript collections concerning Black-owned and operated funeral homes and cemeteries in Galveston. Search the library catalog for books.
W. K. Hebert and Company Records, MS87-0033. Records of W. K. Hebert and Company Records include interment records, family papers, and ledgers containing information about Hebert's life, African-American labor and fraternal organizations, and churches. Also included are records of Rosewood Cemetery Association.
Rosewood Cemetery Association Records, MS88-0008. Minutes, legal, and financial documents chronicling the administration of the Rosewood Cemetery Association, as well as photographs of the grave sites at Rosewood Cemetery. Also includes printed materials from Wesley Tabernacle UMC.
Green’s Funeral Home Ledgers, MS2014-0008. Funeral record ledgers from Green's Funeral Home, documenting funerals done by Green's during the years 1948-1956 and 1959-1981.
Lucy Estelle Jones Funeral Guest Book, MS2007-0009. Guest book from Green's Funeral Home for the funeral of Lucy Estelle Jones (1878-1974), which was held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on May 27, 1974.
Education
These materials document the history of education for African Americans in Galveston and Texas, including schools for Black youth and Black educators. Search the library catalog for books.
The Bearcat (Central High School yearbook), Central High School. LB 1607 .52 .G2 C39. (Physical copies available for the years 1946, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1976 [as Central Eighth Grade School]. Digital-only copies are available for 1947, 1961, 1962, and 1966).
Oran Milo Roberts Papers, MS04-0049.Correspondence between Texas Governor Oran Roberts and Col. J. M. Burroughs of Galveston relating to Prairie View Colored Normal School (currently Prairie View A&M University), a historically Black university.
General Laws of the State of Texas, Called Session (17th Legislature), MS09-0004. Booklet of general laws of the State of Texas, passed at the called session of the Seventeenth Legislature, convened in Austin in 1882. Includes a joint resolution regarding the location of a branch of the University of Texas for African American youth.
Galveston County Scholastic Census Records, MS78-0018. Survey of school-aged children rendered for enrollment in Galveston County schools, arranged in alphabetical order by surname under headings for city of Galveston, Texas City, League City, other cities in Galveston County, and Black students (written as "Colored").
Young Women's Christian Association of Galveston records, MS80-0015. Records consisting of historical documents, minutes from the Board of Director meetings, and a file on the Mary Patrick Branch for Negro Girls.
Central High School Notebook of Graduates, MS90-0028. Notebook containing rosters of graduates from Central High School, a senior high school for African-American students in Galveston, from 1891 to 1941.
Sarah M. Barnes Papers, MS93-0011. Personal papers of Sarah Barnes, who established the Barnes Institute, a free school for African-American children, in Galveston in 1868.
Lawder Family Papers, MS98-0026. The Lawder Family Papers contain Saralyn Barclay Lawder's papers, which include records of the Bi-Racial Committee on Desegregation of the Galveston Independent School District (GISD).
Central High School Memory Book, MS2000-0049. Memory book titled "My Senior Memories," kept by Ms. N. L. Shiloh, who attended Central High School as a senior in 1948-1949. The book includes signatures of class officers, teachers, student athletes, and cheerleaders.
Leon A. Morgan Photographic Collection, Special Collections #122. Photos collected by Dr. Morgan of his years as principal of Central High School and administrator with GISD.
Books about sports and famous sports figures in Galveston. Search the library catalog for books.
James D. Yarbrough Letter to Donald Trump, MS2018-0033. Letter dated March 28, 2018, from James D. Yarbrough, former Mayor of Galveston, to President Donald Trump in support of granting a posthumous pardon for Galveston native and boxing champion, John Arthur "Jack" Johnson, who was charged and convicted for violating the Mann Act in 1912.
Manuscript collections and books concerning public health in Galveston’s Black community. Search the library catalog for books.
National Negro Health Week Brochures, MS80-0022. Brochures about the United States Public Health Service's 23rd annual observance of National Negro Health Week, which took place April 4-11, 1937.
These materials document various aspects of Black life in Galveston. Topics covered include personal narratives, civil rights, social history, and the arts. Search the library catalog for books.
Juneteenth Celebration Collection, MS91-0008. Letters, programs, writings, and other printed materials relating to the 1991 Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, sponsored by St. Vincent's House.
On Juneteenth, Annette Gordon-Reed. E 185.93 .T4 G67 2021.
Susanne King Collection, Special Collections #58. Contains photos of the African-American and Mexican-American communities in Galveston, taken as part of the "Town vs. Metropolis: The Galveston Story" project funded by the Texas Committee for the Humanities and the Moody Foundation.
Black History Collection, Special Collections #60. Photographs used in Rosenberg Library's Black History exhibit (displayed ca 1980) and various prints relating to black history. Of special interest: Scull and Fedford families, black schools in Galveston, prominent Galvestonians, parades and funerals.
African-American Family Collection, Special Collections #72. Albums, snapshots, unidentified portrait photos, school compositions, and composition books. Some photographs were taken in Galveston. Two portraits by John E. Palmer, black Galveston photographic studio proprietor.
Juneteenth 1989 Celebration photographs,Special Collections #123. Color photographs of the 1989 Juneteenth Celebration in Galveston, taken by Julia Dunn, former archives clerk of the Rosenberg Library.
Dezon/Jones Family Collection, Special Collections #255. Photos of the Dezon and Jones families, as well as other social activities in Galveston, taken by Victoria Dezon, a Galveston school teacher and photographer.
Juneteenth Legacy Project Album, Special Collections #292. Photograph album book containing images of the 2021 Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, Texas, and the Juneteenth mural "Absolute Equality," created by artist Reginald C. Adams, at the corner of 22nd Street and the Strand.
Searchable, digitized microfilm of Galveston newspapers, including Black newspapers.
Accessible online at www.rosenberg-library.org under E-Library / All Online Databases / Articles, News, & Magazines / Newspaper Archives. Accessible remotely with a library card.
Can be used to search for articles regarding Black life in Galveston and Texas.
Black newspapers in Galveston available on Newspaper Archive include:
City Times: 1900-1927
New Idea (Galveston): 1869, 1904-1908, 1920, 1963
Galveston Sentinel: 1932-1935 (scattered issues)
The Informer (Galveston): 1935 (only on microfilm), 1937, 1939
Galveston Voice: 1931-1939 (scattered issues)
Galveston Examiner: 1939
Colored-American: 1920, 1939 (only on microfilm)
Galveston Banner: 1930, 1931-1935 (only on microfilm)
Galveston Guide: 1937
Other Resources
Vertical File Collection. Files containing writings, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other printed materials relating to many topics of African-American History, from slavery to present day. Subject index available online.
Galveston City Directories
Use by year to determine who was living at a particular address in the city. From 1867 to 1945, Black residents were listed as "(colored)" or "(c)."
1857, 1900, 1919-current, available in GTHC Reading Room.
The Rosenberg Library Museum maintains and exhibits artifacts that document the history of Galveston and the Republic of Texas, as well as the Library’s fine art collection throughout the Library. Below are links to catalog records of only a few of the Museum’s many artifacts documenting Black Galveston history:
Alfreda Houston Plaque: A plaque awarded to Alfreda Houston which reads "Citizen of the Year, Alfreda Houston, Omega Psi Phi Frat. Galveston, Texas, 1983" (Object 2004.02.1)
Rev. Andrew Walker Berry Clerical Robe: A clerical robe worn by Rev. Andrew Walker Berry (1947-1990), former pastor of Avenue L Baptist Church. (Object 2009.324)
Central High School T-shirt: A souvenir T-shirt from Central High School's Centennial Celebration (1885-1985). (Object 2014.014)
Hebert & Co. Umbrella: A large black umbrella with wooden handle and metal tip which has embroidered along the bottom edge, "W.K. Hebert and Co. / Since 1919 / Galveston's Colored Undertaker." (Object 2015.027)
Book from the Rosenberg Library Colored Branch: 1923 edition of "The Sunbonnet Babies' Primer," a vintage children's book by Eulalie Osgood Grover. Originally in the collection of the main branch of Rosenberg Library and was later donated to the Rosenberg Library Colored Branch. (Object 2017.004)
Digital library that provides access to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas, including materials about African-Americans in Texas post-Juneteenth.
