Washington County was home to one of Texas’s largest enslaved populations before emancipation, and in the years following the Civil War, freed people established nearly twenty freedom colonies across the county. These settlements became vital centers of community life, anchored by churches, schools, and cemeteries. This panel examines the evolving research into Washington County’s freedom colonies, focusing on the history and preservation of Camptown and other settlements. Topics include the central role of cemeteries in reconstructing community identity, the ways in which Black Texans built self-sustaining institutions, and public history projects that commemorate and share these under-told stories. Together, the presentations reveal how freedom colonies shaped Washington County’s postwar landscape and continue to inform efforts at remembrance and interpretation.
Session Chair: Natearah Austin, Texas Freedom Colonies Project
