African-American Community Builders

Artist Norma Clark’s mural “Shades of Progress” honors key Black community members.

A good place to learn about the history of the Georgetown African-American Georgetown community that was once humming with Black-owned businesses is right here at the historic Shotgun House Museum, near to the gorgeous mural painted by Norma Clark honoring key members of the Black community over the years.

Inside the Shotgun House, you’ll see a wealth of photos and stories and memorabilia that recall this past. You’ll find household items such as hairstyling tools and a letter jacket from the all-Black Carver High school that was once north of here. You’ll see news articles that document what was once.

Inside the Shotgun House; Dorris Holden (pictured) lived in this house with her family!

And because of the organization that preserved the Shotgun House, the Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association, you’ll also know of the energy and plans underway with the community and the city to keep history alive and make sure the community is thriving again.

First, some history. Georgetown’s black community has historically lived on the west side of downtown, mainly on the other side of the railroad tracks that used to run down Railroad Avenue. The living arrangement wasn’t just a custom. In 1936, the city mandated that Blacks stay in a restricted area for Black people only; whites were to stay out of this area as well (although Hispanic and white people did and do live there).

The historic neighborhoods where Blacks and Hispanics lived are the Ridge neighborhood, bound by the San Gabriel on the north and downtown on the east; the Grasshopper neighborhood between around City Hall and the river; and the Tracks neighborhood to the south of University Avenue. Those are the “TRG” neighborhoods, as well as the historically Latino San José neighborhood southeast of downtown, that are part of the city’s program to strengthen these areas.

Grocer Harvey Turner doing his annual holiday treat giveaway to all children

This community was once abuzz with activity, full of cafes and shops. A history done by members of the Gay Hill Missionary Baptist church details the enterprises. Joe Lewis’ garage and filling station at Timber (now MLK) and 8th; Harvey Turner’s grocery store; Richard William’s funeral home; a meat market on Timber; Herbert Rose’s barber shop; Mae’s Beauty Shop, owned by Ethel Mae Moore; and Eddie McFarland’s businesses, including a store, rooming house, a miniature golf course at Rucker and 8th, and more.

Part of the history of Georgetown’s Black community by members of the Gay Hill Baptist Church

Some in the neighborhood had informal businesses, in part because white businesses discouraged their business. Martha Clara Tanksley, a cook and caterer, recalled her experiences in the great four-volume collection of memories from Georgetown residents, The People Remember. “I never did go to the places where we weren’t supposed to be,” Martha said. “Some cafes didn’t allow you in the front, and you’d have to go to the back door. They had a place where you could eat in the back.”

Martha also recalls an incident where a city health inspector came to house to cite her catering enterprise for cooking without a license. Martha recounts, “I was making cinnamon rolls and donuts and they said that I was knocking on the man uptown at the bakery shop, but I wasn’t, because I was doing that by order.”

Martha was at that moment in the midst of transporting a large order of chicken salad and cherry tarts for a party for Mrs. Grogan Lord, whose family owned a Georgetown bank. Mrs. Lord was there and said to the inspector, “You march right back. You are not going in her house.”

Mrs. Lord called the head of the health department. He confirmed that he had not sent the inspector, AND that his wife was also counting on Martha’s catering for an upcoming party. Martha’s catering enterprise continued on unabated.

Blacks built their own civic organizations such as a Masonic Hall on 4th Street; an Odd Fellows Lodge stood kitty-corner. The “Negro” high school was where the Williamson County Justice Center is now.

This 1916 city map shows the churches, Masonic Lodge, Odd Fellows, and more.

Hardly any businesses remain—urban renewal projects in the 1970s cleared many residences and businesses for the big Williamson County Justice Center and for Chautauqua Park.

Paulette Taylor, former president of Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association

In the 1970s, neighborhood activists such as Paulette Taylor, Birdie Shanklin, Joyce Gadison, Ethel Mae Moore, and others formed a group to preserve Black history called Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association (GCCMA). Members pressed for preservation of their historically Black cemeteries and neighborhoods. This area was not included in the preservation efforts just beginning then for the Square and Old Town.

The last “shotgun house” built in the 1920s would make a great Black history museum, Paulette and others said. Shotgun houses were called that because the rooms are built in a row and a bullet fired through the front door would go right out the back.

The city agreed. The Historic Shotgun House Museum opened in 2002. It’s a dream come true for many, especially Ethel Mae Moore, who grew up in this house as part of a family of five, and worked for years to see it become a museum. Make sure to see the Museum, which is open for special occasions such as the annual Juneteenth celebration and city art tours and available for group tour by appointment. Check out GCCMA’s website and contact them.

Look to the right and behind the Shotgun House Museum to see Devon Clarkson’s mural honoring preschool educator Mary Bailey. Learn more here about Mary’s dedication to teaching in segregated Williamson County schools and her pioneer preschool for children of color.

Then walk around the corner to see the beautiful abstract mural that lends a history of the Black community.

Artist and long-time Georgetown resident Norma Clark

Georgetown’s own artist extraordinaire Norma Clark created this striking mural that’s an abstract shrine to several pillars of Georgetown’s Black community. Norma grew up here and attended Marshall-Carver, Westside (which became Carver Elementary), and Georgetown High School.

She entered Southwestern University, becoming the first in her family to attend college. She took a detour to raise a family, but returned to finish her SU degree and get a Masters in Fine Art from Vermont College of Norwich University. Norma was inducted in 2023 into the Hall of Honor for past Georgetown High School and Carver High graduates. Check out her beautiful work!

The people in her mural are from different generations of Georgetown TRG residents who were honored by the community for their work in organizations, neighborhood activities, business, and churches. Most attended the historic segregated Marshall-Carver school. “I called my mural ‘Shades of Progress’ because it reflects the community’s journey from segregation to integration, and changes to the neighborhood through urban renewal to the present day,” Norma says.

Some have passed and some are alive. Norma wanted to include a person who had never experienced segregation to represent present day Georgetown, and she chose her daughter, Cecilly. Cecilly entered Southwestern University with a Presidential scholarship during the same year that Norma graduated from SU after raising three children with husband Richard Clark.

Let’s learn more about some of the people Norma honored in her mural.

Take a look at the figure on the far right who might be running toward a goal. That’s Jimmy Johnson, Sr., one of the first Black students to play on the varsity football team at Georgetown High School after the schools were integrated in 1965. Jimmy was known as an ace running back and fullback, lettering every year.

Jimmy Johnson and Fred Bass Jr., from display at the Shotgun House Museum

Jimmy grew up attending Georgetown’s second-oldest African-American church, Macedonia Baptist Church, and helping in church activities in many ways. And that’s where he returned, preaching his first sermon there in 1995 and serving as its pastor in 2000 and continuing ever since. Jimmy graduated from the Austin Theological Seminary and got a Masters of Arts in Theology and a Doctorate in Divinity from Mt. Olive Bible Institute, where he also taught.

Rev. Dr. Jimmy H. Johnson, Sr., and spouse Erma Johnson

Before pastoring, Jimmy served in active and reserved duty for the U. S. Army, and went to barber college to follow his passion of cutting hair. He worked for the City of Austin as a technical engineer and on special projects. Rev. Dr. Jimmy Johnson has been a leader in many regional and state Baptist and Christian organizations as well as the Georgetown Fellowship of Churches.

Other members of the football team appear in Norma’s mural. To the left of Jimmy, you’ll see Melvin Taylor, painted in the stance below as #72.

Melvin Taylor was the son of Melvin and Idella Taylor. He made his mark on the city as a first grader when he nominated the name, Carver, for a new park the city of Georgetown had created, which was the site at 17th Street and Scenic where years later Carver School was built.

Melvin wanted to honor George Washington Carver, the Black agricultural scientist and inventor who among other advances promoted growing nutritious peanuts and sweet potato. Melvin won $7!

He was one of four 1962 Carver High school graduates. He attended Paul Quinn College in Waco and enlisted in the U. S. Navy during the Vietnam crisis. The Williamson County Sun would report periodically on his distinctions as he was posted in areas experiencing high levels of combat.

Melvin married Paulette Taylor and the couple had two sons. Here are their nuptials in 1968.

Quarterback Brian Edwards comes alive in the mural, holding the ball as he does in the photo above and in real life, scoring touchdowns for the Marshall-Carver Eagles team. Brian was the son of J.P. and Louise Edwards. His family was a part of the well-known Tanksley family. Brian was an honor roll student and one of four 1962 Carver High School graduates. He was very athletic and attended Prairie View A&M College.

Cecilly and Norma, courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Continuing left, Norma Clark is represented with her daughter Cecilly Clark Shelton. Norma was proud to be on the stage graduating just as her daughter entered Southwestern. Norma had attended SU for two years after graduating from Georgetown High, and she returned 20 years later with a husband and three children to graduate and then go on to graduate school. “My children really encouraged me as I went through school,” Norma recalls.

Cecilly graduated from SU in 2000 with a double major in Business and Political Science. She went to the University of Texas Law School as a Texas Leader Scholar and went on to establish Shelton Law LLC to bring accessible law services to directly help people and families, which she says is “a cornerstone of my life’s work.”

Cecilly is very active in many law and leadership associations where she and her family live near Atlanta, Georgia, such as the Georgia Association for Black Women Attorneys. She also serves to increase diversity in law and bring more minority students into law through high school programs.

Look to Cecilly’s left at the swirl of abstract shapes. Then take a look at this photo, which inspired Norma as she created the mural.

See how the shapes form the curve of Donel Scroggins’ warm hug with Ethel Mae Moore, as they celebrated after Ethel Mae won the Citizen of the Year award in 1987.

Citizens Memorial Garden with historical signs

Donel Scroggins worked for Southwestern University as a cook for several years, and he cooked as well at the Georgetown Railroad Company. Donel was a well-loved employee at the Railroad company, which was a key reason that the company donated meat annually for the Georgetown Juneteenth celebration.

Donel was well-loved and respected in the community as well. He was a deacon at Macedonia Baptist Church.

Donel, former mayor John Doerfler, and Raye Wheeler with the city proclamation for Black History Month

As a member of the Citizens Memorial Association, worked for years to get the cemetery with mostly Black graves near the Wolf Ranch Shopping Center refurbished and honored with a sign. The Memorial Association became the Georgetown Cultural Citizens Memorial Association. Donel passed on May 2, 2008, and is buried at the Citizen’s Memorial Garden Cemetery.

Ethel Mae Moore became the 1987 Citizen of the Year Award through the John Orgain Award, given on Juneteenth to honor her as someone who contributed greatly to Georgetown’s Black community. That year, Ethel Mae had organized the Marshall-Carver high school reunion; was a leader at her lifelong church, Friendly Will Baptist Church; and led good works for the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes.

But Ethel Mae was a backbone of service all her life. She moved here from Austin with siblings and her parents, Florence and Novella Moore. After graduating from Marshall-Carver high school, she had hoped to become a home economics teacher. That plan was deferred due to economic hardship and discriminatory educational policy.

Ethel Mae instead went to a beauty school owned by the Black entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker, who created a beauty product empire and started nearly 200 beauty schools in the U.S.

Ethel Mae established a beauty shop, Mae’s, which was a much-sought business for Georgetown’s Black community, especially during holidays. She also loved sewing for her family and friends.

She was a preservationist and historian, writing histories for many in Georgetown’s Black community and for the Black churches. She owned and preserved what became the Shotgun House Museum, saving historical documents and clippings and material. Learn more about Ethel Mae here. She was also instrumental in the preservation of the Willie Hall Neighborhood Center on 17th Street.

Now look to Donel’s left to the row of figures at the top of the mural. See these young women in front of the Marshall-Carver band, everyone in awesome array?

The young women in front (L-R) are Chris Miller, Frances Thomas, Edna City, Gail Mason, and Linda Miller. Here’s a bit about their lives after graduation from Marshall-Carver High.

Chris and dad Harvey and her son Alex Banbury

Chrystal Ann “Chris” Miller was headed for her senior year of high school at Marshall Carver when her family, led by her father Harvey Miller, filed suit with other families against the Georgetown school board to integrate the schools. Shortly after the schools began desegregation, the Miller family moved to San Marcos and Chris graduated from San Marcos High School.

Chris attended Temple Junior College, and while there she met her husband Alex Banbury and raised three sons. She explored careers and found a good fit as a Victim Service Counselor at the Austin Police Department. Her friends say that she thrived with the stressful but fulfilling job, counseling people with crisis in their lives and helping them manage the emotional state of being a crime victim.

She carried on this mission at the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, where she was a residential counselor. Chris also started a janitorial services business.

She wanted to help her community in other ways, so ran for school board. Chris served as a board member for the Hays Caldwell County Women’s Center, where over 2,000 victims of abuse have found help since the Center began in 1978.

Frances Thomas attended Carver High, then went to Westside School in the building that became Carver Elementary. After integration, she went to Georgetown High School, where she graduated in 1968. Frances then went on to attend Nixon-Clay Business College in Austin.

Here’s a photo of Nixon-Clay College, which was located at 119 W. 8th St. in Austin, from years past. And below is a photo of a Nixon-Clay College class from the 1950s.

LVN grad Frances Thomas is standing at far right.

Frances also graduated from the last year of the Licensed Vocational Nurse program at Georgetown Hospital. This program educated a diverse group of Georgetown nurses and quietly integrated the Georgetown Hospital. Learn more about the LVN program here.

Frances was also an officer in the Georgetown chapter of Future Nurses. Club members met to further their medical careers and perform service in nursing homes and other places.

Frances is a widow; her family includes a son, seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Frances loves to travel, and she says that “the greatest part of my life is that I am a born-again Christian.”

Edna City is the youngest of the Georgetown City family whose six children all graduated from Georgetown High School. She enjoyed her stint as a cheerleader and moved to San Antonio, Texas, after graduation. Edna made a career at the headquarters of USAA, the nationwide insurance company that specializes in insurance coverage for military families.

Gail Mason was a cheerleader as well as a great tennis player who regularly won regional awards. She was homecoming queen for the first year that Westside High was open. Here she is with her escort Sherman Espy.

Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Gail graduated from Georgetown High school, and was president of the Georgetown Future Nurses. She went on to graduate from the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program at Georgetown Hospital.

Gail stayed on at Georgetown Hospital (now St. David’s Georgetown Hospital) as a well-known employee at the hospital. She and her family continue to live in Georgetown.

Linda Miller (second from left) and other Georgetown Girl Scouts are winners of a Scout art competition.

Linda Miller attended school at Marshall-Carver High during a time when her father Harvey Miller and other Black families sued to integrate Georgetown’s schools. The suit was successful; the family moved to San Marcos where Linda graduated from San Marcos High School in 1969. She met and married Ray Wheeler and they raised five children.

Linda had many creative talents. She loved to draw and design as well as play the piano. Her love of helping young people led her to her career working at Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos.

To the left of Linda, look for another head—that’s E. J. Johnson, son of Georgetown’s Marvin and Margie Johnson. E. J. was a very studious, outgoing student at Carver School. Look above as he’s being awarded a Star Award from the Boy Scouts, the first given by the Black chapter.

E. J. is getting his award in 1960 from Harvey Miller, who like so many other men and fathers in the Black community, supported and nurtured young people by forming and leading clubs and athletic activities.

E. J. won awards in tennis and excelled at football. And he was a super saxophonist in the Marshall-Caver band.

The last head on the top horizon of Norma’s mural is another representation of Jimmy Johnson, Sr. She was inspired by this photo of Marshall-Carver basketball players that includes Jimmy, standing fifth man from the left.

Lower your focus from Jimmy to a curved golden shape that resembles an old-fashioned bonnet. Here’s the photo that sparked Norma’s image of a Georgetown treasure, Annie Jefferson Johnson.

Annie Jefferson Johnson is on the left with her striped bonnet.

Annie is shown in the Juneteenth costume parade, and she did much more for the community. This Georgetown native was the youngest family member of the well-known Jefferson family. Annie was a longtime educator who taught in many rural areas of Central Texas. Annie was a life-long member and provided much service at what was once Gayhill Baptist Church, now Calvary’s Hill Baptist Church.

Now look a bit to Annie’s right to see a face with an abstract smile. Meet John Orgain, a long-time community advocate who worked for most of his career as a much-prized cook at Southwestern University. John was the one who made sure that there was a wonderful spread of food at the Juneteenth Festivals that were the highlight of the year for the Black community. John’s impact on Juneteenth was so strong that a John Orgain award was established during the four-day Juneteenth Festival.

John would cook marvelous food for other community events, such as fundraisers at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. And he spearheaded and served as president for the Negro Chamber of Commerce of Georgetown, which started in 1950. The organization sprang out of the community’s Cancer Committee, reports the Williamson County Sun. The Cancer Committee raised funds for “a home for Negro out-patients with cancer who were treated at the M. D. Anderson Hospital in Houston.”

AND John was a son of the famous cattle driver Emanuel Orgain and his wife Fannie Thompson Orgain! Read more about Emanuel here.

Look below John for a face with a purple swirl—that’s Paulette Taylor. Norma admires the strong role Paulette played as a long-time educator and community leader, and loved this photo of her getting a teaching award.

Paulette, first row right, is honored by the Georgetown School Board as Teacher of the Year. Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Dr. James Dickey helped birth Paulette. Here’s his son James Lee Dickey and spouse Magnolia Fowler Dickey. Magnolia was also instrumental in furthering racial justice in Taylor and beyond.

This pillar of the Georgetown Black community was born in Taylor, delivered by the famous Dr. James Dickey. Then the only black physician in Williamson County, Dr. Dickey delivered many babies whose mothers could not go to white doctors or hospitals.

Dickey is world-renowned for his public health campaigns that saved many Black and poor people from dying from typhoid fever, pellegra, and other deadly diseases as well as leading other improvements in the Taylor community for Blacks.

Paulette was part of the last class to graduate from the segregated Carver High School in 1964. She graduated from Prairie View A&M College and attained a Master’s degree from St. Edwards University. Paulette married Melvin Taylor, Jr., and raised two sons.

Paulette taught for 31 years at the former George Washington Carver Elementary School. After she “retired,” she continued and continues to serve in many ways. She was president of the longstanding Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association(GCCMA), which oversees the African American Shotgun House Museum and Willie Hall Neighborhood Center. Community and church affiliations also occupy a lot of her time.

Paulette is tireless in promoting Black history with events during Black History Month, Juneteenth, and year-round with the Shotgun House Museum events. Just one example: above, Paulette with Buffalo Soldier (the all-Black Buffalo Soldiers served following the Civil War) expert Allen Mack; below an example of how she formed partnerships with groups and schools locally and beyond to widen our views of history.

Take a look!

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church before its current building

Start at the Shotgun House Museum at 801 West Street, and check out the kiosks and commemorative bricks before you go. The kiosks, just installed by the city in 2022, describe a bit about the Shotgun House evolution and the neighborhood. And be sure to view the beautiful murals of educator Mary Bailey and the abstract tribute to neighborhood leaders.

To start a tour of the historic Black neighborhood, head to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church at 610 Martin Luther King Jr. Street. As you’re walking down MLK, shout-out to the neighborhood folks who pressed to have the former Timber Street renamed to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are some of the activists on the march the day the street signs name change happened in 1984.

MLK street sign success march; photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Groundbreaking Bishop Robert E. Jones spoke at a conference at St. Paul’s.

The building you see at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is the third built on this location. Belinda and Mach Cook first held church services in their home in 1874, making St. Paul’s the second-oldest African American church in Georgetown.

The Cooks donated a plot of land to build a church, and then spearheaded a donation drive to purchase building materials to construct the church. Volunteers built the frame building.

This beautiful stone church was constructed to replace the frame church in 1920, and that same year the church hosted a regional conference with a notable speaker, Bishop R. E. Jones. Bishop Jones was the first African-American bishop to serve in the US as part of the all-Black Methodist Central Jurisdiction. Jones had fought for white Methodists to integrate Black churches into the main Methodist structure, but that did not fully happen until 1972. This integration pattern is generally true of other Christian denominations.

The I G&N railroad depot was once in this lot at 6th and MLK, right at the top center of the below map. The depot was near the end of its spur up into Georgetown’s industrial area along what became Railroad Avenue (when it actually was a railroad track).

The train was often not a welcome presence in the neighborhood, notes Paulette Taylor, who told of her neighborhood experiences in the excellent Tuesday Talks history program on the Black community. “They’d park boxcars in our neighborhood and leave them for weeks,” Paulette notes. “It made it hard to get over to places because the train was in the way, and it obstructed the view.”

Rose Diner, 5th and MLK

The bail bond business here today was once the Rose Diner, one of the last Black-owned eateries to survive. Delicious food!

Troy Laundry, near 6th and Rock Street

Troy Laundry owner and school desegregation supporter Ed Harris Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Take a look on the north side of 6th Street between Forest and Rock, and picture the Troy Laundry, which employed TRG residents such as artist Norma Clark’s mother. “She would iron shirts for one penny each,” remembers Norma.

Troy Laundry owner Ed Harris was supportive of neighborhood efforts, and opened extra rooms to community meetings. Ed also worked hard to move school desegregation forward in Georgetown and was a member of the predominantly white Citizens for Better Schools. His desegregation support resulted in business losses from some white-owned businesses.

The Colored School (later Negro High School), on Forest between 4th and 5th Streets

The first school for Black children was built in 1910, a two-story frame house on the west side of Forest Street, recalls longtime Georgetown resident Woodie Givens in the excellent city-published history of Black Georgetown, Histories of Pride: Thirteen Pioneers Who Shaped Georgetown’s African American Community (You can find Histories of Pride in the Clara Scarbrough History Room upstairs at the Georgetown library.)

The school had two rooms on the ground floor for grades one through four. The nearby Black Masonic Temple housed 5th and 6th grades, and the older kids were upstairs. Home economics was taught in an outside room.

That was the only education for Black children until 1913, when Principal S. C. Marshall convinced the Georgetown school board to allow him to add high school education. Lois Palm was the first and only high school pupil the first year, and everyone in the community came for her graduation. Many students joined in until the high school was too small. Carver-Marshall High School was built in 1923 and educated hundreds of Black students until Georgetown’s schools were desegregated in 1965.

Mason Worshipful Master (president) David Featherston and the 1904 cornerstone, courtesy of Williamson County Sun

The Black Odd Fellows Lodge and Masonic Temple, 4th and Timber
These fellowship and philanthropic organizations were nearly cattycorner here, and provided meeting spaces and events for the Black community. The two groups met blocks away from the Odd Fellows and Mason meeting buildings where white men met that were located downtown.

The Black Masonic group was chartered on June 19, 1888—the day of Juneteenth. They met until 1991 when membership dwindled. This year, the group rechartered as the Thomas H. Keithley Lodge, the 45th Prince Hall Lodge in Texas. They plan to continue service work such as Blue Santa, clothing drives, and scholarships.

Among many other things, Masonic lodges are called upon to lay cornerstones. Most older cornerstones in Georgetown were laid by the historically white Masonic lodge here, but the cornerstone of the Wesley AME Methodist Church was laid by the Keithley Lodge in 1904.

Macedonia Baptist Church, 206 MLK Street

The magnificant original Macedonia Baptist Church

The Macedonia Baptist Church started out as a group of Baptists gathering in Mathilda Lewis’ backyard in this neighborhood in 1881, writes Emma Thornton in her history of the church. The group organized a Colored Baptist Church and held services under an arbor in Mathilda’s backyard for some time. Soon, the men of the church built a small frame house at Timber and Third street, using lumber that the women of the church picked out of discarded materials.

By 1914, the congregation had grown, and this beautiful church was built. It was a cornerstone of the community.

Women who helped bring Macedonia to life, including Matilda Lewis (far right seated)

Because the Carver School for Black children didn’t have a cafeteria, the church in 1939 offered its dining area and kitchen to feed lunch to the children. Women would gather to cook for the children each school day. In the evening, adults would gather for adult learning classes. Community members such as Paulette Taylor remembers wearing elegant clothes and going up the stairs of Macedonia to attend events there such as baccalaureates.

By 1971, the city’s urban renewal plans brought many changes to this area. The church was found in violation of building ordinances, and the congregation couldn’t afford to fix problems. The church was condemned by the city and torn down.

Church members entered into a redevelopment contract to construct the church on this site, which opened in 1975. The belltower from the old church continues to ring at the current Macedonia church.

Marshall-Carver High School marker, MLK and Scenic Drive

Sit down here and listen to oral histories of people who went to Marshall-Carver High, along with a whole range of people who were part of the desegregation process. Here is the treasure trove of histories at the Georgetown Public Library’s Local History page.

Listen, for example, to Birdie Shanklin talk about the joys of growing up in tight-knit all-Black schools and in a community where people knew each other and got along for the most part.

And by the way, every time you walk or drive down Martin Luther King Jr. Street, give a shout-out to Birdie! She was a key player, joined by many others, in getting the name of Timber Street above University Avenue changed to Martin Luther King Jr. Street in year. Birdie was also a force in the effort to get the Citizens Memorial Garden Cemetery refurbished and recognized as a historic cemetery (dating back to 1906 at least) for Black and Hispanic people. The group got funding for signs and more from the City of Georgetown and the Texas Historical Commission. Here’s Birdie on the far right in 2015.

Georgetown Parks and Recreation director Kimberly Garrett, Assistant City Manager Laurie Brewer, Dorris Ross, Mary Faulkner, Paulette Taylor, former Georgetown Historic Planner Matt Synatschk, Beatrice Miller, Gertrude Satterfield, and Birdie Shanklin; photo courtesy of the City of Georgetown

Hear Birdie and others talk of troubling events during desegregation—a cross burned on the lawn of Harvey Miller, who was the lead name on the desegregation lawsuit; an injury seemingly deliberate on the football field that left the Black player with lifelong serious medical problems. Listen (or read the transcripts) as white and Black people intimately involved talk about the many factors in the balance in the desegregation journey.

From left to right are Crystal (Miller) Banbury; Harvey Miller with his oldest grandson Alex Banbury; Mrs. Elnora (Sedwick) Miller; Harvey Sedwick; Mrs. Earsia (Sanders) Sedwick. Harvey Miller filed suit on behalf of his daughters Crystal, Linda, Mittie, and Miriam, who were denied entrance into Georgetown’s white high school.

The Old Georgetown Cemetery, on Scenic Drive near MLK

This is Georgetown’s oldest cemetery, and these “pioneer citizens” are from some of the oldest and most recognized Georgetown families. But unlike the other Georgetown cemeteries that were founded during segregated times, this cemetery is a mix of Black people—some of them likely enslaved—and white people. As illustrated by the Old Georgetown Cemetery marker that doesn’t mention enslaved people among the “pioneer citizens,” the realities of slavery are often absent from our public memorials.

Over the years, a few groups have surveyed and researched this cemetery. They’ve established that graves on the left side of the road leading through the cemetery, where graves are commemorated mostly by white metal crosses, are considered sites where Black people are buried.

As the Histories of Pride book notes, the Black people who had arrived in Georgetown by the 1840s when Georgetown was established came here as enslaved people. Estimates of enslaved people in Williamson County in the years preceding Emancipation range upwards to a bit over 1,000.

In 1850, enslaved people were about one-ninth of the county population; the Census registered 1,379 people and 155 enslaved people. The county didn’t have as large of plantations as other Southern states; most enslaved people were used as field hands or domestic servants. Sales of enslaved people are documented in county records and available at the Georgetown library.

Look for a taller gravestone on the left side. This commemorates Kissiah Miller, born an enslaved person on Oct. 15, 1794 in Virginia. She came to Texas as an enslaved person in 1835, but became a free woman by the time she arrived in Georgetown in 1880. Kissiah became a member of the Wesley Chapel A.M.E. She died in 1892.

In 2017, Georgetown declared the day Kissiah Miller Day. Ethel Harrison, the Wesley church’s longest-standing member, is shown below accepting the proclamation from former Georgetown mayor Dale Ross. Wesley’s pastors George and Tashana Morgan stand behind Ms. Harrison.

Two other known enslaved people are buried in this cemetery, according to Histories of Pride: Harriet Saul (1842-1895) and “John” (1825-1901). Photo courtesy of Williamson County Sun

Now look for a large gravestone on the right side of the cemetery for Elias White Talbot. Elias was a Georgetown storekeeper and part of a prominent Georgetown family.

Elias bought a 46-year-old enslaved man named Peter for $800 in 1862. But Talbot was a known Union sympathizer, writes Clara Scarbrough in her Williamson County history, and it’s thought that he bought Peter to free him.

Anti-slavery activist Elias White Talbot

Talbot built an underground railroad station in the basement of his home at 209 Church Street. When the Talbot-Whittle home was torn down in 1908, the underground tunnel to the river was exposed, Scarbrough writes.

Richard Ely Talbot and his spouse Anna Louise Trowbridge Talbot were strong Union advocates during and after the Civil War.

Learn more about Williamson County anti-slavery advocates and Union supporters in the forthcoming article on Georgetown’s Union and Confederate past.

Wesley Chapel AME Church, 508 W. 4th St.

This church was organized in 1869, and became the first independent Black church in Georgetown. One of many fundraisers was held at the Black Masonic Hall that once was there to raise money to build the church. Church members constructed the building and many of the furnishings in 1904.

Even children supported the church building fundraising! Mrs. J. A. Jones, married to the pastor, organized the children into a group called “The Nail Club.” They contributed their pennies to buy nails to build the church. Nails were then one of the more expensive construction items.

Church member Martha Tanksley recalled in Histories of Pride that the children raised money for nails by selling items they made at the Black Masonic Temple. They provided song acts as well at the sales.

Madella Hilliard Neighborhood Center, 803 W. 8th Street

Madella was a community jewel—teaching young children at the all-Black Mary Bailey preschool, helping seniors around the county thrive—so it’s fitting that this center serving Georgetown with meals-on-wheels and more is dedicated to her. Learn more about Madella here.

Edna Powell picnic shelter, Chautauqua Park, 602 Rucker Street

Edna was a community asset not just in her neighborhood but also in the city, where she volunteered for many causes such as the United Fund fundraising. Many in the neighborhood hoped that when houses were cleared for this park space, the park could be named for Edna Powell.

Edna Powell (far left) was part of one of Carver’s first graduating classes, and she promptly started making Georgetown better. Photo courtesy of the Shotgun House Museum

Ed Steiner was one community member who advocated repeatedly to name the park after Edna. Ed was Georgetown’s first African-American police officer, joining the force after serving in Vietnam in both Army and Navy. Ed also did much to improve Georgetown, volunteering with a teen program and for the Caring Place.

Ed Steiner (second from right, sitting) was Georgetown’s first African-American police officer. Photo courtesy of the Williamson County Sun

Despite the requests for an Edna Powell park, it was instead named Chautauqua Park for the Georgetown Chautauqua, a cultural and religious summer camp held for several years across the San Gabriel in the early 1890s. Learn more about the Georgetown Chautauqua in the forthcoming MoreStories diversions tour.

Bill Pickett Trail, Chautauqua Park
Learn about the world famous Black cowboy and movie star, Taylor-born Bill Pickett, at the trailhead near the Park’s barbeque grill. Bill was the first African-American cowboy inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Learn more about him and other noted cowhandlers here.

The Pickett trail will take you to the Blue Hole, which was the source of cool waters for fun and for baptisms.

For now, head south on Bridge Street and then Scenic Drive to cross University and explore more sites of Black history in the Tracks neighborhood of Georgetown.

Friendly Will Baptist Church, 706 W. 14th Street
Friendly Will started out north of here, on 4th Street and MLK. The church was founded in 1902 with 22 members, and it was known as “The Little 22” until it grew. Members raised money for a plot at 4th and Forest, and they paid $25 for a small house they brought there. Ethel Moore remembers hard wooden benches, open windows for a summer breeze, a potbellied stove for winter warmth, and baptisms in the San Gabriel.

Friendly Will in the 1970s in the old building on 14th Street

Some members left to start Gay Hill Baptist Church (still at 1802 Bridge Street), and in 1936, the congregation bought land at 706 West 14th St. The old stone church has been replaced with the larger structure seen today.

Willie Hall Neighborhood Center, 906 W. 17th St.

Willie Hall was a Marshall-Carver grad who attended Huston-Tillotson University. She taught for years at Mary Bailey’s Westside Kindergarten, and mentored young people in groups such as the Girl Scouts and the Heroines of Jericho organization for female Masons.

Willie Hall Center has housed tutoring for neighborhood children, classes, and senior services. It continues as a meeting house for neighborhood organizations.

Calvary’s Hill Baptist Church, 1802 Bridge St.

Calvary’s Hill was once Gay Hill Baptist Church, which was founded in 1920. As the congregation grew, they expanded their church, then on 15th Street where Friendly Will Baptist Church is.

Gay Hill Baptist congregants gather for Easter at their 15th Street location in 1971.

The congregation decided to build a church on 18th and Bridge. Church members recall many devoted members; one in particular was Martha Ann Jefferson, born in 1870.

Martha Ann led Sunday School classes from the time the church began until her death in 1956. She had a sense of humor, but ran a tight ship.

According to the Gay Hill Church records, “she used to assess a fee of one cent on anyone who did anything to disturb the services.”

Gay Hill cornerstone now at Calvary’s Hill Baptist Church

Named Calvary’s Hill Baptist Church for several years, the congregation continues to thrive and grow.

Carver School/Juneteenth Park, 1600 W. 17th St.

George Washington Carver Elementary School has been closed as a school since 2014. Currently it houses community organizations and will soon serve as headquarters for the Lone Star Circle of Care, a community health clinic.

Before Carver was built, this area was Carver Park, where neighbors in the TRG area gathered to enjoy the park. The annual Juneteenth festivities were epic. Paulette Taylor—who also taught at Carver for 31 years—remembers parades with floats, baseball and basketball games, and feasting.

“No matter what, there was always a big barbecue served for free,” Paulette told The Georgetown View. “The older men would stay up the night before to cook the meat for the gatherings. During the day, all the ladies would gather there as well and cook; it was a fabulous time and a wonderful celebration.”

Carver Park became the site of the segregated Carver School, which became an integrated elementary school after desegregation.

Thanks to the GCCMA, Juneteenth celebrations continue in Georgetown. Here are the Juneteenth leaders in 2021 by the Shotgun House Black History Museum. And here is GCCMA vice-president Joyce Gadison giving tours of the Shotgun House Museum as part of a Georgetown arts festival in 2022.

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Visit these organizations to find volunteer opportunities and more ways to support their mission of keeping Georgetown neighborhoods thriving.

Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association

Youth Events
Annual Black History Banquet
Juneteenth Celebrations
Helping Hands Tutoring
Community Outreach Interests

GTXConnect

ReLeaf Georgetown by planting trees
Help kids participate in sports such as basketball and volleyball
Provide low-cost legal advice for immigrants
Help GTXConnect host cultural festivals

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How to Save a Life

Resources: Dive deeper in Georgetown lore