The Enterprising Folks of Wilson County

 

1898-1899 Journal of Jesse Lane Tiner

The Sutherland Springs Historical Museum has a transcription of J. L. Tiner's Journal from February 15, 1886 to February 9, 1889. This journal describes in some detail the construction of the Tiner House – where he bought the lumber, the bricks for the chimney, how deep he dug the foundation, who worked on the house, how much they were paid, how he painted the house. The Journal also gives an amazing insight into the community of Sutherland Springs and Wilson County, Texas, telling about the politics, industry, agriculture, climate, religion, society, diversions, and people of the area.

Recently, through the graciousness of Tiner family members, I have been granted the joy and privilege of transcribing the 1898-1899 Tiner Journal. The cover is pictured above. In this Journal we learn that J. L. is settled into the community, running a cotton gin and a grist mill, cutting and hauling cord wood to the Depot in New Town Sutherland Springs, growing his own crops, pasturing his and other folks cattle, renting pasture and farm land to others in the community, and raising his own family. We also learn about events in the community – deaths, births, illnesses, political controversies, murders, wildfires, and celebrations. One of the interesting events is the construction of a two-story Black school, built under the supervision of Prof. Jesse S. Wilson. 

Wilson County School Census Records 1903

 

 

 

I have learned from school census records that in 1903 the Stephenson Colony District School No. 9 in Sutherland Springs had an enrollment of 110 Black students, compared to about the same number in the white school. Tiner's Journal of 1899 tells about the construction of the school.

Tiner Journal 1898-1899 p. 47

  In his Journal of March 16, 1899, Jesse Lane Tiner wrote:

"J. S. Wilson (colored) putting lumber on the ground for his colored school house in Sutherland Springs. Seems the Negroes has more enterprise than the white people of this town."

 

Tiner Journal 1898-1899 p. 51

He repeated those thoughts on March 22:

"J. S. Wilson colored is putting up a two story College in Sutherland Springs and will open a colored school in Fall J. S. W. has got more enterprise than most of the white people of this neighborhood." 

On March 27, he adds:

"J S Wilson College is coming up fast. Will probably have a summer Normal in it this summer."

A Summer Normal School was intended to train teachers for the coming school year.

And on April 13, he writes:

"J. S. Wilson's College is about completed. Finished Bell Tower yesterday while I was passing watering my live stock."

The school was constructed in the midst of a measles outbreak and a drought. Mr. Tiner was driving his stock down to the Cibolo Creek to get water, because the tanks on his place were too dry. 

This story is corroborated in two newspaper articles in the San Antonio Daily Express for March 19 and April 16.

San Antonio Daily Express, 19 March 1899, p 6 
Sutherland Springs

Lumber Arrives for Building a Colored Church-The Measles

Sutherland Springs, Tex.. March 15—A [carload] of lumber arrived last Tuesday to be used in building a colored high school and church building here. The building will be two stories 30x14 (sic 40) feet in dimensions. Prof. Jesse Wilson, a prominent colored teacher of Wilson County, is president of the institution for the present.

The measles are still going the round, there being about twenty cases in town

Deputy Sherrif J. J. Heathcock has been real sick with the measles this week, but is better now.

Mrs. W. T. Wilson, wife of W. T. Wilson of San Antonio, with her son Ben T. Wilson is [stopping] at Polley’s hotel. They are here for the benefit of their health, and will stay until June. 

San Antonio Daily Express, 16 April 1899, p 16 
In Sutherland Springs

The [Big] Colored School is Nearing Completion-The Measles Dying Out

Sutherland Springs, Tex.. April 14—The new colored high school is very rapidly nearing completion and will be ready for occupation in a few days. The building is two stories high, thirty by forty feet in dimensions, and when completed will be the handsomest building in our town. From the upper story a grand view of the country for miles around it may be had. School will be opened some time in October next in this building, and a large attendance is expected,

The measles, which have been causing a great deal of inconvenience for the last sic weeks, have about used up all the material and the community will be rid of them in a few days, to the great relief of everybody.

The enterprising folks of Sutherland Springs had also sent a petition to the Texas State Legislature, asking for aid in building the school.

 

 

[description of request] 
Petition from 
citizens of 
Wilson County 
asking for aid 
in building 
School House 
for Col. Children 
by request 
Murray 
1/26/99 Recd 
first time 
Ref Co. 
Evaluation 

[page 1]

State of Texas, 
County of Wilson, 
Town of Sutherland Springs, Texas 
Jan. 19th, 1899 
To the Hon. Board of Education 
Austin, Texas

Gentleman: We the undersign citizens 
and taxpayers of the above named 
County do hereby petition your Hon. 
in behalf of the Colored Youth of the 
above name Town, located in Wilson 
County praying ask that the present 
Legislature an act a special law, or a law 
for the benefit, of the many Pupils of said 
County who has advanced beyond the 
ordinary training given by our general 
public school system in said County. 
We the undersign citizens pray ask 
the present Legislature to set apart all 
the funds accruing from public ^school lands 
Belonging to Wilson County, & apportion 
for the benefit of the Colored Youth of said 
County, and that said funds be given to 
aid in the erection of a high school 
that is now in course of erection at 
Sutherland Springs, or give to said school $5000.00 
and said school should to be non sectarian 
& conducted in accordance with the rules 
regulations prescribed by the Department, 

[page 2]

Education, County, Supt or (ex officio) 
Said High School shall be know as 
Sutherland Springs Academy & Normal Training School, = 

J. S. Wilson (Present Principal) 
Manager, & Financial Agent.
H. B. Gouger, County Judge & ex officio [Superintendent] 
W. A. Scott, County Treasurer, Wilson Co. 
R. R. Creech Tax Assessor Wilson Co. 
E. D. Mays County Clerk. Wilson Co. 
M. J. Ximinez County Sheriff Wilson Co. 
J. Wiseman Dist. Clerk Wilson Co. 
Geo. Eliknis [Elkins] Merchant, Sutherland Springs, Tex 
C. P Warren PM [postmaster], Sutherland Springs, Tex. 
W. O. Brown Merchant, Sutherland Springs, Tex. 

H. W. Talley Merchant, Sutherland Springs, Tex. 

 

My husband's great-grandfather, R. R. Creech, signed this petition. I do know that the petition was read of the floor of the Texas State House of Representatives, on January 26, 1899 and referred to the Education Committee. I do not know if they ever received any funds for the school.

 

 

A few years earlier, in 1893, other enterprising folks from Wilson County had petitioned the Texas State Legislature to establish a Branch of the Texas University for Colored People in Wilson County. The petition was signed by fifty Black men from Wilson County. Many of these names are familiar to me from my research. Reuben Robinson was one of the enslaved people from the Polley Plantation. The Cruse family started a freedom colony and a school. A cemetery bears his name. Harry Dosedo also had a freedom colony and a school and a cemetery named for him. The Brooks and the Wash families still live in the area. Albert Todd is mentioned in the WPA slave narrative stories. To mention a few.

 

[description of request]

Petition from

citizens of

Wilson County

asking for establish

ment of a branch

of the Texas University

for Colored per-

sons______________

 

By Graves

Feb 13

Education

 

[page 1]

La Vernia Texas

                  Feb 10 11 1893,

Hon. F. R. Graves, Representative

in the Legislature of Texas for

our County [Wilson]

Hon. Sir: —       We the colored

citizens of Wilson County

Believing that you are a friend to our progress and that you

are willing to do the greatest

good to the greatest number of

us, do Pray you to put the

following Petition before the state

Legislature, in session at Austin now:

                                    Wilson County, ^{feb 11th} 1893.

To the Legislature.

                  Gentlemen: —

We the undersigned colored citizens of Wilson County Texas, do

hereby earnestly ask you to

establish immediately a branch

University for Colored youths.

                  Signers: —

 

1.        A. M. Johnson

2.        C. Myers

3.        Reuben Robinson

4.        Dock Robinson

5.        James Cruse

6.        Ireland Cruse

7.        Philip Jackson

8.        James Reece

9.        Prof. G. W. Williams 

10.  Tollie Kindricks

11.   Henry Kindricks

12.  W. M. Johnson sr

13.  W. M. Johnson jr

14.  Samuel Turban

15.  David Johnson

16.  Moses Johnson

17.  Henry Johnson

18.  Nelson Brooks

19.  Jorden Brooks

20.  Harry Carpenter

21.  Thomas Carpenter

22.  W. G. Scarlet

23.  Will Williams

24.  Peter Reece

25.  James Johnson

26.  Joe Turban

27.  Lee Beasly

28.  Albert Todd

29.  Robert Heice

30.  John Jinkens

31.  Lawrence Johnson

32.  Joe Britton

33.  George Applewhite

34.  Poleon Walker

35.  James Smith

36.  Charler Poter

37.  Sanuel Adams

38.  A. J. Fontelery

39.  Clay Cuffin

40.  Austin Williams

41.  Adam Jackson

42.  William Clark

43.  Louis Jackson

44.  Willis Wash

45.  Orange Wash

46.  Mitchel Miller

47.  Edward Hunt

48.  Harvey Miller

49.  George Shelton

50.  Harry Dosedo

As before, the petition was read on the floor of the Texas State House of Representatives, on February 13, 1893 and referred to the Education Committee. Obviously, their request was not granted. However, it may have influenced the establishment of other institutions for Black people about that same time.

 

 

 

 The Sutherland Springs School No. 9 continued to thrive for at least a decade. As the Black population left Wilson County, the school enrollment dwindled. By 1910 Jesse S. Wilson and his wife Cora had moved to San Antonio. Cora Wilson Lott Jackson became the principal of the Sojourner Truth School in San Antonio and served in that capacity for 40 years.

 

This is the only photo of the school I can find.

 

 

Mrs. Bernice McIntyre, a Black public school teacher from Seguin, is the teacher. The students in the photo are:

Ray ?

Easter Jean Matthews

Vera Faye Wiliams

Leroy Matthews

Novella Matthews

Sherman Pass

Neomia Williams

James Matthews

Ola Belle Matthew

Joe Edward Nobles

Rine Nobles

Mose Nobles

I think the photograph is from the 1940s. I think the school was built on Block 42 in Sutherland Springs, between 3rd and 4th Streets and 12th and 13th. I do not know its location for sure, and I do not know what happened to it. It may have been torn down when US 87 came through the town in the 1950s. The last two students enrolled in the school were Vera Fay Williams and her sister Ruby in 1948.

 

If you know anything about this school or the people who attended the school, I would love to talk to you.