Near Huntsville in Walker County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Sam Houston Industrial and Training School

Photographed By James Hulse, March 31, 2022

1. Sam Houston Industrial and Training School Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Legislated after the close of the Civil War, the Texas Constitution of 1866 provided for a public school system supported by funds derived from property taxes; monies collected from African Americans would go to schools for their children. Although the law continued to change during the next decades, the primary providers of African American education were the Freedmen's Bureau, churches, missionary associations and philanthropists.

Samuel W. Houston (1864-1945) was born in Huntsville to Joshua and Sylvester Houston. His father was a slave and personal bodyguard of former Texas President Sam Houston. His family believed strongly in education, and he earned degrees from the Hampton Institute in Virginia, Atlanta University in Georgia and Howard University in Washington, DC. He returned to Huntsville in 1900 and established a newspaper. He then taught in Grimes County and at the Huntsville Community School before establishing a school circa 1906 near here in what was the Galilee Community.

The Sam Houston Industrial and Training School began in the Galilee Methodist Church, which Houston rented for the classes. He soon added

The Sam Houston Industrial and Training School Marker along the highway image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, March 31, 2022

2. The Sam Houston Industrial and Training School Marker along the highway

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teachers and programs, offering vocational curriculum as well as the arts and humanities. Trustees built the first schoolhouse in 1914 and continued to add facilities, including dormitories and workshops.

By 1930, the school served hundreds of students from around the state. That year, the Sam Houston School merged into the Huntsville Colored School, which became Sam Houston High School. It closed in 1968 due to integration. The foundation set by Houston and other early educators ensured the education of generations of African American students in the 20th century.

Erected 2005 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13238.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Communications • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 30° 41.924′ N, 95° 37.735′ W. Marker is near Huntsville, Texas, in Walker County. Marker is at the intersection of State Highway 30 and Williams Road, on the left when traveling west on State Highway 30. The marker is located just west of the intersection with Williams Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Huntsville TX 77340, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Ebenezer Cemetery (approx. 2.6 miles away); Martha's Chapel (approx. 3½ miles away); Fire Hose Carts

The view of the Sam Houston Industrial and Training School Marker from the highway image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, March 31, 2022

3. The view of the Sam Houston Industrial and Training School Marker from the highway

(approx. 3.7 miles away); Washing Pots (approx. 3.7 miles away); Syrup Kettle (approx. 3.7 miles away); Rodeo Chutes (approx. 3.7 miles away); Forward Observation Post (approx. 3.7 miles away); M60-A-3 Patton Tank (approx. 3.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntsville.

Also see . . . Houston, Samuel Walker (1864–1945).

Samuel Walker Houston, black school founder and administrator, son of Joshua Houston and Sylvester Lee, was born into slavery at Huntsville, Texas, on February 12, 1864. His father, Joshua, was owned by Sam Houston. Source: The Handbook of Texas

(Submitted on April 7, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 147 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 7, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.