Dabney Hill Freedom Colony

Dabney Hill Freedom Colony. . Following Emancipation in 1865, formerly enslaved African Americans established independent communities known as Freedom Colonies or Freedmen's Towns. Between 1865 and 1920, more than 500 of these settlements were established in Texas. These safe havens were successful attempts at autonomy and self-reliance. They provided economic security for their families and descendants through land ownership., By 1870, Daniel Dabney, Sr. (1815-1889), a former Burleson County slave born in Virginia, purchased 60 acres on a hill near present-day Snook. Dabney purchased additional acreage for his family, who went on to help build and establish Dabney Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Ethiopian Star Lodge No. 308 on the site. The church and lodge became anchors of the community, assisting with economic, social and political security and support., In 1874, Dabney Hill Colored School was organized under the leadership of Daniel Dabney, Sr., David Napper, Sr., and John Munson, Sr. The community built and donated the facilities and equipment. The school later merged with other Freedom Colony schools to form Tom Willie Jones High School during segregation. In the 1880s, Czech immigrants established the community of Sebesta near Dabney Hill. The two settlements eventually coalesced into the community of Snook when a post office opened by that name in 1895. Rare for the times, African American citizens from Dabney Hill served as postmaster, including Robert E. Hoskins, son of Washington Hoskins, and John A. Dabney, grandson of the town founder. Many descendants of these founders went on to become educators, politicians and leaders in the community. Although a small, rural settlement, the Dabney Hill Freedom Colony represents a significant and inspiring story of self-sufficiency and liberty.