Black Education in Orange County
As early as the 1870s, Orange County's African American children attended school in private homes and churches. The Orange County commissioners established 17 school districts in 1887. Schools included the Duncan Woods No. 3, located in the Duncan Woods community of southwestern Orange County. The school had probably been in operation for several years at that time. Thomas F. Pollard served as an early teacher there.
Students within the city of Orange attended school at Mount Zion Baptist and then Salem Methodist Episcopal Colored Church in the 1880s. Under the leadership of teacher A.J. Criner, the school later moved to the United Brotherhood Friendship Hall. S.R. Pickney served as principal for 13 years, and during his tenure the school moved into a two-story frame structure, which became the Orange Colored School. It was renamed in 1930 in honor of educator and Tuskegee Institute President Russa Moton and again in 1946 for longtime Orange teacher and principal Emma Henderson Wallace. Moton Elementary and High School, which later occupied a three-story brick structure, was known for its beautiful campus and won acclaim for its sports and band programs.
The district included schools for several hundred African American students and continued to build new facilities up until integration in 1966. It utilized Franklin Elementary,
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Erected 2004 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 16630.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1964.
Location. 30° 6.256′ N, 93° 43.858′ W. Marker is in Orange, Texas, in Orange County. Marker is at the intersection of Second Street and West Turrett Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Second Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Orange TX 77630, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Emma Henderson Wallace (approx. 0.2 miles away); Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hollywood Community Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Salem United Methodist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Black Education in Orange County (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cox House
More about this marker. Located in the Solomon Johnson Park.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 1,068 times since then and 124 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 14, 2018.
