Shankleville Community Oral History Collection
Scope and Contents Note
The Shankleville Community Oral History Collection contains photographs, documentation, select interview transcriptions, and 11 oral history interviews conducted by Lareatha H. Clay, founding member of the Shankleville Historical Society, and Dan K. Utley. The collection includes two series: Collection Documents and Oral History Interviews.
Interviews are accessible online, and are linked with each file listed below. Interviews may also be accessed on site via CD access copies (Folder 1), according to the file number. Please note that discs 1-3 include MP3 and/or DVD files of each interview and will only play in devices that support MP3 and DVD; discs 4-17 include files of each interview that are compatible all devices, including CD players.
Dates
- Creation: 2002-2006
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Historical Note
Shankleville, Texas, is an historic freedom colony located in northcentral Newton County in east Texas. Freedom colonies, also known as freedom communities, Black settlements, Black enclaves, or freedmen’s towns, were independent communities founded from 1856-1920 by African Americans. It is estimated that there are over 550 in the state of Texas, and Newton County is home to approximately ten freedom colonies, including Shankleville.
Shankleville was founded in 1867 by Jim and Winnie (Bush) Shankle, the first African Americans in Newton County to purchase land after emancipation. Jim (b. 1811, Kentucky - d. 1888, Texas) and Winnie (b. 1814, Tennessee - d. 1883, Texas) were born into slavery, and met while enslaved in Mississippi. The two were separated when Winnie and her three children were sold to a man in Texas. In pursuit, Jim fled from the Mississippi plantation where he was enslaved, walking over 400 miles and crossing the Mississippi River. The two ultimately reunited in Texas, and Winnie’s owner arranged to purchase Jim. Together, the couple raised Winnie’s three children and had six of their own: George Washington (Wash) Rollins, Tobe Perkins, Mary Rollins (McBride), George, Henry, Houston, John, Harriet (Odom), and B. M. (Lewis).
At its height, the farming community of Shankleville was home to around 75 families and included a general store, blacksmith shop, gristmill, sawmill, cotton gin, syrup mill, churches, and schools—including McBride College which operated from 1883-1909. In 1941, Shankleville residents began hosting annual homecomings that continue on today. These celebrations bring together the nearly 50 families currently living in Shankleville along with their relatives to commemorate their past, provide support for local projects and scholarships, and clean the community’s cemeteries.
For more information:
Shankleville Historical Society
Shankleville Odom House, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
" Shankleville," Handbook of Texas
Full Extent
.2 linear feet
Abstract
The Shankleville Community Oral History Collection contains photographs, documentation, select interview transcriptions, and 11 oral history interviews recounting the history of Shankleville, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Donation.
Additions
No further materials are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Rachel E. Winston, 2019-2020.
- Title
- Shankleville Community Oral History Collection
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Dacs)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2020 September: Edited by Carla O. Alvarez to fix compliance check errors to prepare for the migration to new TARO website.
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu