The Freedmen’s town movement involved the establishment of communities by formerly enslaved African Americans in the United States, mostly organized after the Civil War and emancipation in 1865. These settlements, often called “Freedmen’s Towns” or “Freedom Colonies,” were created as areas where African Americans could live independently, build self sufficient communities, and exercise newfound independence away from outside control. The movement is most closely associated with the communities in the post war South, but similar communities emerged across the U.S. There were several Freedmen’s towns and neighborhoods in Dallas and Dallas County. The list of towns usually includes those noted below:
- North Dallas (Uptown/State-Thomas). This was one of the earliest African American communities, located just outside what was then the Dallas city limits. A rough description of the boundaries might be from east of the Houston & Texas Central railroad along Hall Street between Thomas Avenue and Flora Street and on the west side of the tracks between Cochran and Flora streets westward to Pearl Street.
- Tenth Street (Oak Cliff). This location is Dallas’ 12th historic district, as adopted in 1993. It is noted as being one of the few Freedman’s Towns in the country that remains virtually intact. Homes date from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The National Register of Historic Places describes its boundaries as follows: The area is roughly bounded by R.L. Thornton Freeway (Interstate 35E) on the west, East 8th Street on the north, and the former Interurban Railway right-of-way and Clarendon Drive on the southeast.
- Little Egypt (North of White Rock). This area is no longer in existence after residents sold their property to developers in the early 1960s. It was a virtually self contained community with residences, at least one church, shops and other services. Egypt, or Little Egypt, was an area of around 35 acres, located just north of the currently existing roads of Northwest Highway, between Ferndale and Audelia, north of White Rock Lake, around the intersection of Thurgood Lane and Shoreview Road.
- Deep Ellum (North of Downtown). Located just outside the old downtown area, adjacent to the North Dallas Freedman’s town. It mainly served the African American community as a place of entertainment and culture. Its boundaries may roughly be described as north of Canton Street, east of Good Street, south of Elm Street and west of Hall Street. Although it had some residences, Deep Ellum may not have had a significant amount of them, so some consider it to have primarily a business district and effectively an extension of North Dallas.
- Joppa/Joppee (South Dallas). An early African American settlement not currently designated as a historic district of the City of Dallas. It is another mostly still intact community that had its origin as a Freedmen’s town around 1870. Using the currently existing roads and landmarks, its boundaries may roughly be described as follows: north of the Trinity River, east of the Trinity River wetlands, south of the Union Pacific rail line and west of the Southern Pacific rail lines.
- Bear Creek (Irving). Founded after the Civil War. It had churches, a cemetery and at least one school which later became part of Irving Independent School District.
Other towns and neighborhoods that were settled largely by formerly enslaved people and their descendants include the following:
- Alpha – North of the current Interstate 635, east of Montfort, west of Hillcrest around White Rock Creek; upper White Rock.
- Bon Ton – South Dallas neighborhood in the vicinity of Hatcher Street, Malcolm X and South Central Expressway.
- The Bottom – South of the Trinity River in north Oak Cliff, near today’s Jefferson viaduct.
- Cedar Crest – East of downtown in what was known as The Cedars.
- Eagle Ford – Large area roughly on the western portion of West Dallas; extended north and south of the current Interstate 20.
- Elm Thicket – North of Love Field. Its rough boundaries were Lemmon Avenue, West Lovers Lane, Inwood Road and West Mockingbird Lane.
- Fair Park – Neighborhood around Fair Park.
- Fields Community – East of White Rock Creek; in terms of current roads, boundaries were from Merriman on the south, Abrams on the west, Church on the north and Skillman on the east.
- Thomas Hill Community – In Oak Cliff, roughly around Colorado and Sylvan. Took its name from land inherited by formerly enslaved people from their former slave holder.
- Trinity Heights – Near current location of the Dallas Zoo between Marsalis and Kiest.
- Mill City – Around a business east of Fair Park bounded on the north by Military Parkway and on the south by Hatcher Street.
- Stringtown – Name given to the area between Deep Ellum and North Dallas
- Queen City Heights – Roughly bounded by Pennsylvania, Pine, what is now S. M. Wright Freeway and Myrtle Street.
- Vickery – East of today’s Central Expressway, near Park Lane and Greenville.
- Booker T. Washington Community – Roughly ten acres between the old MKT tracks and the Houston and Texas Central tracks, from Fitzhugh all the way north to where the tracks used to cross in Highland Park.
- Wheatley Place – A small neighborhood that began a few blocks northeast of Queen City Heights.
As the city has grown, many of these neighborhoods have been divided up to accommodate freeways, streets and rail lines. Some have been completely swallowed up by other neighborhoods. Others have given way to commercial development or multifamily residential growth.
Sources:
“Our Stories: Black Families in Early Dallas” edited by George Keaton, Jr. and Judith Garrett Segura, Unversity of North Texas Press, 2022.
