$4 million dollars allotted to start preliminary work developing an African American Memorial in Fort Bend County

CW 39

by: Sharron Melton

FORT BEND COUNTY (KIAH) — This Juneteenth has been filled will activities, events and inspiring programs taking place around the Houston area. One in particularly involved a historic location, a cemetery, that volunteers made their mission to bring back its honor.

For 3 hours Saturday, volunteers spent the morning cleaning tombstones and removing brush and overgrowth Bates Allen Park. This location is where the historic Newman Chapel Cemetery and historic Oak Hill Cemetery, at 630 Charlie Roberts Ln. are located. These historic gravesites of former slaves have almost been forgotten. And now volunteers are preparing the area for new African American Memorial.

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Photo essay: Juneteenth volunteers clean historic grave sites of former slaves
Photo essay: Juneteenth volunteers clean historic grave sites of former slaves

Houston Landing

by Annie Mulligan / Independent Photographer

Volunteers spent Saturday morning cleaning up the neglected grave sites of at least 20 former enslaved people that were discovered in Fort Bend County last year. Independent photographer Annie Mulligan documented the group’s efforts over Juneteenth weekend.

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Volunteers clean up historic Black gravesites in Ft. Bend County

KHOU 11

Staff

KENDLETON, Texas — On this Juneteenth weekend, volunteers in Fort Bend County are cleaning up historic Black gravesites.

The sites, located in Bates Allen Park, hold the remains of former slaves who founded the City of Kendleton. The first Black state representative and the first African-American sheriff in the United States are among those buried there.

“It's important that on this day, Juneteenth, that we're paying homage to these heroes who came before us to really start this community here in Fort Bend County that we still enjoy today,” Ft. Bend County Precinct 4 Constable Dexter L. McCoy said.

“I wanted the kids to know that you can do acts of kindness without wanting to receive anything and it's part of a bigger picture how you're helping the world,” volunteer Lisa Walling added.

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African American memorial planned for Fort Bend County

Fox 26 Houston

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Fort Bend volunteers revitalize cemetery of formerly enslaved people in honor of Juneteenth
Fort Bend volunteers revitalize cemetery of formerly enslaved people in honor of Juneteenth

Houston Chronicle

Claire Goodman

Dozens of volunteers came together in the freedmen’s town of Kendleton on Saturday to clean gravestones at a historically Black cemetery in Bates Allen Park that serves at the final resting place for many former slaves who learned of their liberation 158 years ago.

The Juneteenth clean up is part of an ongoing effort to turn the park, which had fallen into disrepair, into the first African-American memorial in the Houston area. The endeavor began in February 2022 when Congressman Pete Olson went to the cemetery pay his respects to Benjamin Franklin Williams, the first Black member of the House of Representatives, and found his headstone face-down and covered in mud.

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Fort Bend County needs volunteers to help restore cemetery of former slaves over Juneteenth weekend
Fort Bend County needs volunteers to help restore cemetery of former slaves over Juneteenth weekend

Houston Chronicle

Claire Goodman | Staff writer

Fort Bend County leaders will be hosting a massive cleanup of a cemetery of formerly enslaved people, including the first Black Texas lawmaker, in honor of Juneteenth this weekend.

Organizers are asking volunteers to join them this Saturday, June 17, at 8:30 a.m. to clean the graves in Bates Allen Park in Kendleton. The graves are the final resting place of some of the first residents of Kendleton, one of the first freedmen’s towns in Texas.

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Volunteers Needed

Fort Bend Herald

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Juneteenth being celebrated around Fort Bend County

Fort Bend Star

By Ken Fountain

On Saturday, June 17, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., there will be a volunteer event to clean tombstones and remove brush overgrowth that restricts access to historic gravesites of former slaves and prepare the area for a new African American Memorial at Bates Allen Park (Historic Newman Chapel Cemetery and Historic Oak Hill Cemetery), 630 Charlie Roberts Ln., Kendleton.

The event is hosted by Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy, former U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, the Missouri City/Sugar Land Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Christ Church Sugar Land, and the Alexander Hodge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

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DA: Arson investigation was ‘absolutely relentless’
DA: Arson investigation was ‘absolutely relentless’ HERALD PHOTO BY SCOTT REESE WILLEY

Fort Bend Herald

BY SCOTT REESE WILLEY swilley@fbherald.com

The culprit who torched the Fort Bend County Probation Office in Richmond in April covered his tracks pretty well. The only thing arson investigators had to go on was a grainy image caught on security camera. That didn’t deter Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Justin Jurek and his staff.

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Front Street project halted temporarily
Front Street project halted temporarily

Fort Bend Herald

BY BRANDON NORVELL bnorvell@fbherald.com

Work on the Front Street project in Richmond has halted due to possible future maintenance issues, authorities reported.

The project calls for expanding Front Street between Richmond Parkway and Austin Street, which is also FM 762. Presently, Front Street is a small two lane street between the parkway and Austin Street with a stop sign on each end.

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