Blackberry Community
Plantersville vicinity, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Settlers mostly from the Lower South (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia) settled this part of Grimes County near John's Creek. By the late 19th century, Blackberry became a largely African-American settlement. Most families raised livestock and such crops as cotton and corn. At its peak, the community also boasted a cotton gin, grist mill and stores. Macedonia Baptist Church dates from 1870; in 1899, William and Martha Burrell sold land to trustees A. W. Ruckett, J. L. Nickerson and Starling Baker. The church site was also an African-American school. Blackberry's population has declined since the Great Depression, and the school closed in the 1960s. Many descendants return during Macedonia Baptist Church's annual homecoming. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Settled by families from the Lower South along John's Creek, Blackberry had become a largely African American community by the late nineteenth century. Residents raised livestock, cotton, and corn, and at its height the settlement supported a cotton gin, grist mill, and stores. Macedonia Baptist Church, dating from 1870, anchored the community and doubled as the local African American school. Though population has thinned since the Great Depression, descendants still return each year for the church's homecoming.
Why it matters
Blackberry preserves the story of the self-sustaining Black farming communities that took shape across the post-Emancipation South, where the church and school were the beating heart of collective life.
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Related people
- · William Burrell
- · Martha Burrell
- · A. W. Ruckett
- · J. L. Nickerson
- · Starling Baker
Related events
- · Founding of Macedonia Baptist Church, 1870
Themes & tags
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