Italy Colored City Hall
Italy, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Frustrated by poor infrastructure, residents of an African American community in Italy called “the Hill” rallied to get a hearing with the city council in the mid-twentieth century. A group of African American men met in a small building on Poplar Street to discuss their impending meeting with the city council. The meeting between them and the all-white city council led to the establishment of the Italy Colored City Council around 1950. Elections for both city councils were held at the same time, and all citizens could vote on both ballots. In the first election for the Colored City Council, the people elected John Henry Farrow (1891-1959) as mayor, Nelton Tarrant (1913-1989) as secretary, and James “Jim” Hardeman (1885-1953), Matthew Sweatt (1882-1969), Walter Smith (1893-1961), Edd Lee Lewis (1900-1967), and William Costonia Jennings (1920-2009) as aldermen. A march 1951 issue of Ebony magazine featured the men in the article, “Texas’ first Negro Mayor.” Most, if not all, of the men elected to the council were descendants of enslaved people in Ellis County, illustrating the continued endurance of African Americans in Ellis County. The small wooden building with the sign “Colored City Hall” on the front was built in 1953 on Williams Street. The building served as a meeting place for African American council members and represented hope and progress for the Italy African American community. Despite the history of racial violence and segregation in Ellis County, the Italy Colored City Hall stands as a symbol of African American self-determination and political activism. (2017)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Frustrated by neglected streets and services, African American residents of the Italy neighborhood known as "the Hill" won a hearing with the city council and, around 1950, established their own Colored City Council, electing John Henry Farrow as mayor. Ebony magazine featured the men in 1951, and in 1953 they built a small frame "Colored City Hall" as their meeting place.
Why it matters
In the heart of the segregated South, Italy's Colored City Hall stands as a testament to African American self-government and the drive for a political voice denied by Jim Crow.
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Related people
- · John Henry Farrow
- · Nelton Tarrant
Themes & tags
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