Jacob Fontaine
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(c. 1808 - 1898) Jacob Fontaine was born in Arkansas and came to Austin about 1850 as a slave of Episcopal minister Edward Fontaine. In 1864 Jacob began preaching separate service for fellow slaves attending the First Baptist Church, then founded the First Baptist Church, Colored. About 1867, Jacob also established five other churches in this area and a county association of black Baptists. He was politically active, published the "Gold Dollar," an early black newspaper, and urged black voters to support Austin's bid for the University of Texas in 1881. He is buried here in an unmarked grave. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born into slavery around 1808, Jacob Fontaine came to Austin about 1850 as the enslaved property of an Episcopal minister. In 1864 he began preaching to fellow enslaved people and, after emancipation, founded the First Baptist Church, Colored, and roughly five other congregations along with a county association of Black Baptists. He published the "Gold Dollar," one of Austin's earliest Black newspapers, and campaigned to bring the University of Texas to the city.
Why it matters
Fontaine's churches, newspaper, and political organizing show how freedpeople built independent institutions in the Reconstruction South, claiming a public voice in the decades after slavery.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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