Minnie (Washington) Yates
Poth, Wilson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(October 25, 1878 - November 17, 1970) Following the Civil War and despite the turbulent times that continued for African Americans, many overcame obstacles to create better opportunities for themselves and their families. The ownership of land, a goal that symbolized freedom, was a sought-after dream for many, including Minnie (Washington) Yates (1878-1970) and her husband, R.C. Yates (1875-1945). Minnie was one of five children of James Washington (1858-1955) and Ella (Hall) Washington (1856-1950), freed former slaves of the Navarro County and Gonzales County Jones Plantation. Around the turn of the century, Minnie and R.C. Yates moved from Morales (Jackson Co.) to settle in Poth, where they purchased approximately 100 acres of lanf. As in many Freedmen's colonies and African American communities, education and religion were integral to survival and success. In 1916, Minnie and R.C. moved an old schoolhouse from Dewees to their property. This facility became home to Mount Moriah Baptist Church and a community school. As a graduate of Guadalupe College in Seguin, and African American college which opened in 1887, Minnie Yates understood the importance of education and sought to instruct her eleven children and others in the area. She successfully recruited her friend, Myrtle Love (Brown) Everage (1904-1989), to teach at the school. Everage went on to become a school principal with a long career in education before her retirement. Minnie and R.C. Yates are remembered as influential settlers in the Poth area, working tirelessly to promote community through education and encouragement. (2020)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in 1878 to formerly enslaved parents, Minnie Washington Yates pursued the goal that meant freedom to so many African American families after the Civil War: land of their own. Around 1900 she and her husband R.C. Yates settled near Poth and bought about 100 acres, and in 1916 they hauled an old schoolhouse onto their property to serve as both Mount Moriah Baptist Church and a community school. A graduate of Guadalupe College, Minnie taught her own eleven children and neighbors' children and recruited a friend who went on to a long career as a school principal.
Why it matters
Her story shows how land, faith, and education became the tools with which Black families in the Jim Crow South built lasting community and opportunity for the next generation.
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Related people
- · Minnie (Washington) Yates
- · R.C. Yates
- · Myrtle Love (Brown) Everage
Themes & tags
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