Nigton Community
Apple Springs, Trinity County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Following emancipation, African Americans in the northeast part of Trinity County formed the freedom colony of Nigton, east of Apple Springs. Many stayed close to their former plantations, working as farm laborers, engaging in share cropping or owning their own farms or ranches. The 1880s saw an increase in population and African American land ownership, and the community began to thrive with a diverse agricultural and civic landscape. Nigton was noted for its well-planned farms, fine cattle, hogs, poultry, produce and a high standard of living. Jefferson Calhoun Carter (1855-1936), a landowner, school teacher and progressive leader, was one of the first graduates from Wiley College in Marshall. He promoted pride in the community that continued past his death in 1936. Education was an integral part of the community with land donated in 1888 for a school, named Pine Island School. The community received a Rosenwald grant for a school in 1927-28 and raised over $5000 in bonds and donations. Programs were offered to elementary through high school students with four teachers and a shop room, and acted as a county training school. Noted teacher and scholar, Professor Wayne Wright Johnson (1879-1969), taught at the school from 1910 to 1950. A graduate of Prairie View A&M college and a student of botany, he became the principal of the Nigton school and was committed to the education of Nigton. The community established the Mayo Baptist Church, Pine Grove colored Methodist Episcopal Church (also known as Ligon Chapel), St. John Union, Masonic Lodge and several retail stores and shops. Prohibited from white events, the community formed their own sporting events and celebrations, including baseball, basketball and community barbeques in June in celebration of Juneteenth. (2016)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After emancipation, African Americans in northeastern Trinity County founded the freedom colony of Nigton, where families worked as laborers, sharecroppers, and increasingly as landowners. By the 1880s the community thrived with well-kept farms, fine livestock, churches, lodges, and shops, and it prized education, winning a Rosenwald grant for a school and drawing dedicated teachers who taught for decades. Barred from white celebrations, residents built their own, including Juneteenth barbecues each June.
Why it matters
Freedom colonies like Nigton show how formerly enslaved people built self-sufficient, landowning communities against long odds, making education and independence the foundation of freedom.
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Related people
- · Jefferson Calhoun Carter
- · Wayne Wright Johnson
Related events
- · Juneteenth
Themes & tags
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