Today@Sam Article
Museum Honors Black History Month With Exhibit
Feb. 3, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd
By Megan Buro
The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library presents the exhibit, “12 Plus One.” This is an exhibition revealing the ongoing research by the museum of the 12 enslaved individuals listed on Sam Houston’s probate inventory in 1863 plus Tom Blue, who ran away to Mexico and later returned to live the rest of his life in the city of Houston.
Each of these people were born into slavery and though their journeys were different, all eventually found themselves working and caring for the Houston family. They performed duties that were essential to the success of Sam Houston’s legacy until becoming freed citizens after emancipation.
“The museum continues to further our research and expand our knowledge on all the enslaved people that were associated with the Houston family,” said Jude Routh, curator of exhibits.
This past year, Routh spent time working with Joshua Houston’s descendants to put together his family tree. The process involved building out three individual family trees to account for the descendants of Joshua and each of the three women he had married throughout his life.
Born into slavery in Marion, Alabama in 1822, Joshua grew up on the plantation owned by Margaret Lea Houston’s father, Temple Lea. Upon Lea’s death in 1834, Margaret inherited Joshua. When Margaret and Sam married in 1840, Joshua came with them to Texas and became one of the 12 enslaved people listed on Sam’s probate inventory. After emancipation, he would become an educator, alderman and county commissioner in Huntsville.
“Margaret Houston told Joshua to take his life’s savings and educate his children, and that’s exactly what he did,” Routh said. “Through research and communication with his descendants, it has been revealed to me how extensive his family has expanded, spreading coast to coast across the United States. There have been four generations of educators so far.”
Visitors also get to view items from the museum’s collection, such as an iron plow point made by Joshua, an original print of Joshua leading the Juneteenth Parade in Huntsville around the turn of the 20th century and a letter by Jeff Hamilton dated April 1933, “In memory of Sam Houston as I knew him.”
“This exhibit highlights two things to me,” said Derrick Birdsall, museum director. “First, sharing what we already know of Joshua, Eliza, Jeff, Tom and the others. Secondly, it highlights just how much we have yet to learn, and hope to learn, about the other enslaved people who lived and worked on the Houston farm. It’s my hope that each year this exhibit grows and scope as we learn new information.”
“12 Plus One” will be on display until March 2, 2025, at the museum’s Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center located at 1402 19th Street.
The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library is a part of Sam Houston State University and dedicated to preserving the memory of Sam Houston and his times. The museum complex is open Tuesday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit the museum website at samhoustonmemorialmuseum.com or call the museum at 936-294-1832.
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