Verna D. Matthews
Contributing writer
The Historic Designation Committee of Bivins, Texas, The Leek Creek Community, announced this week that that the St. Paul Cemetery has been awarded a Historic Designation from The Texas Historical Commission.
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is located in Austin, and Mark Wolfe is the Executive Director.
The THC has recognized the St. Paul Cemetery as a significant part of Texas history by awarding it an official Texas historical
marker.
The designation honors St. Paul Cemetery, Leek Creek, Bivins #2 as an important and educational part of local history. This historical
designation comes with a measure of protection under Texas law.
This protection includes vandalism, encroachment, theft and the development process.
Therefore, an affidavit of dedication was signed and filed on Aug. 23, 2021, in the Cass County Clerk’s Office. It was signed by the County Commissioner of Cass County.
Once all papers were signed and filed a certificate was also filed in Austin. A certificate of Completion was then mailed to the Historic Designation Committee of the Leek Creek Community.
Most of all, the St. Paul Cemetery meets all of the requirements for a historic designation.
For example, the St. Paul Cemetery is at least 150 plus years old, and shows strong indication of being a slave cemetery. The Leek Creek Community is known to be a “Freedom Colony.”
A Freedom Colony is where ex-slaves migrated to start a new beginning.
Many moved from a large plantation in Taylor County, Georgia.
During this settlement, three ex-freedmen purchased four acres of land for a church and school with an existing cemetery.
Significantly, these former slaves helped Americans come to Texas for more prosperous living.
Therefore, the purchase of a Rosenwald School was the beginning of prosperity.
Professor Walter S. Mitchell found that a new and larger school would be necessary for educational growth.
He met in secrecy with a Rosenwald representative to get funds to build a brand new school.
He named the new school St. Helena.
Black entrepreneurship is the name for the hard working men and women in the Leek Creek Community.
Business men like “Uncle” Duck Roquemore owned several lucrative businesses such as ginning cotton and owning his own lumber mill.
Mr. Clayton Roquemore, Sr., his son, was the first to own a general store. More so, Mr. Robert Lavert, Sr. was a builder who owned his own business constructing houses and schools.
Also, during World War II, Sgt. Leroy Hanks and Sgt. Prentice Roquemore were foot soldiers who won many medals for bravery.
The 92nd Infantry Division also known as The Buffalo Soldiers was the only African American division to face combat in Europe during WWII.
Our military heroes are interred in the St. Paul Cemetery along with our educators, entrepreneurs and ex-slaves.