This report was submitted to the Denton County Commissioner’s Court on December 12, 2023. The independent research contained herein was inspired by a collaborative community effort to highlight the emerging historical narrative of the St. John's freed-persons community of Pilot Point, its unexplained disappearance in the 1930s, and the events that led to the community's cemetery becoming landlocked and inaccessible to the public for more than eighty years.

Presidential reconstruction in Texas proceeded under the direction of provisional governor Andrew Jackson Hamilton, a Texas Unionist. Texas Unionists had deep political roots in pre-war politics and sought to reconstruct along moderate lines. Following the constitutional convention of 1866, conservative James Webb Throckmorton won the gubernatorial race against Unionist Elisha Marshall Pease. Throckmorton's administration did very little to curb the intense violence directed at Unionists in Texas, and the conservative legislature passed legislation repressive to blacks. Texas Unionists grew increasingly radical, and Throckmorton clashed with the federal military over the question of authority. After the Radicals in Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, Throckmorton was removed as governor, and E.M. Pease was appointed in his place, ending presidential reconstruction in Texas.

Campaign flyer promoting Welton Stoker for the Denton school board. It includes information about the time for the election, information about Stoker, and a photograph of him posing wit his family.

This dissertation outlines the creation and history of the Fort Worth Stockyards Company from its conception to the time of this dissertation's publication. The Fort Worth Stockyards Company was created by Greenleif W. Simpson and Louville V. Niles. This company would soon cement Fort Worth as the premier livestock producer in America, soon surpassing Chicago.

This study presents a chronological examination of women's rights activism. The first three chapters cover the origin, growth, and success of the Texas woman suffrage movement. Chapter Four examines the issues of interest to Texas women after the right to vote was achieved, including birth control, better working conditions, unionization, jury duty, and married women's property rights. The last chapters explore the origins, growth, and success of the movement to secure an Equal Legal Rights Amendment to the state constitution, and its immediate aftermath. Sources include manuscript collections, interviews, newspaper and magazine accounts, and government documents.

Beauford Halbert Jester, thirty-sixth governor of Texas, had served nearly six months of his second term when he died on July 11, 1949. He tends to be remembered as the only Texas governor to die in office, but his accomplishments deserve greater recognition. Elected as the Establishment candidate in a bitter campaign against a liberal opponent, Jester had a surprisingly progressive administration. During his tenure the state generally expanded its services, began a prison reform program, reorganized the public school system, began an ambitious farm-to-market road program, attempted a new approach to juvenile delinquency, expanded educational opportunities for blacks, created a legislative redistricting board, and established a building fund for state-supported colleges and universities.

Photograph of John Amus and Maude Woods Clark, seated side-by-side. John is wearing a dark-colored suit and Maude is wearing a light-colored shirt with stripes and skirt with a plaid design, as well as a hat. Maude has her hand on John's knee. Their names are printed on the back of the photo.

Photograph of Jessie Taylor and her daughter, Juanita Milam, posing together in Juanita's home. Jessie is seated in a reclining chair, holding a photograph in her lap; Juanita is leaning across the arm of the chair with her arms around her mother.

Portrait of Olivia M. Seay Ammons, visible from the chest up. She is wearing a striped shirt and matching sweater. There are several handwritten notes on the back of the photograph.

Portrait of Bobbie Jo Ann Deavei wearing a light-colored dress with matching shoes and headband. She is posing seated on a padded bench in front of a studio backdrop. There are handwritten notes on the back of the photo.

Photograph of Madgy Watby (left) and O. M. Ammons (right) seated at a table in the gym at Fred Moore school. Candles and glasses are visible on the table in front of them and plants are visible on a ledge behind them.

Photograph of Alice Banks Alexander and her first husband, Mr. Banks, posing together in the garden outside their house. Mr. Banks is standing behind Alice, with his arm around her waist. Plants and the side of the house are visible in the background.

Photograph of school board members at the dedication of the Fred Moore school in Denton, Texas. Several of the people are seated and two men are standing at the front of the room. Brick walls are visible in the background. A handwritten note on the back says: "Supt. Chester G. Strickland & School Board Members at Fred Moore School Dedication/A Day To Remember! Prof F. D. Moore walks to the front to receive Plaque presented to him by our Supt."

Signature and address book used by Maggie Mayfield Hampton during her time teaching at the Fred Douglas school in Prairie View, Texas. Various friends at the school wrote notes to Maggie in the book. The journal has a purple fabric cover with a flower pattern; decorative embellishments are on the front, including flowers and the letters "Auto."

Copy print of the congregation at Mount Pilgrim Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Denton, Texas. Members of the church are seated on benches on either side of the photograph. Another group is posing in an alcove at the back of the church. A handwritten note on the back says, "Mt. Pilgrim C.M.E. Church, 339 Roberston St. 1939."

Portrait of Mrs. Luther T. Lambert, visible from the chest up. She is wearing a white shirt with a black bow tie. There are handwritten notes on the back that say "L. T. Lambert, 813 Lakey, 12 x 16, Color as original, Dec. 23."

Portrait of Dr. E. D. Moton, visible from the chest up, wearing a dark-colored suit with pens in the jacket pocket. The photograph is in an oval frame and handwritten notes on the back say: "had 2 daughters, Annetta and Myrtle, lived in Quakertown" and "Dr. E. D. Moton, first black doctor in Denton."

Portrait of E. J. Milam, Sr. and his brother posing together. E. J. Milam is seated on a bench and his brother is standing next to him. A studio backdrop is visible behind them.

Photograph of a group of people posing together in Quakertown in two rows, with one group seated in the front and the others standing behind. Other people are visible on a house porch in the background. A handwritten note on the back says "People of Quakertown."

Photograph of Wanda Garrett posing outside of a school building. Another girl is visible in the background, walking toward the front door.

Postcard of Ben Walker posing in a chair sometime around World War I. He is wearing a dark-colored uniform and holding a hat in his lap. A backdrop is visible behind him. Ben Walker, was the son of Andy and Phoebe Brown Walker, and he served in France during World War I.

Wedding portrait of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Milam, Sr., posing together and visible from the chest up. Mrs. Milam is wearing a light-colored dress with a high collar and Mr. Milam is wearing a dark-colored suit. The photograph is in an oval frame with decoration around the outside. A handwritten note on the back says "Mr. & Mrs. E.J. Milam Sr. Wedding."

Portrait of the Milam brothers, E. J. Milam, Jr. (left) and Francis (right) posing together. Francis is wearing a dark-colored suit with a large bow tie and is seated on a stool; E. J. is wearing a light-colored suite with a large bow tie and is standing to the left with his arm around his brother. There are handwritten notes on the back.

Photograph of Mildred Ayers (on left) and Lillian Taylor (right) posing together out-of-doors. They appear to be wearing costumes and holding swords, pointed at the ground and they have their arms on one another's shoulders. There is a fence and tree in the background. The back of the photograph says Mr. and Mrs. E. Milam.