EDUCATION
To share and collect personal histories, thereby increasing the community's knowledge of unknown, undertold, or untold stories.
PERSONAL HISTORICAL PRESENTATIONS
Members are encouraged to research their own genealogy and share their progress with the group. It is the hope to create a website where some of these stories can be shared, as well as a site for others who are interested in sharing their genealogy. We encourage community presentations of their histories in hopes to close any family gaps as well as to excite others to research their own genealogical histories.
SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONS
While Wheeler Peavy’s first book was published over 35 years ago on his family’s genealogy, he continues to research family branches. His first book detailed the white families that brought over his ancestors, tow former slaves, Horace and Charles Smith. According to Mr. Harrison, it was with this research that helped excite more research on these untold stories. In 2013, Mr. Peavy published his second family history book, which highlighted the diaspora of his family. It reviews those family lineages who were brought to Grimes County.
Dr. Tina Henderson is working on her maternal genealogy. Thus far she has been able to trace her heritage back six generations. These findings were shared at the Grant-Hubert Family Reunion on October 5, 2019. Her plan is to complete this research and publish her findings for her family.
Janel Jefferson continues to research her maternal and fraternal family genealogy.
Cheryl DaBera continues to research her maternal family genealogy (McAdoo). She also in the planning stage of creating a family cookbook, which is based on some of her grandmother’s recipes.
JoAnn Wolf continues to research her German genealogy. She also serves as the ambassador for the German American Connection.
Community Presentations:
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Charles Swenson and Ray Mildren presented on the Camptown Cemetery’s significance to the Department of Geology at Texas A&M for their geology group. (2017)
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Cheryl DaBera to Washington County Genealogy Society about her maternal great-great grandfather (Huse McAdoo). (2017)
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Charles Swenson at the Washington-on-the-Brazos Juneteenth Celebration on the History of Emancipation Celebration in Brenham/Washington County. (2017)
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Tina Henderson to the Mount Olive Ministerial Association on the collaboration of the Texas Ten Historical Explorers and the Texas Freedom Colonies Project. (2019)
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Tina Henderson to the Washington County Genealogy Society on the Texas Ten Historical Explorers (tidbit). (2019)
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Charles Swenson to Washington County Genealogy Society about some of the Camptown Cemetery residents. (2019)
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Tina Henderson to the Washington County Genealogy Society on Rosenwald Schools (2022)
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Tina Henderson to the Independent Historical Society on Rosenwald Schools (2023)
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Tina Henderson to the Washington County Genealogy Society on The untold story of Pickard High School (2024).
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
A goal TTHEI is to assist those with stories to tell, tell them. Through interviews we offer interested parties an opportunity to be recorded, with the objective to bring their story to life.
Our oral history project have several that are in progress and that have been completed.
Margory Bigsby has collected an enormous amount of data on the history of communities of Brenham/Washington County. She has a great many stories to share about Brenham communities and their evolution over the years.
Roy Hubert, Sr. is a descendent of Wiley Hubert, who was a carpenter in Brenham in the late 1800s. His skills were instrumental to helping to build buildings in downtown Brenham as well as other contributions he made.
Mr. Johnson was the Regional 6 Director for the State Parks and Recreation. It was with him that Mr. Harrison contacted about TTHEI goals of being more involved with Washington-on-the-Brazos’s African American history engagement. He also has an extraordinary career and personal history.
Finus Tyler served as the County Agent in Sealy, TX. In the 60s serving in that role provided opportunities to be more active in the community. Sealy High School was known as being one of the top schools for Black students in the area. The Ag teachers were vital role models not only for boys, but also for modeling citizenship, leadership and sportsmanship in the community and other social programs. They were catalyst for community programs.
The chief of the Tonkawa in Oklahoma was invited to speak at our meeting or to share his data with us on tribes in the Washington County area. The Tonkawa tribe was forced out of Texas. On August 1, 1859, under military escort, all reservation Indians, including the Tonkawa, were forced to leave Texas, leaving their cattle behind. They settled in Oklahoma. However, the tribe helps to answer the questions about their contributions before they were resettled. Once Texas established its independence, the first county to be established was Houston County, with seven counties. The second was Washington County with 10 counties or areas. After 1836, people and policymakers realized the Counties were too large and thus each of the areas began to break free to establish themselves as their own county.