Historic Palestine

H I S T O R I C A L
M A R K E R S
Many of Palestine and Anderson County’s
most important African-American landmarks
have been commemorated with official Texas
historical markers. They include the stories of
Paul Rutledge, Sr., Alonzo Marion Story, Mt.
Vernon A.M.E. Church (also listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 2002),
Green Bay School, Green Bay A.M.E. Church,
Northeast Texas Christian Theological and
Industrial College, Antioch Baptist Church,
Magnolia Brotherhood Cemetery, Swanson
Cemetery, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church,
McKnight Plaza, Lincoln High School, Frederick
Douglass Elementary School, and Nathaniel A.
Banks Elementary School.
E D U C A T I O N
Prior to the integration of schools in 1967,
African-American schools in Palestine included
Lincoln High School, A. M. Story High School,
Frederick Douglass Elementary School, N. A.
Banks Elementary School, Booker T.
Washington Elementary School, and Fourth
Ward School.
There were many other elementary schools
located in the rural communities of Anderson
County. Students from those schools attended
high school in Palestine or at Green Bay High
School in Tucker. Other high schools in
Anderson County included Massey Lake High
School at Tennessee Colony, Henry High School
at Elkhart, G. W. Carver High School in
Frankston, Clemons High School at Neches,
and Flint Hill High School.
Many students in these schools competed in
University Interscholastic League contests in
debate, essay writing, picture memory, vocal
and piano solos, quartet singing, poetry
recitation, and track and field events. They
won awards on the state level at Prairie View A.
& M. University, while the Green Bay High
School boys basketball team won the 1955 State
Championship.
The teachers and principals of these schools
were graduates of historically black colleges and
held teaching certificates. They devoted their
time, talents and resources to develop the
“whole child” academically, socially, physically,
and morally.
During the years of “separate but equal”
schools, teachers worked with hand-medown
textbooks, limited curriculum and
inadequate funding for supplies and teaching
materials. For many years, Lincoln High
School’s football team wore used uniforms that
had been passed on to them from Palestine High
School, while the first uniforms worn by
Lincoln High School’s band were purchased
through the generous support raised by mothers
of the band students.
Teachers often spent their own money to
purchase teaching aids and were creative in
improvising ways to train students and prepare
them for college and the world of work. They
were also active in the lives of the parents,
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Lincoln School.
COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR EAST
TEXAS CULTURE.
3 8 ✦ H I S T O R I C P A L E S T I N E