The History of Freedmen's Town

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's a neighborhood west of downtown that you may have driven by, but never knew of its rich history.

This neighborhood is now known as Midtown or Fourth Ward, but its original name was Freedmen's Town, a thriving black community built by former slaves.

After the Emancipation Proclamation, many former slaves came to Houston forming a community on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, but since Houston was still racially segregated they had to do it all themselves, right down to the brick streets.

"This place was notable because it was Houston's original Black Wall Street. This was a place for business, for commerce. Your first black lawyers and doctors and hospitals," said Zion Escobar of Freedmen's Town Conservancy.

More than three decades ago, Melanie Lawson covered Fourth Ward as it was changing, with many poor residents - 90% of whom were renters - being pushed out by developers. Expanding roadways and dilapidated row houses were replaced by sleek townhomes in the coveted location near downtown.

Despite a historic designation, historians and activists want to display more of its rich legacy and they believe the time is right.

"I see a very bright future for Freedman's Town. I believe that it can be a complete and working in whole Freedman's town, one of the only ones left in all of America. And so I believe that it's brilliance and its birthright can be restored with proper investment," Escobar said. "So we invite all Houstonians to take care of Freedman's Town to cherish this gem and to understand the story a bit more intimately because it's your story too, if you're part of the story of Houston"