Freestone County, Texas Communities [Do not confuse with Grange Hall (1896-1992) in southwest Harrison county. ] Pin Oak (#2) / Pin Oak Grange / Grange Hall / Pleasant Grove / Pleasant Work (NOTE - There is a Pin Oak (#1) community west of Donie that is different place) Originally the Pin Oak community and later the Grange Hall community is west of 75 and south of 833, near the Stewards Mill community but on the other side of 75. Roughly between Fairfield and Streetman. Pleasant Grove and Pleasant Work are other names for the place. This small community probably got its name from a meeting hall used by the grange (an agriculural organization called The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry founded in 1867 that grew to large numbers in 1875 and continued to its peak in the 1890s) and then later as a church. There used to be a church there. The Grange Hall community never had a post office. Historical Marker: "Grange Hall Community - Settlement of this community began in the 1850s, about the time the Texas legislature created Freestone County out of Limestone County. Early settlers included the Smith, Claypool, Henderson, Wooldridge, Kennedy, Lemmon, Manahan, Cannon, Carroll, Ward, Freeman, York, Willard, Tate, Baker and Johnson families. They were primarily farming families who became active in the Texas State Grange movement, which began in 1873 with nearby resident Joseph Burton Johnson serving as first master of the statewide organization. Originally known as Pin Oak, the community eventually came to be called Grange Hall. In keeping with its overall mission to offer cooperative farming pursuits, social contacts for farm families and educational opportunities, the Pin Oak Grange acquired three acres of land in 1877 on which the members built a two-story lodge hall and school. They used the upper story of the building for Grange activities, with the lower floor serving as a public school and as a worship space for the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (organized in 1879). In 1886 the Grange conveyed the land and building to the school trustees for church and school purposes. Soon thereafter the organization became inactive, and about 1908 the upper floor of the Grange hall was removed. After the building burned in 1929, the Pin Oak School joined the Fairfield school district. The building was reconstructed in 1937 and served the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church until the congregation became inactive in the early 1980s. (2001)" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pin Oak/ Pin Oak Grange Community Began as the Pin Oak community. Pin Oak public school #57 Starts in 1877. The first school held jointly with Stewards Mill on Pin Oak Creek. We assume the only Pin Oak public school #57 listed in 1887 is here and not the Pin Oak west of Donie, because of the 1891 listing of #57 as "Pin Oak Grange". [Begins as #57 school ] "Pin Oak" school has 13 white pupils in 1887. *3* "Pin Oak Grange" school has 13 white students in 1891-1892. *4* "Pin Oak Grange" school has 23 white pupils in 1892-1893. *5* [switches to #53] "Pin Oak" school has 32 white students in 1895-1896. *6* "Pin Oak" school has 22 white pupils in 1896-1897. *7* "Pin Oak" school has 35 white pupils in 1897-1898. *8* "Pin Oak" school has 29 white students in 1898-1899. *9* "Pin Oak" school has 33 white pupils in 1899-1900. *10* "Pin Oak" school has 41 white students in 1900-1901. *11* "Pin Oak" school has 31 white pupils in 1901-1902. *12* "Pin Oak" school has 51 white pupils in 1903-1904. *13* "Pin Oak" school has 42 white students in 1904-1905. *14* "Pin Oak" school has 52 white pupils in 1905-1906. *15* Church: Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (1879-198?) Social Organizations: The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry - Pin Oak Grange social club branch (The grange hall building was built of lumber hauled from Bryan.) Started in the upper story of the lodge and school building in 1877. Lasted until 1886, when the Grange gave the building to the school and church. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Grange Hall public school In 1912, Miss Mary Womack was the teacher. *2* Cemeteries: Joseph Burton Johnson family cemetery (Anglo cemetery) Johnson Cemetery (African American cemetery) Businesses: Nearby Communities: Known Past Residents: Baker, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Brown family Brown, Harold Edwin Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Henry (former sheriff of Freestone county) Cannon, H. T. Cannon, Robert Carroll, Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Cason, Miss Fannie Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Davis, Mrs. John F. Davis, W. E. Day, Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Freeman, Walter Guyton, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Horton, I. F. Manahan, Terry Oliver, E. F. Pye, Martin Smith, Mrs. S. A. Thompson, Luther Ward, Joe Willard, J. C. York, Albert T. York, Earnest Bradford & Beulah Lee (Cate) York, J. Thomas York, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben York, Mrs. Susie York, William Riley & Blanche Viola (Horton) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pleasant Grove #1 (Grange Hall near Stewards Mill) School: first black Pleasant Grove School *1* 27 Africian-American pupils in 1887 (listed as #67 that year) *3* 17 black students in 1891 (listed as #67 that year) *4* 30 pupils in 1892-1893 (listed as #16 that year) *5* Church: Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (existed in 1887) 25 members led by E.J. Brown in 1889 with Fairfield post office 30 members led by E.J. Brown in 1895 with Fairfield post office Cemeteries: Businesses: Social Organizations: Nearby Communities: Known Former Residents: --------------------------------------------------- Pleasant Grove #2 (5 miles north of Teague) School: second black Pleasant Grove School *1* 13 Africian-American pupils in 1887 (listed as #73 that year) *3* not listed in 1891 32 pupils in 1892-1893 (listed as #73 that year) *5* 13 pupils in 1895-1896 (listed as #69 that year) *6* 17 pupils in 1896-1897 (listed as #69 that year) *7* 30 pupils in 1897-1898 (listed as #69 that year) *8* "not organized" in 1898-1899 *9* 30 pupils in 1899-1900 (listed as #69 that year) *10* 20 pupils in 1900-1901 (listed as #69 that year) *11* 27 pupils in 1901-1902 (listed as #69 that year) *12* not listed, number skipped in 1903-1904 *13* not listed, number skipped in 1904-1905 *14* "Pleas'nt Grove" school had 36 pupils in 1905-1906 (listed as #69 that year) *15* Church: Cemeteries: Pleasant Grove Cemetery (5 miles north of Teague) Businesses: Social Organizations: Nearby Communities: Known Former Residents: --------------------------------------------------- Pleasant Work Unknown location. School: Pleasant Work school 24 Africian-American pupils in 1887 39 Africian-American students enrolled in 1893-94. Church: Cemeteries: Businesses: Social Organizations: Nearby Communities: Known Former Residents: --------------------------------------------------- *1* = [Note - there were two African American schools named Pleasant Grove in 1887] *2* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, October 25, 1912 Page: 5 "The following young lady teachers of Fairfield have begun teaching their schools: Miss Mary Womack, at Grange Hall; Miss Maggie Hill, at Rock Springs; Miss Florence Salter, at Pilot Knob; Miss Birdie Kirgan, at Campbell's Branch." *3* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 2, 1887 issue *4* = Fairfield Recorder - September 25, 1891? issue *5* = Fairfield Recorder newspaper - Friday, October 7, 1892 issue - Page: 2 *6* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 13, 1895 issue - Page: 8 *7* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, October 2, 1896 issue - Page: 8 *8* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 10, 1897 Page: 8 *9* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, October 28, 1898 Page: 8 *10* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 29, 1899 Page: 4 *11* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 28, 1900 Page: 4 *12* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 20, 1901 Page: 8 *13* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 11, 1903 Page: 8 *14* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 16, 1904 Page: 4 *15* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 22, 1905 Page: 5