Freestone County, Texas Communities Old Ghost Towns - Never had a post office: Carter's Place / Carter (black) / Cartersville #113 The Carter is an African American community located near the county line with Limestone County west of Teague and west of Cotton Gin. Carter was named for Walter Carter, an African American, that owned an early store. Later the community was renamed Grove Island. Cartersville public school #113: The Cartersville public school existed only for a short time (1900-1902). Cartersville had 15 black pupils in 1900-1901. Cartersville had 13 black students in 1901-1902. The white school of Carter existed before and after Cartersville. Social Organizations: Churches: Cemeteries: Businesses: Known Former Residents: Carter, Walter -------------------------------------------------------------- Grove Island community The Grove Island is an African American community located near the county line with Limestone County located 5.5 miles west of Teague. The community grew to have three stores and a church and a school. Grove Island is where Harvey Means, the African American civic leader, was born and eventually buried. The oldest grave is Walter Montgomery who died March 2, 1849 prior to Freestone County being a county. The Grove Island AME church is still in existence and lists its address as County Road 901. A 1953 mineral lease describes the land as part of the Isaac Holman League and being off School: Grove Island School: (consolidated to Furney Richardson in 1917) was Grove Island Common School District #38 had 39 African American students in 1887 had 40 African American kids in 1891 had 35 black pupils in 1892-1893 had 42 African American pupils in 1893 had 38 African American students in 1895-96 had 34 African American pupils in 1896-97 had 31 black kids in 1897-98 had 28 African American pupils in 1898-99 had 44 African American pupils in 1899-1900 had 42 black pupils in 1900-1901 had 53 African American pupils in 1901-1902 had 35 African American enrolled in 1903 had 52 black pupils in 1903-1904 had 50 black pupils in 1904-1905 had 48 black pupils in 1905-1906 had 51 blacks enrolled in 1906-1907 was one of the 44 school districts in 1912, besides the ISD ones still around as a school district in 1942 still around in 1950 even though down to five school districts, besides the ISD ones still around in 1955 even though down to four school districts, besides the ISD ones Trustees in Sep 1953 were Luther Pelton, Weste Maidson, and James Kirven. Church: Grove Island African Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery: Grove Island African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery Social Organizations: Baseball Team In July 1897, Grove Island played Fairfield in Baseball. *1* Businesses: Nearby Communities: Furney Richardson Carter Known Former Residents: Carter, Varnie (1907-1991) Demus, George Jackson, Carinata Jackson, Rene ============================================ SOURCE: *1* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, July 9, 1897 Page: 5 ------------------------------------------------------ The State Herald - Thursday, July 13, 1905 Page: 4 Grove Island. As it has been quite a while since I reported 1 thought I would let some of the many readers what the people of Grove Island are doing. The attendance at, Grove Island church Sunday was very large, as the children's day exercises was being carried out, there was visitors from various section including Mr. Jerdio Beasly and wife of Brewer, Rev. L. McBay was present and rendered a very searching prayer. On account of the rain last week the Sunday school picnic was put off until July 14th, expecting to have a nice time, there will be amusements of various kinds also speaking and music, cold drinks of every kind. I won't say much about work for Mr. Green is in possession. Mrs. A. Jackson is still on the sick list. As this is my first time I wont say much, but if I miss that greedy cat I'll sure call again. Guess Me. ------------------------------------------------------ The Fairfield Recorder - Thursday, March 18, 1943 Page: 1 Negro Food For Victory Display "The ninth County Meat Show among Negroes was held March 12-13 in the Watson building on Main Street in Teague. ... The following communities took part in the display: ... Grove Island, ...". ------------------------------------------------------ The Teague Chronicle - Thursday, November 20, 1952 Page: 1 Possible Rich Oil Land May Be Recovered The Board of Trustees of Teague Independent School District, at their regular meeting November 13, voted unanimously to authorize the school attorney Bowlen Bond to file ault against the County Board of School Trustees, the County Superlntendent and the Trustees of Grove Island District No. 38 (Furney Richardson) for recovery of approximately two and a half square miles of potentially oil-rich territory that was detached from the Teague district an annexed to Grove Island on July 31, 1951. Mr. Bond filed the suit Wednesday, said L. Notley. Teague Board members allege that they were not given proper notification before the action was taken; that they were not allowed opportunity to check the petition seeking the detachment to determine what lands were involved nor whether or not the signers of the petition constituted an actual majority of the qualified voters of the area involved, as required by law; and that the County Board was told that all residents in the area were Negroes. Recent developments have brought to light the tract that several white families on the Mexia highway have been placed in the Grove Island district which operates only the Furney Richardson Negro school. John Erwin, tax collector for the Teague ISD received a letter dated Feb. 7, 1952 from the county superintendent showing the names of the persons cut off from the Teague District. Supt. Notley says that seven names of mostly white people were later added to this list in October, 1952 and that they were not on the petition for separation and are qualified voters in the area. Included in the later list were: Bob Lynch, Ellen Victery, T. C. Talley, E. H. Tirey and others. It is claimed that the president, the secretary and some members of the Teague Board first learned of the proposed action after the Teague superintendent met the County Board on July 3 to get some bus routes established, that after the bus routes were established, the Teague superintendent was told by the County Superintendent that another matter affecting the Teague district was coming up. It was then that the petition was presented to then County Board by the Negro trustees and superintendent of Grove Island. It Is further alleged that neither County Board President A. H. Bass nor J. O. Banks, county trustees from the Teague precinct, had previous knowledge that such detachment was to be conisdered, and that they tried to get action postponed until the Teague Board had time to study the proposition and to present their views. The County School Superintendent, Ruel Wilson, maintains that notice was given to members of the Teague board and county board members and that the school law does not state a set method of notification and that he complied with the law when he told members that the annexation was coming up at the next county board meeting. ...Proceedings showed that the Grove Island trustees accepted the territory on June 27, 1951, six days before the petition was presented to the County Board on July 3. ...