abilenet March 10th, 2009
Born a slave in Tennessee around 1840, Britton “Britt” Johnson would become a famous West Texas character for his exploits of bravery. He came to Texas in the 1850s with his master Moses Johnson, who had bought land in the Peters’ Colony. As a reward for Britt’s loyalty and hard work, Moses Johnson appointed him foreman of the ranch, with unlimited freedom to perform his duties. He also permitted Britt to raise his own horses and cattle. Continue Reading »
abilenet December 26th, 2008
Elizabeth Ann Clifton, rancher, merchant, and Indian captive, was born on March 29, 1825, in Alabama. In 1842, when she was sixteen, she married Alexander Joseph Carter, a free black. The couple had two children and lived with Carter’s parents, Edmund J. and Susanna Carter, in Red River and Navarro counties before moving west to Fort Belknap in Young County, where they began raising stock and farming. Elizabeth Carter managed the ranch, soon as a full partner, while her husband and father-in-law ran a cargo transportation business. Though she was illiterate and epileptic, she also ran a boarding house, the Carter Trading House. In 1857 her husband and father-in-law were both mysteriously murdered. When Carter’s estate was finally settled, his remaining assets were divided between his two grandchildren, Elizabeth Carter’s married daughter as well as her young son. Mrs. Carter was not, however, made guardian of her son’s property. Continue Reading »
abilenet October 9th, 2008
Medical doctor, William Butler, and his wife, Beatrice, lived and worked in Abilene. Dr. Butler was the first African American physician in Abilene and practiced until his death in 1947. Their home was later used as a day nursery for babies and small children in the black community.
On October 4th, 2008, a ceremony was held at the house, 701 Mesquite, for the unveiling of a Texas State Historical Marker commemorating their lives and sacrifices to the community.