http://www.pelhamtxcommunity.org/

Pelham Community of Texas, FM 744, Pelham, TX (2026)

09/01/2026

🍂Fall is beginning to show its colors, bringing cherished traditions and plenty to look forward to in Pelham.
🕊️ Dove Hunting Season is here! Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable season. Please remember to practice good hunting and fi***rm safety.
🇺🇸 Happy Labor Day! We'll be recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who strengthen our families and community. In Pelham, we know that hard work, helping one another, and community spirit are part of who we are.
We're looking forward to cooler weather, time with family and friends, and many reasons to be grateful.
💜💛
From the Pelham Community of Texas, wishing you a safe and blessed season!

The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Pelham Community History Museum

08/01/2026

☀️ Welcome, August! 🌾
August is here, bringing hay and harvest season, the excitement of back-to-school, and the final days of summer.

As our farmers work the fields, let's all remember to slow down, watch for farm equipment, and help everyone get home safely.

Best wishes to all of our students, teachers, and school staff as they begin a new school year filled with learning and new opportunities.

And as life gets busy, don't forget to slow down enough to realize how good it already is.
Take time to enjoy family, friends, and the simple blessings that make the Pelham Community so special.

Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and blessed August! 💜💛

07/04/2026

🇺🇸 Today, we celebrate the blessings of freedom, the strength of our nation, and the spirit of community that brings us together.
As we honor this Independence Day, we also celebrate the freedom to dream, grow, and create a life that reflects who we are. May this holiday remind us to embrace new possibilities, support one another, and continue building a future filled with purpose, hope, and joy.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July as we celebrate with family, friends, and gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy.
Happy Independence Day from the Pelham Community!❤🤍💙
Pelham Community History Museum
The Churches of Pelham, Texas

07/01/2026

🇺🇸 Welcome, July!
July has arrived, and summer is in full swing! It's a season for family gatherings, outdoor fun, and making memories with those we love.
This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of American Independence. As we honor our nation's freedom, we also celebrate the strength, resilience, and rich heritage of the Pelham Community.
We pray that July is filled with patriotism, gratitude, and the joy of spending time with family and friends.
From our Pelham family to yours, Happy Independence Day and have a safe, blessed, and memorable July! 💜💛
Pelham Community History Museum
The Churches of Pelham, Texas

06/19/2026

🌿What an incredible celebration of Pelham's 160th Anniversary and Juneteenth!

Our hearts are full after an inspiring day of fellowship, storytelling, and honoring the generations who built and preserved the legacy of Pelham. It was a beautiful reminder that this community is more than history—it's family, resilience, and home.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, shared memories, and helped make this celebration so special. Because of your continued dedication, the story of Pelham will live on for generations to come.

Here's to 160 years of legacy, freedom, faith, and community—and to the bright future ahead!

Pelham Community History Museum
The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas
Texas Historical Commission

📸 Pam Sneed Porter, André Baker Jr., Faith Boyd, Ralph Porter

06/19/2026

💥Day 1️⃣

🌿Countdown to Juneteenth: Celebrating 160 Years of Pelham (1866–2026)

Freedom & New Beginnings - The countdown is over, but the story continues.

There is no more fitting day to conclude our Countdown to 160 than Juneteenth—the day that symbolizes the freedom that gave birth to Pelham. Every step of our countdown has led to this moment, celebrating a community founded by those who dared to dream of a better future and built a legacy that still calls descendants home today.

Today, we honor not only where Pelham began, but where its story is still unfolding.
Pelham's story began in 1866, when formerly enslaved families embraced the promise of freedom and built a future of their own. Given land to cultivate and call home, they established a thriving community rooted in faith, family, education, and perseverance.

By the early 1900s, Pelham had grown into a vibrant community with churches, businesses, a school, and families dedicated to creating opportunities for future generations. Although the years have brought change, the spirit of Pelham has never faded.

In February 2012, American Way magazine published a "Heartland" feature highlighting the community of Pelham. The article celebrated the town's unique culture, rich history, and enduring charm, introducing American Airlines travelers across the country to this remarkable Freedmen's community.

Pelham's story has continued to inspire many, earning more than 50 feature articles in newspapers and magazines, preserving its legacy and sharing its significance with audiences far beyond Navarro County.

Today, around twelve descendants have returned to their ancestors' homesteads to build homes and reconnect with their family roots, demonstrating that Pelham remains more than a historic community—it is a place where heritage lives on.

As we conclude our Countdown to 160, we honor the courage of those who transformed freedom into opportunity and built a legacy that continues to thrive.

Pelham was founded on freedom, strengthened by resilience, and carried forward by generations who continue to call it home.

Pelham Community History Museum
The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas
Navarro County Historical Society
Carruthers & Porters of Pelham Texas

06/18/2026

Day 2️⃣

🌿Countdown to Juneteenth: Celebrating 160 Years of Pelham (1866–2026)

Spirit of Pelham

The spirit of Pelham is built on faith, perseverance, and a deep love for community. It lives in the legacy of families who turned land once worked in hardship into a place of education, worship, and hope for generations to come.

One powerful reflection of that spirit is the Pelham School Song, written by Sarah Douglas in 1915. More than just a school song, it was likely created to honor a growing sense of pride in a Black freedmen community that had built its own school, churches, and identity from the ground up. At a time when education for African American children was not guaranteed, the song became a celebration of progress, unity, and belonging.

The lyrics remind us of “notable Pelham,” a place rooted in early beginnings and “old famous ground,” pointing back to the land, the people, and the journey of those who came before us. It reflects pride in a community that endured struggle but chose to build something lasting—schools for learning, churches for faith, and traditions for future generations.

So when we speak of the spirit of Pelham, we are honoring more than history—we are honoring resilience, remembrance, and the voices that refused to be forgotten.

Day 2 reminds us: Pelham’s spirit is still alive because we carry it forward.

Pelham Community History Museum
The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas

06/17/2026

Day 3️⃣

🌿Countdown to Juneteenth: Celebrating 160 Years of Pelham (1866–2026)

Pelham Community History Museum

The Pelham Community History Museum stands as a lasting tribute to the history, resilience, and legacy of the Pelham community. The museum is housed in a historic building constructed in 1890 by the sons and grandsons of formerly enslaved people who had become landowners in the community. Originally designated as a school building, it was located near the Pelham Cemetery, with John Caruthers serving as its first teacher.

In 1920, the building was relocated to its present site by the men of the community using a mule team. For the next seventy years, it served as a fraternal lodge hall and café, remaining a central gathering place for the community until 1990.

In 2002, the historic structure was carefully renovated and dedicated as the Pelham Community History Museum during Pelham's 45th Annual Homecoming on October 12, 2002, in memory of Pelham's Trailblazers. The museum was established to preserve the stories, traditions, photographs, documents, artifacts, and memories that define one of Texas' oldest historic freedmen's communities.

The museum's preservation efforts were led by four remarkable women who served as its original curators:
◇Elayne Porter Robinson – Co-Curator and retired Dallas ISD science teacher
◇Darlene Porter Holloway – Co-curator and community historian
◇Catherine Carroll Porter– Co-curator and family historian
◇Alva Jean Blair Porter – Co-curator, retired teacher, and preservationist
Together, they devoted countless hours to collecting family histories, artifacts, photographs, and memories so that the story of Pelham would never fade away. Their dedication ensured that future generations would understand the community's enduring legacy of faith, education, perseverance, and self-determination.

Today, Alva Jean is the only living original co-curator, continuing the vision established by the museum's founders. Building upon that legacy, her daughter, Connie Porter Hicks, has taken the lead in keeping this historic freedmen's community alive. Through her active leadership and dedication, she works tirelessly to preserve the Pelham Community History Museum, protect its collections, and ensure that the history and heritage of Pelham continue to be shared with future generations.

More than a museum, the Pelham Community History Museum is a living testament to the strength and determination of those who built the community after Emancipation. It stands as a place of remembrance, education, and inspiration—honoring Pelham's trailblazers while preserving their legacy for generations to come.
The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas
Carruthers & Porters of Pelham Texas
Navarro County Historical Society

06/16/2026

Day 4️⃣

🌿 Countdown to Juneteenth: Celebrating 160 Years of Pelham (1866–2026)

Historical Marker 4 - Ash Creek (Pelham) School

The Ash Creek (Pelham) School Historical Marker (No. 15785) was erected by the Texas Historical Commission in 2009 as the fourth official historical marker in Pelham. The marker commemorates the history of a school established in 1899 within this historic African American freedmen's community and recognizes its lasting impact on education in the area.

The school began in 1899, with classes held at nearby Wesley Chapel Church until a two-story schoolhouse was constructed near Pelham Cemetery in 1908. As the community grew, so did its commitment to education.

In 1921, the school trustees purchased three acres of land to build a larger facility with partial funding from the Rosenwald Foundation of Chicago, making Ash Creek School one of the region's Rosenwald Schools. Serving students in all twelve grades, the school provided graduates with opportunities to pursue higher education at colleges and universities, leaving a legacy of learning and achievement that continues to inspire today.

Marker Inscription. Ash Creek School District No. 105 began in 1899 in the historically African-American Pelham community. School was held in Wesley Chapel Church until 1908 when a two-story schoolhouse was built near the Pelham Cemetery. The first principal was T.J. Douglas. The Pelham School operated for all 12 grades, allowing students to attend colleges and universities after graduation. In October 1921, trustees bought three acres for a new school partially funded by the Rosenwald Foundation of Chicago. The new schoolhouse had four large classrooms and two smaller rooms. In 1962, a new Pelham School building opened. The high school closed in 1965, and three years later all grades consolidated with Dawson Independent School District.

As we continue our Juneteenth countdown, we honor the vision and determination of a community that believed education was the pathway to opportunity. The legacy of Ash Creek School reminds us that knowledge, perseverance, and hope have always been at the heart of Pelham's story—and that legacy continues to inspire future generations.
Rosenwald.Archive.Fisk
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas
The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Pelham Community History Museum

06/15/2026

Day 5️⃣

🌿 Countdown to Juneteenth: Celebrating 160 Years of Pelham (1866–2026)

Historical Marker 3 - Wesley Chapel UMC

The Wesley Chapel Methodist Church marker was erected in 1995 by the Texas Historical Commission (Marker Number 11644). Dedicated to the history of the congregation founded in 1877, the marker commemorates the state's sesquicentennial and honors the area's rich Freedman community heritage.
The marker honors one of Pelham's oldest and most enduring institutions of faith. Founded by Rev. Austin Lockhart, the congregation first gathered in a log schoolhouse before establishing a church near present-day Pelham Cemetery. Sanctuaries were later built at the current location in 1911 and again in 1934.

Marker Inscription:
This congregation was established at the Forks of Richland and Ash Creeks in 1877 by the Rev. Austin Lockhart, an itinerant Methodist minister of the West Texas Conference. Initial services were held in a nearby log schoolhouse and later in a church building near the present-day Pelham Cemetery. New sanctuaries were erected at this site in 1911 and in 1934. Wesley Chapel Methodist Church is an important local institution with a tradition of supporting a Sunday school, choir, and numerous youth and elderly outreach programs and activities for members of the rural Pelham community.
Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845–1995
"In memory of Elmer O. Porter, descendant of William Porter

For nearly 150 years, Wesley Chapel has served as a place of worship, education, fellowship, and community outreach, playing a vital role in preserving the faith and heritage of Pelham's residents. The church continues its ministry today as part of the Horizon Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, carrying forward a legacy of service across generations.

The Churches of Pelham, Texas
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - Pelham, Texas
Pelham Community History Museum
Central Texas Conference
Carruthers & Porters of Pelham Texas

Pelham Community of Texas

09/01/2026

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