Life in 1860 Houston: the Civil War and Reconstruction

Web exclusive!

Comments (0) By Olivia Flores Alvarez Thursday, Apr 9 2009

More About

In the 1960s, Houston was concerned with civil rights and the antiwar movement. In the 1860s Houston was concerned with civil rights and the antiwar movement. At the "Life in 1860 Houston: the Civil War and Reconstruction"exhibit currently on display at the Houston Library's Julia Ideson Building, you'll see that in the years following the Civil War, Houston was undergoing a huge transformation. There was yellow fever and a paper shortage, but more importantly, freed slaves were establishing churches, schools, businesses and even cemeteries. They eventually formed Freedmanís Town (which still exists), Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (which still holds regular services) and Olivewood Cemetery (which still shows the gravestones of people who had lived as slaves but died as freed men and women). See how Houston made history at Life in 1860 Houston through rare photographs, documents and artifacts. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Through April 29. 500 McKinney. For information, call 832-393-1313 or visit www.houstonlibrary.org. Free.
Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: April 10. Continues through April 29, 2009