Page 10 - Clay County: Communities, Families, & Friends 2024

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Community resources hold evidence of activities in
our local neighborhoods. They are proof of how events
impacted the lives of our families and culture. These
archived documents comprise many past and current
events housed in libraries, museums, higher education
institutions, and local, state, and federal archives. These
collections could include newspapers, city directories,
festival details, minutes of meetings, political events,
and even devastating natural occurrences. These are a
snapshot of what you could find in these data banks.
Community records provide historical and current
information to help us write or visualize stories to
pass down to future generations. You may find articles
and pictures showing evidence of community activist
activities. Community documents can give clues worthy
of further exploration. These records are evidence for
fact-finding, documenting, making factual conclusions,
and telling the whole story from the past.
Let me take you on a personal journey that vividly
illustrates the power of community records. I was
captivated by the tale of my Compton ancestors, all born
in Alexandria, Louisiana, who had made the bold move
to Beaumont, TX, about 160 miles away. The question of
why they had chosen to relocate from one racially tense
Southern town to another sparked my curiosity. My
quest for answers led me to historical documents about
Beaumont, Texas, where I stumbled upon a newspaper
article dated January 11, 1901, in the Houston Daily Post
titled ‘Oil Struck Near Beaumont.’ This discovery was a
game-changer. The oil boom transformed Beaumont,
ushering in immense wealth, a population boom, job
opportunities, and a demand for construction work.
The Compton men, skilled in construction, saw this as a
golden opportunity and found Beaumont the perfect city
to start their own company,
contributing to its economic growth.
Historical City Directories are a yearly published
resource that generates information about city residents.
They provided information about the city’s status since
the last publication, including spouse name, employer,
type of work, company they owned, race, companies,
churches, organizations, and other interesting facts.
Yearly updates about the city showed Beaumont’s
progress in managing its sudden wealth and growth.
Family dwelling information allowed me to track
where they lived and personal details every year. This
information helped fill the gap between the ten-year
intervals of the census records. In 1914, the directory
indicated my aunt was widowed, which allowed me
to conclude her spouse died within a year since he
appeared in the previous directory. Because of privacy
and safety laws, directories no longer explicate about
community members, but these old directors can help us
piece together our undocumented past.
Community resources are a treasure trove for
researching and developing your family stories. They
offer invaluable guidance in locating material on your
topic. To further hone your skills and gain access to
a wealth of knowledge, I encourage you to consider
joining a historical and genealogical society. These
societies often have members who possess specialized
knowledge and can assist you in your research. So,
embark on your journey of exploring your community
and family history with confidence and support.
The Community and Genealogy
By Lillie Samuels
Lillie Samuels began family research in 1984.
She serves as President of Afro American
Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS)
Tampa Chapter. Lillie published Evergreen
Cemetery, Beaumont, Texas and
is working on the second edition