Slavery

From Enslavement to Hallettsville History

By Murray Montgomery  -  Staff Writer  Tate Hicks would never forget where he was when the news came that slavery had been officially abolished. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring all slaves to be free.

Sam Houston's trusted friend was born a slave

By Murray Montgomery - Staff WriterBefore he passed away, my uncle, Carl Montgomery, left me a collection of old photographs that had been taken before 1900 by various photographers in and around Austin, Texas.

Newspaper article brings to light memories of slavery

By Murray Montgomery - Staff Writer Years ago, I came across a story about an ex-slave in a Gonzales Inquirer newspaper from 1959. The article was about a woman named Ada Stone.According to the Inquirer article, Stone was over 100 years old when interviewed.