Harrison Barrett was a former slave born in 1845 to slave parents from Louisiana, Simon and Eliza Barrett. He had two brothers and two sisters. After the emancipation of the slaves in 1865, Barrett searched for his family members. He was able to gather all together except for one sister. In 1889 he purchased land east of the San Jacinto River in Harris County, Texas

Harris County, Texas

As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...

, for fifty cents an acre, and named the area Barrett Settlement

Barrett, Texas

Barrett is a census-designated place in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,872 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1889 by Harrison Barrett, a former slave.-Geography:Barrett is located at ....

. It was one of the largest holdings in Harris County to be acquired by a former slave. He is interred with his wife Annie Jones Barrett, along with four other family members, in the nearby cemetery.

The community began with seven houses, which Barrett built with lumber from his land. He set up farms, a sawmill, a gristmill, and a coffee mill. He also gave land for Shiloh Baptist Church. The town eventually was given a postal station, and became known as Barrett Station.

The population of the town was 2,872 according to the 2000 census. It remains a largely African-American neighborhood and celebrates its heritage every Juneteenth

Juneteenth

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865...

.