Shiloh, Gregg County, Texas
Encyclopedia
Shiloh is a small unincorporated farming community
on Shiloh Road near White Oak
in north central Gregg County
, Texas
, United States
. Located just south of the Upshur County
line, Shiloh was established by former slaves of Gideon Christian just after the end of the Civil War
.
the community declined, and in the early 1990s only a church and scattered dwellings remained at the site. At that time descendants of the original settlers still lived in the area.
in 1871. Services began in a log sanctuary located on 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) donated by Butcher Christian. A school for African Americans operated there until the 1890s. An adjacent cemetery with marked graves dating to 1882 is still active. Revenue from oil discovered on church land was used to build a new sanctuary on this site in 1936. Shiloh Baptist Church
still serves the community with a variety of programs.
. The one-room building was demolished in the late 19th century and classes were held at the Shiloh Baptist Church. With financial assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, a new two-room school was erected in 1920. It was replaced by a large brick building in the 1930s. The High School was closed in 1949; the end of segregation closed the rest of the Shiloh School in 1966. Shiloh graduates became contributing citizens in Texas and the nation. Long vacant, the school building was later used to store chemicals for a plastics company, and burned in 1993. The remains of the school are still standing, and there is a historical marker in front of it.
, killing several children that were trapped inside. At night you can hear voices and cries, and the air gets cold. It is also said that there is a broken down bus in the basement of the school in which the door opens and closes when people are near. The area is often patrolled around Halloween and Friday the 13th due to local teenagers and paranormal seekers who try to find ways into the school and cemetery.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
on Shiloh Road near White Oak
White Oak, Texas
White Oak is a city in Gregg County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,469 at the 2010 census.-Geography:White Oak is located at ....
in north central Gregg County
Gregg County, Texas
There were 42,687 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located just south of the Upshur County
Upshur County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,291 people, 13,290 households, and 10,033 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 14,930 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
line, Shiloh was established by former slaves of Gideon Christian just after the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History of Shiloh
In 1870 almost all of the heads of household in the Shiloh community were African American, and only two heads of household were white. Nine heads of household were property owners, and, according to the oral histories of local families, the Christian family conveyed land titles to a number of emancipated slaves. The Shiloh Baptist Church, founded in 1871, served as the focal point of the community. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the community declined, and in the early 1990s only a church and scattered dwellings remained at the site. At that time descendants of the original settlers still lived in the area.
Shiloh Baptist Church
According to local tradition, former slave Butcher Christian, his former master, Gideon Christian, and noted post-Civil War church organizer, the Rev. John Baptist, established the Shiloh Baptist ChurchShiloh Baptist Church
Shiloh Baptist Church may refer to:in the United States :*Shiloh-Marion Baptist Church and Cemetery, Buena Vista, GA, listed on the NRHP in Georgia*Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church, Brogden, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina...
in 1871. Services began in a log sanctuary located on 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) donated by Butcher Christian. A school for African Americans operated there until the 1890s. An adjacent cemetery with marked graves dating to 1882 is still active. Revenue from oil discovered on church land was used to build a new sanctuary on this site in 1936. Shiloh Baptist Church
Shiloh Baptist Church
Shiloh Baptist Church may refer to:in the United States :*Shiloh-Marion Baptist Church and Cemetery, Buena Vista, GA, listed on the NRHP in Georgia*Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church, Brogden, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina...
still serves the community with a variety of programs.
Shiloh School
The newly freed African Americans of the Shiloh Community established a school for their children shortly after the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The one-room building was demolished in the late 19th century and classes were held at the Shiloh Baptist Church. With financial assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, a new two-room school was erected in 1920. It was replaced by a large brick building in the 1930s. The High School was closed in 1949; the end of segregation closed the rest of the Shiloh School in 1966. Shiloh graduates became contributing citizens in Texas and the nation. Long vacant, the school building was later used to store chemicals for a plastics company, and burned in 1993. The remains of the school are still standing, and there is a historical marker in front of it.
Alleged Hauntings
Local legend tells of the Shiloh School being burned down by angered members of the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, killing several children that were trapped inside. At night you can hear voices and cries, and the air gets cold. It is also said that there is a broken down bus in the basement of the school in which the door opens and closes when people are near. The area is often patrolled around Halloween and Friday the 13th due to local teenagers and paranormal seekers who try to find ways into the school and cemetery.