.jpg)
There are many familiar names which surface during our Black History Month Focus. They have not only made history in Colorado County, but their good work has continued to grow and develop even beyond their leadership through the years.
One such leader in our county and state who later gained a national reputation was Robert Lloyd Smith from Oakland, who founded The Farmer’s Improvement Society in 1889. His organization developed self-help programs and a philosophy of economic self-sufficiency for black families. His leadership was especially valuable after the Civil War. Through education for agricultural and economic independence he assisted local farmers and sharecroppers in finding their voices in agricultural successes in the county.
Upon arrival in Texas, Smith settled in a small village called Freedmantown near Prairie Point, which later became Oakland, Texas near Weimar and Columbus. It was on the stagecoach line between Columbus and Gonzales earlier.
