BY DAVE MANNING
In their own words
What’s in a name?
Origin of name: colloquial; named for the Bullhead Bayou area where six di erent camps were located History: unknown Bullhead Camp Cemetery discovered, many more remain buried. The real Bullhead Camp Cemetery is likely buried under development, but there were at least a half dozen other active labor camps in the area during the convict lease era,” according to the Convict Leasing and Labor Project website. Former Confederate o cer Littleberry A. Ellis owned agricultural property near Hous- ton, including in Fort Bend County, accord- ing to historical data gathered by Jenkins’ group. He said he believes the Sugar Land 95 site should be named the Ellis Cemetery, not the Bullhead Cemetery, based on historical information on the group’s website. “While the Sugar Land 95 site has been
“I’ve been so adamant about the need to have certain things done before we can move forward with memorializing or commemorating the history,
“Fort Bend ISD views the question about the cemetery name not as a point of controversy but rather as an opportunity for further collaboration and education around the undertold history of convict leasing in the state of Texas.” CHASSIDY OLAINU ALADE, COORDINATOR OF
and questions that I think [still] need to be answered.”
JAY JENKINS, PRESIDENT OF THE CONVICT LEASING AND LABOR PROJECT
COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR FBISD
Next steps
Olainu-Alade said FBISD has spoken with three possible descendant families of the Sugar Land 95. She said anyone who suspects they are related to someone buried in the cemetery can contact admin@ principalresearchgroup.org. Marilyn Moore, the widow of Convict Leasing and Labor Project co-founder Reginald Moore, is the president of the Friends of the Sugar Land 95. The nonpro t formed in mid-2023 as a partner organization to FBISD’s fundraising e orts to memorialize the Sugar Land 95. The group aims to attain a 501(c)(3) designation to work with FBISD for large donations. Moore said she believes in this way she can carry on her late-husband’s mission to commemorate the victims of the convict
Memorial project details 2025 projected
$4M-$4.5M estimated cost
groundbreaking for the memorial
Origin of name: Littleberry A. Ellis, owner of multiple camps History: 1880-1896 Ellis Cemetery [1 & 2]
$1.5M donated from Fort Bend County SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
leasing program. “He was passionate about the project to the point that it was concerning to me as his wife and the physical e ect it was having on him,” she said. “[He] worked for the prison system and did the research [there]. … He knew the history of how things were done after slavery.”
The names of the deceased came from historical records. This information is then used to build family trees and contact living descendants.
buried near the James Reese Center. Based on available records there are 133 bodies
SOURCE: CONVICT LEASING AND LABOR PROJECT COMMUNITY IMPACT
With on-site x-rays, skilled providers, and orthopedic physicians on call, we can quickly determine if you have fracture, sprain or strain.
WHETHER YOU’RE ACHEY OR BREAKY.
Scan for the nearest location. Open 9am – 9pm, 7 days a week nextlevelurgentcare.com
19
SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook