1898
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In the summer of 1898, white Pilot Point residents used a series of tactics to force Black residents to leave. The white community of Pilot Point wielded lynchings, whitecapping, and attempted bombings of Black-owned businesses during and immediately following a Baptist revival convention hosted in a field south of town. As a result, many residents of the Pilot Point Freedmen's Community were forced to leave their homes, farms, and networks of kinship to survive.
Saturday, July 16, 1898
Baptists start a convention at Aubrey
Saturday, July 16, 1898
The bruised and naked body of Rolly Parks was found alongside the railroad tracks near Aubrey, Texas.
Wednesday, July 20, 1898
Dallas Morning News reports Justice of the Peace Selman is doing an inquest into the death of Rolly Parks but the results are not known.
Sunday, July 24, 1898
July 24 - Justice of the Peace Selman is in town in Aubrey, perhaps for the Baptist Convention or perhaps to do the inquest into the death of Rolly Parks.
Monday, August 1, 1898
Sometime this week, George Strong (white) was arrested and charged for the murder of Freeman White (Black) in Shreveport in 1887.
Friday, August 5, 1898
Shreveport Sheriff takes George Strong to LA to face charges for killing Black man in 1887.
Bomb placed under Ransom Johnson's dry goods store on the Pilot Point square. Johnson's store was referenced as a "negro hangout."
Friday-Sunday, August 12-14, 1898
Sometime this weekend, two white youths are assaulted by one or two Black men (or youths)
Sunday, August 14, 1898
Placards are placed around Pilot Point telling members of the Black community to gather their families and leave by Saturday, August 20, 1898.
Monday, August 15, 1898
Black citizens of Pilot Point led by C. C. Trimble pass a resolution condeming bad action by Black citizens and promise to help police them if the whitecapping threat doesn't fix the problem
Tuesday, August 16, 1898
White citizens of Pilot Point have a meeting distancing themselves from the whitecapping notices and promise to be law abiding
Thursday, August 18, 1898
More whitecapper notices appear around town and several Black citizens receive letters telling them to leave.
Saturday, August 20, 1898
AM: Sheriff Hawkins and CA Sullivan went to PP and Sullivan says no trouble is coming
PM: Hawkins and City Marshall Fry go back to PP and haven’t returned yet as of print time at DMN
Monday, August 22, 1898
Report from DMN: Nothing happened on 8/20 but no Black people were in the streets
