Harrison Barrett facts for kids
Harrison Barrett (1845—1917) was an important figure who founded a community in Texas. He was born in 1845 to parents, Simon and Eliza Barrett, who were enslaved in Louisiana. He had two brothers and two sisters.
After slavery ended in 1865, Harrison searched for his family. He managed to find all of them except for one sister. In 1889, he bought land east of the San Jacinto River in Harris County, Texas. He paid only fifty cents for each acre! He named this new area Barrett Settlement. This was one of the largest pieces of land bought by a formerly enslaved person in Harris County. Harrison Barrett is buried with his wife, Annie Jones Barrett, and four other family members in a nearby cemetery.
Building a New Community
Harrison Barrett started his community with seven houses. He built these homes using lumber from his own land. He also set up farms, a sawmill, a gristmill (for grinding grain), and a coffee mill. He even gave land for the Shiloh Baptist Church. Over time, the town received its own postal station and became known as Barrett Station.
Barrett Station Today
According to the 2000 census, about 2,872 people lived in Barrett Station. It is still a community where many African-American families live. The town proudly celebrates its history every year on Juneteenth, a holiday that remembers the end of slavery in Texas.
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