Slocum, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Slocum
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 Slocum
Location in Texas
Slocum
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Anderson |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Slocum is an unincorporated community in southeast Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 198 in 2018. It is located within the Palestine, Texas micropolitan area.
Post offices
There is no post office in Slocum. The nearest post office is in Elkhart located 7 miles from Slocum.
The Slocum Massacre of 1910
On July 29, 1910 an unknown number of African Americans were murdered by an all-white mob of an estimated 200 to 300 people. Before the massacre, the majority of Slocum's several hundred residents were black; afterward, many black residents of Slocum fled the town and left behind real estate, homes, and other assets, which were seized along with the victims' property.
All known victims were unarmed; no whites were injured.
Spurger, Reagon McKenzie, S. F. Jennings, and at least 13 other white men were arrested for the attacks, but none were ever tried.
On January 16, 2016, a roadside marker commemorating the victims was unveiled by their descendants. The marker was sought by Constance Hollie-Jawaid, a Dallas school district administrator whose great-grandfather, John Holley, was among the victims.
Economy
Slocum, Texas has one volunteer fire department. The VFD holds an annual BBQ and school reunion to raise money to provide for the needs of the fire department. There is also a community-wide reunion held at the school's cafeteria on the Sunday before Mother's Day, and women who live in the community bring homemade cakes and other goodies.
Education
Slocum had its own school in the mid-1980s. The Slocum Independent School District serves area students who attend Slocum High School and Slocum Elementary School. It is a very small school that as of 2016-2017 has around 300 students in the grades k-12 and is registered as a 1A by UIL. Slocum ISD recently completed the new Slocum High School, which was completed and opened for the 2016-2017 school year.
F. Ernest Day was a teacher and coach at the school, as well as the star pitcher of the community's baseball team in the early 1900s. The high school's track team has competed at the state level, even though there is no track there. They train by running through pastures.
During the 1929 tornado, the superintendent of the school district, Thomas Gatlin, ordered kids who were having lunch to have a tornado drill by hiding under their desks. The two-story frame school building was destroyed, but none of the students were injured or killed.
