Wheatville, Austin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wheatville
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 Wheatville
Location in Texas
Wheatville
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Travis |
| Population
(1928)Estimated
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| • Total | 300 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
78705
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Wheatville was a special neighborhood in Austin, Texas. It was mainly home to African American families. It was founded in 1867 by James Wheat.
A famous person from Wheatville was Jacob Fontaine. He started the first newspaper for black people in Austin. Later, a city plan in 1928 caused Wheatville to decline. Important services were moved away, making it hard for people to live there. Today, the area is part of the University of Texas at Austin's West Campus. A stone house built by Jacob Fontaine is now a historical landmark. Places like the Wheatsville Co-op grocery store remember the community's history.
Contents
The Story of Wheatville
How Wheatville Started
Wheatville was created in 1867 by a man named James Wheat. He had once been enslaved. After moving to Texas with his family, James bought some land. He began to grow corn there. Other families soon joined him.
Most people in Wheatville had jobs. They worked as merchants, skilled workers, or helped white families in their homes. The community became home to Jacob Fontaine, a minister who had also been enslaved. He started the first newspaper for black people, called the Austin Gold Dollar. Wheatville was mostly African American and stayed separate for a long time.
Challenges and Changes for the Community
The future of Wheatville was put in danger by the 1928 Austin city plan. This plan moved all services and public places for African Americans to the east side of what is now Interstate Highway 35. The city could not directly force people to leave Wheatville. However, by moving important resources away, they left residents with no other choice.
More white citizens began to move into the neighborhood. This made the cost of living much higher. African American families found it hard to afford housing. By 1932, the city closed Wheatville's only school. This event eventually led to the end of the community.
Wheatville's Lasting Legacy
The Wheatville community had about 300 people. They lived on the west side of the interstate. This area is now part of the West Campus of the University of Texas at Austin. So, the old community center is no longer in the middle of an African American neighborhood.
A stone house built by Jacob Fontaine was later bought by the Franzetti family. They turned it into a grocery store in the 1920s. This store stayed open until the 1980s. In August 1977, the City of Austin officially named the stone building a historical landmark.
Later, a man named Cuatro Kowalski opened a barbecue restaurant called "Freedman's" in the building. He wanted to honor the history of Wheatville. However, many people found the name disrespectful. Freedman's closed on August 31, 2018. Another local grocery store, Wheatsville Co-op, was named to remember the African American community of Wheatville.
