Longview Race Riot of 1919

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1. The Home of Samuel L. Jones (1919)

This digital story map of the Longview Race Riot begins at the location of Samuel L. Jones's home prior to its destruction by a white mob. Jones was a leader in the Black community who authored articles that were published by the Chicago Defender, one of the leading African American newspapers of the early 20th century. Jones was a reporter and a teacher who resided in this small, quaint town of Longview, Texas, in the summer of 1919. Jones played a significant part in the 1919 Longview Race Riot after an article he submitted to the Chicago Defender cume under scrutiny after he revealed the relationship between Lemuel Walters, a Black man who was lynched a month before the riot, and an unknown white woman from Kilgore, Texas.

2. The Home of Dr. Calvin P. Davis (1919)

This was the home of Dr. Calvin P. Davis prior to the Longview Race Riot of 1919. A Black physician in town, Dr. Davis was a respected man in his community but like many others, his home was destroyed by the mob. Dr. Davis aided Samuel L. Jones in the aftermath of the riot.

3. The Neighborhood Dance Hall (1919)

What once stood as a neighborhood dance hall is now a single-family home at the Harrison and Potter street corner. This dance hall was a well-known spot in the Black community that was engulfed in flames during the Longview Race Riot of 1919. At that time, the dance hall that was located here provided a place of entertainment as well as a place for members of the Black community to come together in safety away from whites. However, during the Longview Race Riot, members of a white mob burned this dance hall down after wrongly assuming it housed a large amount of ammunition that the Black community might use against them.

4. Longview Fire Station During the Longview Race Riot of 1919

The Longview Fire Department’s central location in the city made it an essential location for the white mob during July 1919. This location became a place where the white mob gathered and attracted more members during the Longview Race Riot. While the building has been renovated, the fire department still stands in its original 1919 location.

5. Location of Attack on Samuel L. Jones

Just away from the Gregg County Courthouse, this was the location where Samuel L Jones was attacked by the two brothers of the woman lynching victim Lemuel Walters had been dating. Although Jones denied any connection to the article that exposed the romance and the false charges against the late Walters, the two brothers of Walters' lover used violence to seek their revenge on Jones as they believed he was the one who revealed the facts about their sister's relationship and its connection to the lynching of Walters. The Longview Race Riot commenced shortly following the attack on Samuel Jones as a white mob gathered and went to Jones's home. In the weeks leading up to the violence, Black leaders had led a movement that inspired many Black farmers to sell their cotton directly to brokers in Galveston instead of through local white merchants in Longview.

6. National Guard Post During the Longview Race Riot

On July 13, Governor William Hobby responded to the violence in Longview by declaring martial law and sending soldiers and Texas Rangers to the city. Troops and Rangers used the Gregg County Courthouse as their headquarters over the next five days and all citizens were required to surrender weapons. Dozens of white and Black residents were arrested but none were convicted. While white subjects were able to remain at their homes, Black arrestees were transferred to Austin where they were detained pending their release. The courthouse has since undergone renovations but remains in the same location. During the civil unrest of the Longview Race Riot, the courthouse was the National Guard Post.

7. One Hundred Acres of Heritage Marker

While this marker is not directly connected to the Longview Race Riot, it serves as a reminder of the past century which includes both tragic events and the story of Longview's historic downtown area. This marker was provided by One Hundred Acres of Heritage, Inc, which is a volunteer organization that strives to promote and preserve the downtown historic district of Longview. The emphasis of this group is to preserve historic buildings and architecture, which is one aspect of history that deserves to be remembered. At the same time, celebratory investigations of a city's past can and should exist alongside investigations of important and difficult histories such as the events of the Longview Race Riot.

This Tour is a Digital Story Map.

Longview Race Riot of 1919

Created by Macey Kurtz on November 2nd 2020, 2:10:56 am.

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Description

This digital story map offers a way to explore the Longview Race Riot of 1919, an incident that began in the aftermath of a lynching and resulted in the destruction of several black homes and businesses. Starting at the home of Samuel L. Jones, the man who was a voice in the Longview African American community, the story map explores some of the places and events that were part of the Longview Race Riot. Although far less deadly and destructive than most of the over two-dozen race riots that gripped American cities in 1919, the riot led to martial law and the death of Marion Bush, an African American farmer.

Entries on This Tour

Longview Race Riot of 1919

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