February is Black History Month! Join us at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve on Saturday, February 15 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. to honor the legendary Bob Jones. Guest speakers will discuss his legacy and ties to the Southlake community.
Jones was a former slave, husband and father who became a prosperous landowner and rancher in the Roanoke-Southlake area.
He and his brother purchased 60 acres of land now known as Roanoke from their father in the early 1860s. He later relocated to Denton Creek where he started a cattle and farming operation.
Between the late 1860s and early 1870s, Jones was one of the largest landowners in the area, owning over 1,000-2,000 acres on the Tarrant-Denton County line. Some of that land is located under Lake Grapevine.
By 1875, Jones married Almeady Chisum and they had 10 children together. Due to ‘Jim Crow’ laws, his children could not attend schools with white children.
In the 1920s, Tarrant County created districts for “colored” schools. Jones donated an acre of his own land and built Walnut Grove School. The school later closed around 1951 because the seven students enrolled eventually had to attend junior and senior high schools, which were located in Fort Worth.
Jones was held in high esteem by both whites and blacks throughout the area. His legacy will always be remembered throughout Southlake and Tarrant County.
The Legacy of Bob Jones event is FREE, but registration is required, please register online here.
