Joshua Houston

Joshua Houston began life as a slave, but he became a prominent Huntsville leader. With the marriage of Margaret Lea to Sam Houston, he became a trusted servant to the Houston family. As a skilled blacksmith and loyal caretaker to the family, Joshua was exposed to many of the historic events of the time. Joshua received more education than many slaves.  General Sam Houston freed Joshua in 1862. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, Joshua became a trustee to the Union Church and School in Huntsville. This was in cooperation with the Freedman’s Bureau. During Reconstruction, he was appointed as a city alderman and later as a county commissioner of Walker county. In 1888, Joshua was elected to the National Republican convention from Texas. The mural painting is a representation of Joshua Houston at the Juneteenth parade in 1900. As per the title of a book about Joshua Houston, his transition from slave to statesman was a gift to Huntsville and Texas.