A Virtual Tour of Freedman Town

In 1875, 27 newly emancipated families from Dallas County purchased land just two miles south of Denton’s town square and established a self-reliant enclave they proudly called Freedmen Town. With the opening of Denton’s first Black school, the Fred Dougl

Freedmen Town began in 1875, when 27 emancipated families from Dallas County purchased land and established a communal settlement two miles south of Denton’s square. They built log cabins and created a resilient, self‑reliant community. In 1878, the opening of the Fred Douglass Colored School spurred additional growth, prompting relocation closer to Pecan Creek. There, the community was renamed Quakertown, in tribute to Quaker abolitionists who supported former slaves. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Quakertown flourished—with churches, schools, lodges, businesses, and a tight-knit social fabric that embodied African American independence. Despite limited resources and pervasive segregation, the residents of Freedmen Town and Quakertown forged a lasting legacy of dignity, entrepreneurship, and community leadership.