KOHRVILLE HISTORY
AND MORE........
- Multiple freed slave families, migrated from Alabama, Georgia & Mississippi, to Texas after the Civil War was fought. They first settled in an area west of Houston. This area was originally called Piney Point, located near the present intersection of Fondren and Jeanetta (not the same as Piney Point Village). On March 10, 1865, the newly freed African Americans, led by Rev. Mack Austin, established the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. The African Americans worked earning their money by, erecting fence posts, rail fence, lumbering and producing charcoal. The African Americans eventually saved enough money to branch out and purchase their own property. Many families decided to venture Northwest, approximately twenty miles from Houston, seeking more farmland, too continue farming. Years later, ten families decided to settle northwest of Houston, along Cypress Creek, called "The Bottoms." The Bottoms is currently known as Lakewood Subdivision, located off of Louetta Road and SH 249. The ten families that purchased property included: Jake Woods, Willis Woods, Mango Woods, Phil Blackstock, Thomas Amos, Richard Patterson, Sam Williams, Livingston Stewart, Kyle Williams and Runch Carr. One of the first, to purchase property, was Willis Woods. Willis Woods purchased twenty-five (25) acres from J.C. Sellers, out of the P.J. Menard Survey, in Harris County, Texas. The purchase price was seventy-five ($75.00) dollars, paid in coins, on December 26th, 1873. Willis Woods donated (1) one acre of land, out of his (25) twenty-five-acres of land, for the Woods Family Cemetery. To date, many of the graves are unmarked in the cemetery, due to vandalism. Yet, the tombs for; Jake Woods (May 30, 1851 - August 13, 1925) the brother of Willis Woods and Rozelia Woods (June 30, 1857 - September 11, 1922) are visibly marked. Years later, in the late 60’s early 70’, Willis Woods grand-nephew, Roy Wood(s) traveled from California along with other family members to Texas and erected a cyclone fence around the Woods Cemetery. The community then pulled together and purchased property for a church, school, and the Farmers Improvement Hall. After these improvements, the African American Community decided to move further, north. This move was due to the continuing flooding, in the area known as the “Bottoms”. In 1881, Thomas (Tom) Amos, his son-in-law, Duncan Kosse (aka Cossey) and many other families, moved to what is called Kohrville, today. They purchased 130.5 acres for $750.00 dollars, paid in cash and paid in full. The land included property located on; Hufsmith-Kohrville Rd, Cossey Rd, Spring Cypress Rd and Carter Rd. Several tracts of this purchased land, are still owned, by their heirs, today. After moving to Kohrville, Tom Amos donated land, for the East and West Amos Cemetery locations. The community of families, then purchased land for the Kohrville School and Pilgrim Branch Missionary Baptist Church (still exists today). In addition, they continued the Farmer Improvement Society, by purchasing a half acre of property, to erect a hall for the community. Meetings, canning, quilting, burial re-passes and other community activities were held in the hall. The Woods and Stewart families, continued North, crossing Spring Cypress, in Tomball, Texas. These Families also purchased large parcels of land, many of which are still owned, by their heirs, today.
- All three burial grounds are maintained with the efforts of preserving our history, while honoring our beloved ancestors.
- History provided by: Annie Mae Williams (orally), Death Certificates, US Census and Property Deeds
- This document was prepared by Joanne Green, K.C.A. Historian
