Houston Black Newspapers

A few African-American newspapers from the Houston area provide invaluable information about the black community of Honey Grove. We are indebted to the Portal to Texas History for making these newspapers available.

January 27, 1900.  The Independent, Houston, Texas
NOTES FROM HONEY GROVE.
HONEY GROVE, Texas, January 25. The yellow flags are falling fast and the inmates at the isolated points are waiting for their turn.
   The B. Y. P. U.. session Sunday at 3 p,m.was profitable and instructive.  The married ladies should have great credit for their special interest, in this good cause. What about the young ladies?
   The merchants are very glad to see the flags falling.
   Charles Parker, white, caught hold of a guy wire the other day and the upper end of it slipped down on the electric wire and 1700 volts passed through him. The children near by thought he was playing when he fell. They were surprised when they found him dead. It is said the city will be sued.
   Mr. Jim Allen, who has the measles, will likely be classed with the yellow flag company.
   Mrs. McChester. after a long illness with consumption, passed peacefully away to the beyond several days ago. Her father, Rev. Higgs, was not present on account of quarantine regulations. Prof. A. C. Higgs of  Bonham, brother to the deceased, was present. Not having a pastor in the comity of the hardshell faith, she was interred without ceremony,
   Misses Calaway, Burton. Myers and Thomas will give an entertainment, at the C. M. E. church Saturday night.
   Mr. J. W. Walker, well contractor, has returned from Little, where he has been for his health.
   Messrs. Pittman and Cooper, J. R.. Manley. Rev. R. E. Dyer, are convalescent.
   Mrs. Ubanks has a few music scholars.
   Profs. W. Taylor. Nicholson and Rev. M. P. R. Washington are very anxious to see the flags moved. Teachers, you have company.
  The sisters of the M. E. church have ordered additional furniture in the parsonage. This means company. What kind? The furniture will tell.
  The Ladies" Ward clubs have started collections for the new church. Methodist Episcopal.
   The first quarterly conference, which was held by Rev. Freeman Parker, P. E., was a complete success. The P. E. was yellow flagged.
   The Epworth league has an extra programme for Thursday night. J. D. Logan. president, J. R. Mundy. president of the spiritual department. will have song service 2:30 p. m. Sunday.
  The young men have asked Rev. T. Cole to preach them a laboring sermon Sunday at 3 p m, All are invited.
  The reporter asks everybody to subscribe for The Independent, the only paper that gives Honey Grove a clear “write up."
  Rev. Thomas Cole was called to Dallas by wire to attend the funeral of Mrs. F. Roberts, the mother of Mr. C. Roberts.

June 14, 1919.  The Houston Informer, Houston, Texas
NEWS FROM HONEY GROVE

Friday night, June 6, marked the 14th annual commencement of the Bralley high school. Principal W. J. Taylor, with, his splendid corps of teachers; first assistant, Mrs, W. J. Taylor; second assistant, Mrs. Fae Allen,; and musical directress, Miss Eva M,.Allen, deserve the warm admiration and encouragment of the patrons of the city.  Class address was delivered by Dr. J. R. Swancey, which was full of eloquence.  The people seldom ever get such treats, especially of Honey Grove. His address was to four girls alone, to-wit: Misses Hortense L. Robinson; Jessie Lee Loggins, Isadora .Hawkins and Benola Sanders. Our people are happy to look into the faces of Prof. and Mrs.W. E. Loans, with their splendid little boys.  Prof. Logan is principal of the high school at Arlington. They are spending the vacation with their mother and mother-in-law, Mrs. F. M. Nicholson. No less proud are we to welcome Miss F. M. Taylor again into our midst. Miss Vivian L. Hines, who had a very successful term at Roxton, gave evidence to the same last week when the reporter found a car parked just outside; the owner was Mr. Auto Lawrence. Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Bills, Ft. Worth, are visiting in the city. Miss Henry Mae Slawter returned from P. V.  Mrs. Self Cason arrived from Oklahoma City. Misses Mildred and Nanon Perdue attended the Fannin county teachers’ examination. Get The Informer every Saturday and Sunday at Mr. Eugene Burk's Cafe, people of Lickskillet, and at Mr. Tom Smith’s, people of West Honey Grove, and Mr. A. J. Perdue’s, people of Light Town. See the agent every Saturday, J. H. Pendleton, for single copies and subscriptions, with which we are a speciality. Get this paper and be made wise; miss it and be miserable. There is no argument to the statement which the reporter is about to make; The Informer is the foremost race paper in this country.  It is un-American to neglect this paper, and Honey Grove people are not guilty.

June 28, 1919.  The Houston Informer, Houston, Texas

HONEY GROVE

S. S. services were well attended at all churches Sunday.  Preaching at the Baptist church was fine, Pastor Swancey standing . . . Misses Bailey and ____ Burnett of Paris were visitors in the city on Saturday evening last.  They were here attending a banquet in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Pollard.  Dr. J. W. Collins, pastor of the A. M. E. church, was out of town Sunday, as it was his day at Union Hill. Installation at Windom conducted by Pastor Swancey, was grand. 

July 5, 1919.  The Houston Informer, Houston, Texas

HONEY GROVE NEWS
Sunday school at Eastland Baptist Church was well attended, and Supt. A. L. Pendleton, who had raised $50 on the piano fund, raised $8.05 after Sunday school collection. Eastland feels proud of her superintendent. The Church of God people, under the pastorate of Rev.  Asa Floyd, are having a good time and making a creditable showing. Next Sunday being the first Sunday of the month, the Primitive Baptist folk are looking forward to a great meeting, under the pastorate of Rev. Rockamore. We did not. have the opppportunity to visit the A.M. E. Church, but we saw Stuarts Jim Allen and Brown and Moody, who are live exponents of Christianity, and whose countenances bespoke a good day of service. The Holiness people are yet doing business in Honey Grove and from the size of their crowd and the anxiety of those who attend to make the next, we judge that they are making some strenuous efforts. Sunday school service ai the C. M. E. Church, Elder Walthall, pastor, is reported to have been fine, while we received the same information in regard to the 8th Street M. E. Church, under the pastorate of Rev. Parker who is away attending the centenary movement in Ohio. Mrs. Mills, who was formerly a resident of the community south of town, has moved her little splendid family to town, where every Sunday we see the faces of Master Malcolm Mills, Mr. Henry Black, who lately annexed himself to the church, expressed a hope and desire to attend every Sunday hereafter and bring his little grandchildren. J. H. Pendleton, principal-elect of the Holland High School of Carthage, has been notified to meet there with his several branches of officers for business conference; left Wednesday for Carthage.

The reporter takes great pleasure in announcing through these columns that the people of Honey Grove have done well in sustaining The Informer in their homes; they readily see (that is those who read it) that it is absolutely fighting the race's cause. It is a light in dark places and a leavener in the mountains of doubt and despair, ridicule and injustice, so get it every Saturday from the reporter. J. H. Pendleton was elected delegate to the Sunday school convention which convenes at Gainesville, Texas, the third Sunday in July.

We are very glad to welcome Sgts. T. H. Nicholson., Shaw, Horace Moore, et al. These champions of liberty are from "over there" where they fought for this country's welfare, hence we welcome them one and all. Mable Grant, with her young folks, rendered a splendid program at the Baptist church Sunday night. Mr. L. W. Pendleton has cast his lot with the South’s best edited race paper. Having read it several times he decided that it was not enough to take copies but that he should subscribe for it. May others follow. We are ready and prepared to take your subscription and get the next number to you.

July 12, 1919.  The Houston Informer, Houston, Texas
HONEY GROVE NEWS

Good services at all churches Sunday. Mrs. Silvery and daughter, Mrs. Robinson, Oklahoma, are visiting their daughter, son and sister, Rev. and Mrs. J. R. Swancy. Gradually we are meeting the smiling faces of our soldier boys from France. We had the pleasure of shaking the warm hand of Mr. Noel Tatum, after our news had gone to The Informer. Rev. John W. Collins, pastor of the A. M. E. church, very ably filled his post Sunday, preaching two strong sermons. Mrs. J. R. Swancy took a flying' trip to Paris last Sunday. The Informer is still going big; we could not get to all of the people last week. Unintentionally the title was omitted from Mrs. Mabel Grant’s name last week.

July 26, 1919.  The Houston Informer, Houston, Texas
HONEY GROVE NEWS
All Sunday schools reported good services Sunday.  Preaching at the Baptist church both at 11 a.m. and at night was good.  Dr. J. R. Swancy, pastor.  Pastor Swancy, after leaving for the grand lodge of Masons in Ft. Worth, on Monday last, made it to Gainesville to the Sunday school B. Y. P. U. Convention where he was joined by his delegate, J. H. Pendlelton. They motored home despite the mud and rain. The session in Gainesville was fine, being with Dr. B. J. Brown’s church, Mt. Olive. We are very glad to report that Mr. Eugene Burke and Miss Ruth Pendleton are up again. We regret very much that we were not able to meet the demands of our people for The Informer last week. As reporter, I wish to say to the good customers on account of having to be away during the past few weeks we were afraid to take too many; however we will reach you this time. Prof. A. O. Fuller, A. B. A. M.. Bishop College, Marshall, spoke at Eastland Monday night, July 21.