Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Thiel.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have lived in Grayson County my entire life. I absolutely love it here and I would not want to live anywhere else. This is also the place where I choose to raise my 3 children. I have always loved history and I get some of that from my grandmother. I remember going with her to cemeteries and she would tell me stories about our ancestors. During one of these conversations, she told me that the courthouse was burned down and we could not get any records prior to the burning in 1930. This always bothered me. A mob of people robbed my grandmother of being able to research her ancestors. Little did I know that there was much more to this story and that telling it would become my obsession.
In 2018, I was doing an internship at Eisenhower’s Birthplace in Denison, TX. An internship was required for my master’s degree in public history. During that internship, my mentor for the summer, John Akers, asked me what I could contribute as a public historian, and instantly I thought of my grandmother. I told John that it was odd that no one from the area spoke of the courthouse burning in 1930 and there should be something to remember that event. John suggested that I look into a Texas Historical Marker for the 1930 riot. I loved the idea but like most college students, I was very busy. I had to work on my thesis and did not think much more about the Sherman Riot, that was until the pubic murder of George Floyd in May of 2020.
Watching the horrific death of George Floyd sparked me to action. I knew that there was some sort of race riot that happened in Grayson County but it was kept secret. As a historian, I am keenly aware that historical equality is extremely important and has a significant impact on the community. It was then that I decided to act. I could no longer sit on the sideline and watch as oblivious injustices were taking place. I had the skills of a historian and I decided to use them.
In June of 2020, I took the first steps in getting a Texas Historical Marker to remember this 1930 Sherman Riot. It was during this time that I learned the full history of the riot and it was so much more devastating than I could have imagined. Yes, the courthouse burning down but that was not the full story. George Hughes, a black farm laborer, was accused of raping a white woman in May of 1930. During this time in history, segregation was the law of the land and a black man was presumed guilty as soon as he was accused of a crime, especially a crime involving a white woman. George Hughes was taken to the Grayson County Courthouse in Sherman, TX for his trial. Not long after the trial began, an angry mob stormed the courthouse and then set it on fire. Hughes was placed in a fireproof vault so the mob could not get to him, he would never leave the vault alive. After the courthouse burned the mob began to work on the vault where Hughes was put. Eventually, dynamite was used and his body was retrieved. Hughes was chained to the back of a car and drug to Mulberry Street where the black business district was. This was a thriving businesses district with doctors, lawyers, dentist, and so much more. Hughes was hung on a tree, mutilated, and then burned. While Hughes burned, the mob destroyed the black business district. Martial was declared in Sherman, TX for 2 weeks.
I could not fathom why such a historical event that impacted the community, especially the black community, was not talked about. This was the most historically significant event that took place in Grayson County but it was kept a secret. I made it my mission to get a Texas Historical Marker describing the lynching of George Hughes, the burning of the courthouse, and the destruction of the black business district to be placed on the Grayson County Courthouse lawn. I would soon find out that this would not be an easy task.
Changing almost a century of thinking does not come from the actions of one person but the actions of a community. I knew that I would need help to get this Texas Historical Marker. I put out the call in February of 2021 for help and the people of Grayson County stepped up. I was completely overwhelmed by the support of the people. With the help of the community, we have received 2 of the three approvals needed to get this Texas Historical Marker, First, the Grayson County historical commission approved the marker. Second, the Grayson County judge and commissioners approved to put the marker at the courthouse. Lastly, we are waiting for the Texas Historical Commission to approve the marker and we should know that by February of 2022,
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The lynching of George Hughes and the Race Riot that followed was swept under the rug. Local officials and community members simply wanted to forget that this horrific crime happened at the very place where justice is supposed to reign supreme for all. I have not been the only person to try and remember this history. In the 1960s a graduate student from the University of Texas came to Sherman for the purpose of researching a dissertation on the riot. Four flat tires on his parked car accompanied by a nasty note on the windshield caused him to abandon the project and he returned to Austin. Again, in the 1970s, there was an effort to unearth this history. Historian Dr. Edward Phillips conducted oral history interviews of several dozen people who had personal knowledge of the riot, placing the tapes in the Austin College Library. At some later time, a person, or persons, unknown took them illegally from the library and the status of their existence is still not known. Lastly, another history Professor from Austin College attempted to secure a state historical marker at the time of the 50th anniversary of the riot and gave up because of an absolute lack of local support from necessary individuals in Grayson County. The attempts to recognize this history stopped in 1980 and would not be revived again until the current effort in 2020.
In June of 2020, I began the process of obtaining a state of Texas Historical Marker regarding the 1930 Sherman Riot to be placed at the courthouse grounds and was shortly joined by other community members. There are three different approvals needed to get a Texas Historical Marker: 1) Approval from the local historical commission. 2) Approval from the landowner to place the marker on the site. In this case, Grayson County is the landowner, so we had to get permission from the County Judge and the 4 commissioners. 3) The final approval comes from the Texas Historical Commission who also determines the marker wording.
Roadblocks to get this marker began almost immediately. These roadblocks ranged from questions whether the request was approved by the Grayson County Historical Commission, requiring an unprecedented open meeting requirement, then a 6 month-long fight to get the marker on the commissioners’ court agenda, followed by the creation of a separate committee appointed by the County Judge to advise on whether the history was significant and if the marker should be placed at the courthouse. Not only was this act unparalleled in the history of the 8 other markers currently on the courthouse grounds, but the Judge additionally put himself on this new committee.
Finally, on Oct 12th, the marker for the 1930 Sherman Riot was placed on the commissioner’s court agenda. The erection of a marker on the courthouse grounds was approved, 3 voting for the marker and 2 voting against it. While this vote is certainly a victory, and a step in the right direction, our work is not yet finished. Even after the approval from the Commissioners Court, there has still been an attempt to manipulate the marker process by the County Judge. The Judge’s role, as the landowner, is to merely sign the application stating the marker may be placed at the courthouse. The Judge is supposed to then return the request to the sponsor, which is myself in this case, to submit to the state. Instead, the judge signed the application and then elected to forward it to the state Texas Historical Commission, himself, as the sponsor. This is obviously disconcerting considering the very person who stonewalled this effort for a year and a half is now the alleged sponsor for the marker. I will continue to fight until this marker is placed a the courthouse with accurate wording and in an appropriate location.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My journey to obtain my bachelor’s and master’s degree in history was not an easy one. I graduated high school from Tom Bean, a small town in Grayson County, and then took some courses at Grayson County Junior College but that did not last long. In my infinite wisdom, I quit college and decided I just wanted to work and make money. As life went on, I began drinking alcohol on a regular basis which would turn into a full-blown addiction. I was hopeless and scared. No matter what I did, I could not quit. I remember the moment that changed everything. One night, after a relapse, I got down on my knees and asked to God to take my life. I could not handle the pain of addiction anymore and I could no longer watch my family hurt because of my actions. I wanted it all to end that night but God had other plans. Not long after that, things started coming together in my road to recovery. I found a great counselor, got on the right medications, and started taking boxing classes. I was getting better but in the back of my mind, I would always remember asking God to take my life. I took a moment to ask something else from God, If God would keep me sober, that I would not waste my life. And what do you know, I stayed sober. I had to keep my end of the deal. This is when I started college again. I went back to Grayson County Junior College and received my associate’s. I then went to Texas Woman’s University and got my bachelor’s in history but I wasn’t done yet. I kept going and eventually received my master’s in public history.
It is funny when I look back at the last 10 years of my life. If it wasn’t for alcoholism, I would never have went back to school and if I hadn’t went back to school then I would not have been as equipped to tell the story of George Hughes and the Sherman Riot of 1930, the hardest things if our lives often prepare us for our greatest accomplishments. The work I have done for this Texas Historical Marker has been one of my greatest achievements but also one of my greatest life lessons. I have learned perseverance, patience, and how to be a leader. I am extremely humbled that the citizens of Grayson County have trusted me enough to lead the fight to recognize this history. I certainly have stumbled along the way but the community has stood beside me.
Remembering this history is hard and it takes courage but we are up for the challenge. Grayson County Political leaders told us we were not ready to remember the 1930 Sherman riot and it would divide us. The irony is, it did the opposite. It brought together people of all colors, political affiliations, and economic status. The community of Grayson County stood against the leadership and declared that we must do the right thing after 91 years of silence. I am so proud to be from this little place in Texas. We have big hearts and a desire to do what is right.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
No risk, no reward is the saying and I believe there is truth to that. I remember talking with my counselor while I was in the midst of my addiction and he asked me “what do you want people to remember about you?” I could not answer the question that day. As time went on, slowly the answer came into focus. I wanted my children and my friends to remember me as being fearless. I think about that a lot. When I want to try something new or an opportunity comes that scares me, I stop and ask myself, “am I not acting because I am scared?” Most of the time the answer if yes. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “do one thing every day that scares you.” You will never grow in your comfort zone. Risk are necessary for growth.
It was a risk to fight for a Texas Historical Marker for the 1930 Sherman Riot. People in powerful places in Grayson County would know my name and many would not like me. I was also bringing to light a very dark chapter in our local history and some wanted to keep it a secret. There was a possibility that someone could try to hurt me or my family so my husband installed a camera system at our home. Even with all the risk and the fear of the unknown, I would do it all over again.
Contact Info:
- Email: mthiel@twu.edu
- Website: shermanriot.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1930marker
Image Credits:
Cooper Neill
