Historical Marker

Sessums, John Jr.

Houston · Harris County · Dedicated 2009 · THC Atlas #5507015803

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About this site

Sessums, John Jr. is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2009. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 827 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7558, -95.4060 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Yates, Rev. John "Jack" Henry (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include College Memorial Park Cemetery, Beth Yeshurun-Allen Parkway Cemetery, and St. Thomas High School.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015803. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.

History

John Sessums, Jr., was the first and, during his lifetime, the only African American member of the Houston Light Guard, the city's first uniformed militia company, organized in 1873. He joined in the late 1870s and served for more than fifty years as the company's drummer. When he died in Houston in 1928, some 2,000 Black and white citizens attended his burial; the Texas Historical Commission marked his grave at College Memorial Park Cemetery in 2009.

Sources: tshaonline.org hmdb.org

📍 29.7558, -95.4060 · Houston, Harris County

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