Hello everyone!

A while ago I posted something on this website titled "Can anyone tell me about Black Cat Ridge?" where I asked anyone with info on Black Cat Ridge to get in touch with me, as I was writing a paper for a competition about it. Link to original post here : http://kingwoodunderground.com/topic.jsp?topicId=11794036

I just thought that I might update everyone on what became of that, as a lot of you did indeed tell me some interesting things. I did not actually write my paper over Black Cat Ridge. I could not find enough documentation to pull together a paper, so I had to drop it. Instead, I focused on Bordersville.

If you do not know about Bordersville, that's alright, but you better learn. As my English teacher put it, one of the few people who actually knew about Bordersville before I told them about it, Bordersville is this area's "best kept secret". They're a poor little area across the railroad tracks from Humble, primarily African American, with this insane history.

This is disputed, and there would not be evidence to back this up due to the very nature of the event, but sometime after the Humble oil boom, Bordersville residents say that the white people of Humble ran all of the black people out of town, forcing them to move to the area where Bordersville is now. That has cemented them into a fate that lingers to this day - one of being dirt poor, and persistently being pushed back when they would try to pull themselves up, due to racism and bureaucratic neglect. It is a fantastic and incredible story. And it won me that competition.

I would put what I wrote up on here, but as it has not yet been published and is now owned by the Dallas Morning News, I am pretty sure it's against the rules. But I HIGHLY encourage you all to look into Bordersville and learn about it for yourselves. It is a story that really should not be ignored, as it has been for such a long time.

Anyway, enough of that. I do plan to do something with Black Cat Ridge still. I will be writing for my school's newspaper next year, and I am going to see if I can pull together a story on the Ridge for that. That I will certainly be able to link to on here. I am sorry for not putting this update up for a long time, but hopefully this will do some to amend that.

You all enjoy the rest of your summer! And thank you all again for your kindness.

Emily 

Thanks for your update! 

Congratulations on winning the writing competition!! Good job! I won a creative writing competition in HS. It was a good feeling that people recognize your hard work. It's too bad the info on Black Cat Ridge has been lost. 

My NCL group hosts a monthly bingo game/lunch at the Bordersville community room, I love going there. The residents who come each month are amazing, we provide lunch and prizes for bingo and they are so appreciative (prizes are anything from toilet paper, cleaning supplies to shampoo/conditioners). 

You should go to the Humble Museum if you haven't already. I own property on FM 1960 in the historic Moonshine Hill area. There is a ton of information on that area and Black Cat Ridge.

When C.E. Barrett came to the area, he spent a lot of money here. I closed on a piece of property just last year in which title had not been transferred since 1907.

In short,there is a lot of history in Humble.

Look for a book published by the daughters of the American Revolution. It is chock full of information. I own a pristine copy of that book and the museum has tried hard to wrench it from my hands. I just can't let it go. 

Just curious...did you find any info on Betty's BBQ? It's currently a car wash/detailing place behind Academy. My parents used to get bbq there in the 70's. OMG it was Mmmmmmmmm! 

You go girl! 

@yeahsowhat
Yes, I actually did!! I interviewed a man from Bordersville, A. W. Jones, who was the actual OWNER of Betty's! He was such a cool guy :) I'll DM you some info later! 

Congratulations on winning the writing competition!! Good job! I won a creative writing competition in HS.

I won a spelling bee and a bingo game once. 

I've known about Bordersville for years and years. The land has become very valuable now and some of the residents sold out for a great price. As for Betty's bbq it was delicious. It closed long time ago. 

This is very interesting - congratulations, Emily, for both your efforts and your interest in our local history. Most high schoolers are too caught up in their own lives to care. 

I was super excited to read what you found on Black Cat Ridge, Texas. Can't wait for the update. I grew up in the area and heard the name but wasn't sure what it meant.

Could you help me understand what you meant by this statement though...

"That has cemented them into a fate that lingers to this day - one of being dirt poor, and persistently being pushed back when they would try to pull themselves up, due to racism and bureaucratic neglect." 

I think she's young and doesn't understand the ramifications and context of her own writing of that statement. "To this day" is certainly overreaching and probably should have been left out.

It's kind of like perpetuating the whole race baiting thing now being done by the national and local race pimps like Quannel X, Al Sharpton and the like.

Frankly, I think racism has taken on a new, devious life of its own. One where it's being used in a way to effect hatred that's not really there and to rouse furor into mindless masses and to pad the pockets of those who know no other way to make a living.