William Goyens (1794-1856) Texas' First Black Capitalist -- Nacogdoches TX
N 31° 36.209 W 094° 39.384
15R E 342863 N 3497676
A sign of history corrects the record and gives a more fuller sketch of William Goyens, an important figure in this part of East Texas for four decades, in spite of the racial prejudice of the time
Waymark Code: WMXHTG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/16/2018
Views: 3
A sign of history near an incorrect 1936 Texas Centennial historical marker (which unfortunately reflects its time and the racial attitudes of the era) is placed on the wall of the Nacogdoches County Courthouse 5 feet away from the Centennial marker.
The sign reads as follows:
"WILLIAM GOYENS (1794-1856)
TEXAS' FIRST BLACK CAPITALIST
This monument marks the site of a large city lot owned by William Goyens in the 1840s. Contrary to the information on this 1936 Texas Centennial marker, Goyens was not a slave but was born a free man of color in North Carolina in 1794.
William Goyens came to Nacogdoches in 1820, became a prosperous innkeeper and blacksmith, was the gunsmith and armorer for the Mexican army, and built wagons and operated a freight service between Nacogdoches and Natchitoches. He also bought and sold land and became one of the county’s major landholders.
Goyens was active in civic and political life in Nacogdoches and became the chief intermediary between the Indians and the settlers of East Texas. Goyens helped Sam Houston negotiate a peace treaty with Cherokees during the Texas Revolution.
When free negroes were banned from Texas after 1840, the leading citizens of Nacogdoches petitioned Congress and gained amnesty for Goyens, who lived the last part of his life on Goyens Hill, four miles west of Nacogdoches. William Goyens died in 1856, leaving an estate of 12,423 acres, a considerable amount of money and goods, five slaves, and a rich and respectable reputation.
This William Goyens Centennial marker was moved from its original location in a woods pasture near Goyens Hill to this more visible and protected site."
Group that erected the marker: Nacogdoches historical Society
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
South Street at Pillar Street
Nacogdoches, TX
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