Behind the Piney Veil
For the past several years, I have been “Behind the Piney Veil” of Deep East Texas, which includes Nacogdoches. The forests here are dense and mysterious. Someone even saw Bigfoot a few years ago.
The trees provide the scenery. As the wood is cut and carved, sections of history are erased. The earth will never be as nature intended when man puts his footprint on it. Groves that grew over decades are lost in hours. Animals disperse to survive.
A distinctive area of South Texas is the land that borders the border of Louisiana. To drive through Polk and Tyler counties is to pass through the underbelly of the Southeast: the Sacred Grove of Texas.
The ‘Big Thicket’ spans 106,305 acres and includes more than five counties and two states. Once he reaches the Alabama Coushatta reservation, where Polk borders Tyler County, the story turns intense.
Former slaves built more than 500 “freedom colonies” between 1870 and 1890. Freedmen towns are clustered in Jasper, Tyler, and Newton counties. Jasper and Newton to the east, and Tyler County to the west, are full of stories not widely shared by the local culture.
Some areas are vibrant and alive; others are decaying. The formerly enslaved Africans coalesced into small towns that still have a large population in the swampy land along the edge of the forests.
Texas tries to tell its story with relics like old churches and cemeteries. Some are brought back to life with funeral rites, family reunions and welcomes. Others fall into decay and eventually merge back into the landscape forever.
The antiquities reflect a more difficult time when the land was tilled and the city was short of supplies. America literally began its awakening in the Deep South. Entire cultures came to life here and are kept alive when the remains of yesterday are restored instead of demolished. History is too valuable to lose.
Preserving those relics is a sacred matter. One of the greatest gifts we can give to future generations is to leave them with a sense of the struggles our ancestors fought and overcame. Bringing anything back to life is a labor of love: a farm, an old house, a marriage.
Located three hours from a major airport, Deep East Texas is in a location unaffected by the growth that other areas like Dallas and Houston have experienced. Crime is low and churches are abundant. People still stop and visit whether you know them or not.
Time passes slowly among the trees. Animals graze and snakes abound. Family rituals often involve mealtime. Gathering for a potluck in the family cemetery once a year provides a homecoming for many.
It will take time to absorb the energy and history of the evidence left behind. Multiple generations still live on the same family land that has stood forever. Some sell their land in the hope of a better life and leave their inheritance. It is rarely replaced, only replicated.
The mystery of this area does not go unnoticed by newcomers. Family unity, faith and love for others are evident and abundant. No one remains a stranger unless he intends to. Respect for privacy is standard. Nothing will replace the time and memories created in ‘Behind the Piney Veil’ of deep east Texas.
