Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site

The story of the Johnson family in Brazoria County reveals how the legacy of slavery is not distant in history, but how it lives in the descendants who continue to shape Texas.

Samuel Collins III, Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site Advisory Committee Co-Chair, tells a story of a family rooted in the Mims Community since the 1830s. Their land, first purchased after emancipation by Solomon Johnson and passed down through generations, stands as a powerful symbol of pride and progress.

Just two generations removed from slavery, living descendants like 105-year-old Carrie Thomas and her relatives carry forward that legacy through lives of service, hard work, and community leadership. From military service and careers in industry to active roles in local churches and Juneteenth celebrations, their story offers a vivid reminder that Texas history is still unfolding in communities today.

This Juneteenth, we invite you to reflect and honor the resilience carried forward by families like the Johnsons, whose lives and legacies embody what it means to be Texan.

Read more about the Johnson family on our blog: https://thc.texas.gov/blog/grandchildren-enslaved

General Order No. 3 ordered the emancipation of all of the enslaved people in Texas. Federal troops, including the United States Colored Troops, entered Texas in June of 1865 and announced the freedom of the enslaved people, including the enslaved here in Brazoria County.

Last weekend we highlighted this monumental time in history with a Reading of General Order No. 3 by living history interpreter Allen Mack. We would like to extend special thank you to Allen Mack, Sam Collins III, Robert Williams, site staff, attendees, and everyone who helped make the event possible.

If you missed the program last Saturday, be sure to join us again next year the weekend before Juneteenth. This weekend, admission to both sites is free and we will be holding open guided tours at 10am and 2pm Saturday, June 20th and 27th.

Happy Juneteenth!

The Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site will be closed today, June 17, 2026, due to flash flooding in the area. Open Guided Tours scheduled for today are cancelled. Stay safe!

Admission into both the Levi Jordan and Varner-Hogg Plantations is free this weekend June 19th, 20th, and 21st. Explore one or both sites' grounds and exhibitions to learn more about the plantation, and reconstruction eras in Brazoria County.

Honor Juneteenth this month with a guided tour followed by a craft where you can make your own Juneteenth flag! All supplies will be provided and all ages are welcome.

Tours are included in your cost of admission. No registration required.
Light refreshments will be provided.

June 17 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm
June 20 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm
June 27 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm

"...I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery. 'The arm of the Lord is not shortened,' and the doom of slavery is certain."

This excerpt is from a speech Frederick Douglass gave to the Ladies of the Rochester Anti Slavery Sewing Society on July 5, 1852. In his speech, given at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, Douglass questioned why a formerly enslaved man had been asked to give a speech celebrating The Declaration of Independence when a large portion of the population was still enslaved. His powerful words became one of the most famous speeches in United States history.

Join us on Zoom for the next Virtual Book Club meeting on July 2 at 6 pm. We will discuss Douglass's speech and its continuing impact on today. Follow the link below to sign up.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZNzIeYoyQvqkHH51HTfSSA

If you missed our Legacy in the Making Scanning Day at the Levi Jordan Plantation, there are still two appointments open for July 11th at the Varner-Hogg Plantation.

Do you have a passed down story to share? Do you have photographs of your ancestors in Brazoria County? Site educators will assist you in creating quality scans and recordings of your passed down stories, artifacts, pictures, and more. You will get full scans and recordings to keep for your records! Timeslots must be requested in advance.

During your time slot you can:
- Have your photographs scanned (photographs should relate to family or local history)
- Record an oral history
- Have an artifact photographed

Request a slot by contacting our staff by calling (979-798-2202). Slots are available at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm on each day the program is held. The noon slot is reserved - 10am and 2pm are still available.

This event is presented as part of Texas America250, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

📸: Frank Fields, 1952, contributed by Dorothy Fisher.

Learn how freedom reached Brazoria County after Juneteenth in 1865 in our most recent Brazos Monthly article.

https://thefacts.com/magazines/brazos_monthly/page-t32/page_fbfda83c-6e03-59c0-a3dd-dcc41f4a2b91.html

📸: Bowser, David Bustill, Artist. We will prove ourselves men - 127th Regt. U.S. Colored Troops. United States, None. [Between 1860 and 1870] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/98506793/.

Honor Juneteenth with a guided tour at Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. The tour will focus on stories of the emancipation of black enslaved people in Brazoria County.

Guided tours will be going on throughout the month of June. No reservation required. Tour is included with the cost of admission. A Juneteenth flag craft will follow the tour. Light refreshments will be provided.
June 17 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm
June 20 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm
June 27 at 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm

Pictured is Sarah Ford, a woman who was enslaved at Patton Place, now known as the Varner-Hogg Plantation. Sarah remembers what occurred the day Union Soldiers announced freedom at Patton Place and shares it in an oral history. "Purty soon sojers comes and de captain reads a 'mation. And, Law me, dat one time Massa Charley can't open he mouth 'cause de captain tell him to shut up, dat he'd do de talkin'. Den de captain say, 'I come to tell you de slaves is free and you don't have to call nobody master no more.' This picture was taken in 1937 upon Sarah sharing her story, which would become part of the WPA narratives.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The Fredonian Rebellion in 1826 and 1827 was the first attempt by Anglo settlers in Texas to secede from Mexico. Led by Haden Edwards and his supporters, the rebels declared the Republic of Fredonia near Nacogdoches and asserted that they were fighting for their freedom from Mexican authorities. The rebellion was quickly quelled by Mexican forces, and Haden and his brother Benjamin fled to Louisiana while the Republic of Fredonia collapsed.

Haden and Benjamin Edwards nephew, Monroe Edwards, will be the subject of the upcoming podcast, Brazoria County Chronicles: The Scandalous Rise and Fall of Monroe Edwards. The first episode will be released June 25 and chronicles the lives of Monroe's grandfather, uncles, and father. To learn more about the Fredonian Rebellion and Monroe Edward's fascinating connections to Texas history, look for Episode 1 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on June 25!

Photo: Haden Edwards, ca. 1820