Shankleville roots

Introduction & Mission Statement

Some educators say that we as Americans are less knowledgeable about our history than are people of any other culture in the world.  Whether true or not, it is an interesting observation when considering the young age of our nation.  There are people in Egypt who have carpets older than the history of America.

 

Now, with the advent of instant communication via the internet, mass communications, UPS and satellites it is much easier to discover the unique life your ancestors lived.  It is a journey which yields abundant rewards.

 

If you have ever wondered why your ancestors came to Texas, some family history research will reveal the answers.  How did you end up with your last name?  Who were you named after?  How many generations of your family are Texans?  How many of your ancestors have their roots in Newton County?  What kind of work did your ancestors do?  What was their lifestyle?

 

Genealogy or family history research can answer a lot of questions about your family roots.  It is much more than who your relatives are.  It is a network of specific data categorized by the relevant institution.  In other words, the information gathered by the tax collector may be different from that collected by the census taker.  However, one will usually confirm the other and provide its own specific data.  Again, this occurs because the data of each institution varies by objective.

 

It is important to note that the individual you are researching is part of a family.  That family is part of a community.  That community is part of a county.  That county is part of a region and that region part of a state, that state part of a nation.  In looking at family research in this manner, the dynamics of  your family history is enhanced.

 

There is no doubt, Shankleville is a community built by its residents for its residents.  It was not a difficult task because our ancestors had helped to build many communities, plantations and farms across the south.  But when they built Shankleville, it was different.  It was the first time that they were building for themselves.

 

Mission of this site:

 

- To provide accurate, documented information for persons interested in learning the history of Shankleville, Texas and their ancestors.

- To provide a source for some genealogical information on original residents of Shankleville.

 

As a descendant of Mary Shankle and Stephen McBride the opportunity to present the history of this community is unbiased and has been researched over a period of more than thirty years.  Even so, it is not yet complete.

 

The Newton County History Center is the repository for all records and files used in this research project.  The records are readily accessible to anyone who wants to use them.  In addition, reference books that were utilized in this research effort are available at the History Center.