This cattle branding iron is more than a tool for marking livestock. In 1878, African American cattle rancher Calvin Bell registered his brand with the state of Texas, making it one of the first African American-owned brands registered there. Bell’s recognition as a legal Texas rancher legitimized the newfound rights of emancipated slaves to own property, conduct business, and make a life for themselves as free citizens of the United States.

When Bell registered his brand, cattle ranching was integral to the state’s economy and had long been a part of Texas culture. Following emancipation, many men, who labored as enslaved ranchers, decided to use their knowledge of this industry to build fortunes.

In 1867, a group of these black ranchers, including Bell, bought land from former slave owner Judge William J. Jones and settled an independent ranching community in Galveston County, Texas. The new community came to be known simply as The Settlement.

The Settlement citizens worked hard to build a community for their families. Town leaders placed a high value on independence and education, and in 1874, opened the first school. By 1900, nearly ninety percent of the community’s adults, and all children over the age of eight, could read and write. After 1900, Settlement citizens adapted to the state of Texas’ increasingly strict segregation laws by developing their own local services.

The Settlement is no longer an independent black cattle community. However, the legacies of pioneering ranchers like Calvin Bell are still present through local trail-riding organizations and annual events like the Black Cowboy Rodeo.

The branding iron pictured above is now in the collection of theSmithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visitors to the museum can view this object in the “Power of Place” exhibition.

Credits and Sources:

2013.142 - Cattle branding iron used by the Bell family, ca. 1878. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Donated by Erma Johnson, Felicia Taylor, Katherine Taylor, and Ronald Johnson

"Black Cowboys/Bell Family." Texas City History. Accessed December 30, 2015. http://www.texascity-library.org/history/development/bells.phpv.

Mooty, Helen D. “Settlement Historic District National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.” Galveston County Historical Commission, Texas City, February 2009. Accessed December 30, 2015. ftp://ftp.thc.state.tx.us/nr_program/Texas%20City,%20The%20Settlement%20HD%20NR.pdf.