Oakwood Cemetery
The following is the transcript from Dr. Richard Watkins, a former Warden for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Watkins was involved in the initial restoration of African-American and old slave portion of the Oakwood Cemetery, he was contacted to use TDCJ offender labor to clear that portion of the cemetery. Dr. Watkins is also quite knowledgeable, regarding African-American history, both in Texas and specifically Walker County.
1. You were Warden of the Huntsville unit at the time the stone crosses were placed in the old slave and African-American/Black?
-No, I was Warden at the Holliday, at that time.
How much public knowledge of this project was there?
-There wasn’t much public knowledge of the project. I don’t recall anything written about it but James Patton would have knowledge of how that took place. I supplied the offenders to clear that area.
You were acquainted with some of the people buried in that section of the cemetery, correct? Well, yeah, through history, a lot of American history. I knew a lot of the families. You know the Joshua Houston family was very prominent. I do recognize some of the family names, yes. I know a good deal about local African American History.
How did you become involved in the restoration of that portion of the Oakwood Cemetery?
-Well, I was contacted by James Patton, who was a member of the historical commission and he had concerns about the deplorable condition of that portion of the cemetery.
Did you have to get approval to plant the stone markers? If so, from whom?
-I’m not sure about the stone markers, what we did was clear the area where the graves were identified. A woman came and surveyed all of the cemeteries in Walker county. James Patten could tell you her name.
Did you encounter any wooden markers for poorer people in that portion of the cemetery?
-Yeah we did have some old markers that were still there to some degree.
Was there any attempt made to restore the gravesites in the nearby bird sanctuary portion of the cemetery?
-Not that I know of, we didn’t have any knowledge of the bird sanctuary, at that time. We just cleared the area where we knew the graves were located.
