VERA BELL GARY RECEIVED a special birthday gift on Sunday when Texas City Mayor Dedrick Johnson dropped by her home and proclaimed the day as Vera Bell Gary Day, a fitting gift to the 95-year-old who has been a force in the community for decades.
A descendant of one of the first African-American families that called the Texas City-La Marque area home, Gary has been the anchor behind the 1867 Settlement Historical District, which celebrates the history of the African-American cowboys that pioneered the Chisholm Cattle Trails before and after the Civil War.
The four cowboys, Calvin Bell, Neeland Britton, Thomas Caldwell and Dave Hobgood founded the community that is currently in the Nation Registry.
“What an honor it is to for me to proclaim this day, December 6, 2020, as Vera Bell Gary Day in Texas City,” said Johnson.
Along with her work with the 1867 Settlement Historical District, Gary has also been a “neighborhood mother” to many young men and women, many of which have children that view Gary as a “neighborhood grandmother.”
The Historical District was unable to hold its annual celebration in October due to the pandemic. Plans for a 2021 event have not been discussed at this time.
