St. John Colony hosts their annual Harvest Festival

By Rosie Darby

St. John Colony                     

     The St. John 19th Body recently hosted their annual St. John Colony Harvest Festival Event Saturday,  October 18, 2025.  

    The event featured an unveiling of historically relevant signage at the community’s historic St. John Zion Union Cemetery in St. John Colony.  The signage was donated by a descendant to Jane Roland, Aurora Adams.  

     Attendees were treated to a round-trip open-air coach ride to the unveiling of the signage guided by Mr. Kevin Williams.  Marshall Hill, President St. John 19th Body offered a mini tour, identifying historic sights of significance in the community on the ride to the unveiling. 

     At the cemetery site, Doray Hill, President of the  St. John Zion Union Cemetery Association, reflected on the signage’s historical significance, and Mr. Doray Hill acknowledged sincere appreciation for the generous unselfish gift of the signage to the St. John Colony’s Community, donated by Aroura Adams.

    After the unveiling of the relevant signage at the historic cemetery, the attendees went to the St. John Colony Civic Center for the inaugural St. John Colony Harvest Festival Book Fair. The event featured published authors of Freedmen Colony, narratives, from participants and attendees. 

    This inaugural St. John Colony Harvest Festival Book Fair Event presented Michelle Meza, Development Coordinator, The Library Foundation as a speaker. Meza spoke on library resources, the benefits of books, and the benefits of storytelling.  

    Following this informative talk, Rosie Darby moderated an engaging discussion, and a Q&A session with the featured author  of “Black History in Bastrop County 1821-1988” by Marla Dianne Mills.  

    Additionally, space was included for the introductory readings of participants published books of Freedmen Colony narrative to farther engage our community’s published Freedman Colonies authors, participants, and attendees.    This opportunity included time and space for these additional Freedman published authors’ book discussions and Q&A with attendees. 

    Writing techniques, inspirations, and methodology was briefly discussed and a workbook, St. John Colony “What I Remember” was introduced as a foundational tool to promote “Telling My Story “to aide aspiring writers.

    The St. John Colony Harvest Festival Event concluded with an engaging personalized book signing by the featured author, Mills along with a frenzy of book purchases that far exceeded published Freedmen Colony books that were available.  These books are inclusive of:

•“Black History in Bastrop County 1821-1988”, written by Marla Dianne Mills.

•“Reclaiming Hill’s Prairie”, written by Libby Sartain.

•Hannibal Lokumbe, “Spiritual Soundscapes of Music, Life, and Liberation”, written by Lauren Coyle Rosen, Hannibal Lokumbe. 

•Images of America, “African Americans of Round Top”, written by David L. Collins Sr.

•“Slave to Queen”, by birthing 26 Children to Freedom”, written by Maxine Monroe.

•“From Suddath to Sutton”, Our Family Legacy (author unknown).