Archeologists help community preserve story of freedman-owned blacksmith shop in post-Civil War Texas

If not for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and a team of archeologists, the legacy of freedman Tom Cook would have remained lost to history.

In 1882, the formerly enslaved Cook purchased a blacksmith shop in Bolivar, a once-thriving frontier town along a cattle-drive route to Kansas, the Chisholm Trail. Cook eventually became a minister, a freemason, and a community leader until his death in 1898.

Around the turn of the century, Bolivar declined in prominence and Cook’s shop was eventually lost to time. That is until TxDOT decided to widen Farm-to-Market Road 455, which cuts through the exact place in Denton County where the blacksmith plied his trade. In their initial evaluation of the road project site, TxDOT archaeologists discovered frontier-era artifacts. TxDOT then partnered with archeologists from Stantec, a global design and engineering firm, to unearth the blacksmith shop’s historic discoveries, including informative artifacts such as tools, horse and mule shoes, and a ceramic smoking pipe.

Those discoveries set in motion a community archeology project that would connect Cook’s living descendants to his life and an untold story. Family members were invited to have a voice in the project, helping excavate the site and filling in gaps in the family’s genealogy.

On June 17, Cook’s descendants will join TxDOT staff and Stantec archeologists in a Juneteenth celebration of Cook’s legacy, two days ahead of the holiday honoring the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

“This entire project is a brilliant example of community archeology,” said Rebekah Dobrasko, TxDOT Cultural Resources Section director. “We’re incredibly grateful to Stantec and Cook’s family for their partnership on this research and helping bring Cook’s story to light.”

Doug Boyd, senior archeologist at Stantec, said this is the first excavation of a nineteenth-century black-owned blacksmith shop in Texas. Involving Cook’s family, which has lived in Denton County for more than 150 years, and the community throughout the process helped capture new knowledge and perspectives about the area’s past.

“This isn’t a story you find in any history book,” Boyd said. “TxDOT’s exemplary considerations for history, heritage, and cultural environments have helped to raise the bar for archeologists everywhere.”

The archeological excavation of Cook’s blacksmith shop and the town of Bolivar represent a broader initiative across TxDOT districts. The department’s Beyond the Road campaign aims to highlight its work to preserve and protect Texas’ natural, historical, and cultural resources.

Before construction begins on any project, historians, archeologists, and environmental scientists conduct thorough studies to mitigate adverse effects. In the case of Bolivar, this meant a detailed excavation, study, curation, and documentation of all artifacts to ensure this rich history is preserved.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. This allows us to assess what’s needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

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About TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, maritime, rail and public transportation across the state. To support the agency’s mission of “Connecting You With Texas,” TxDOT aims to enhance quality of life for all Texans.

Media Contact
Ben Carter
Stantec Media Relations
Ph (813) 326-9221
ben.carter@stantec.com