DUANE
Duane's take
Now here's my telling of what the official marker has to say — and this one's worth every mile of the ride. The Reverend Ned P. Pullum.
Remember that name. Born around 1861 in Pickensville, Alabama, this man was going to leave his mark on Houston in ways that would outlast him by a good long while. By 1889 he was ordained a Baptist minister, and in 1895 he accepted the pastorate of Antioch Baptist Church down in Beaumont, Texas.
One year. That's all Beaumont got. Because in 1896, the Reverend Pullum moved to a place that was already writin' its own chapter in Texas history — Freedmen's Town, the community founded after emancipation in Houston's fourth ward.
That's where things start to get interesting. When the Reverend John 'Jack' Yates passed away, the congregation of Bethel Baptist Church turned to Pullum to lead them. That is not a small thing.
That is a community placing its faith in a man's hands at a moment of grief and transition. He took the call. And in 1898, he purchased the land right here at this very site and began building a family home.
Put down roots the way a man does when he means to stay and mean something. Then in 1903 — and here's the turn — the Reverend Pullum left Bethel. Not in defeat.
He left to build something new. He organized Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, conveyed land, raised the funds, saw the building go up, and then pastored that congregation for twenty-four years. Twenty-four years, until his health began to fail.
He died on June 18, 1927, survived by his wife Emma — Emma Eddings Pullum — and their two children. He rests today in Houston's College Park Cemetery. Now.
If the story stopped there, it would already be a full life. But the marker doesn't stop there, and neither will I. The Reverend Pullum was also a member of Magnolia Masonic Lodge No. 4, and through that membership he helped establish Houston's Carnegie Colored Library — that's what the institution was called during the era of segregation.
He also contributed to Union Hospital, an early medical facility founded and operated by African American doctors. Spiritual leadership, civic leadership, and — here's the part that raises an eyebrow in the best possible way — the man was a flat-out entrepreneur. He owned real estate.
In 1904 he founded Pullum Standard Brick Work. And then, shortly after, he added People's Pride Shoe Repair and two drugstores. Two.
Drugstores. The Reverend Ned P. Pullum was out here laying bricks, healing souls, building libraries, and running a small business empire — all at the same time, in a city that was not making any of it easy for a Black man in that era.
The marker calls him influential. That word does a lot of heavy lifting. But standing here, knowing what this ground once held and who once walked it, influential feels just about right.
What the marker says
The Rev. Ned P. Pullum was an influential African American pastor in 19th and 20th century Houston. Born c. 1861 in Pickensville, Alabama, he was ordained a Baptist minister by 1889 and in 1895 accepted the pastorate of Antioch Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas. In 1896, he moved to the Freedmen’s Town community, founded after emancipation in Houston’s fourth ward. Later, he was chosen as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church after the death of the Rev. John “Jack” Yates. In 1898, the Rev. Pullum purchased land at this site and soon began building his family residence here. In 1903, the Rev. Pullum left the Bethel congregation to organize Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. He conveyed land and raised funds to build the church building. He pastured there 24 years until his health began to fail. The Rev. Pullum died on June 18, 1927 and was survived by his wife, Emma (Eddings) and their two children. He is buried in Houston’s College Park Cemetery. In addition to spiritual leadership, the Rev. Ned P. Pullum provided vital direction in local civic affairs. As a member of Magnolia Masonic Lodge No. 4, he helped establish Houston’s Carnegie Colored Library, as the institution was known during the era of segregation, and contributed to Union Hospital, an early medical facility founded and operated by African American doctors. A successful entrepreneur, he owned real estate, founded Pullum Standard Brick Work in 1904 and, shortly after, People’s Pride Shoe Repair and two drugstores. (2006)