Fort Bend ISD purchased the site in 2011. In advance of the purchase of the property, FBISD conducted its due diligence, which included a cultural investigation of the site. The resulting report revealed only that the property was previously part of an approximately 2,000-acre parent tract known as the “Central State Prison Farm.” The consulting firm advised FBISD that no further archeological work on the property was warranted and noted that the Texas Historical Commission had agreed with this conclusion on two prior occasions, even as recently as 2004. 

In February 2018, bones were discovered as a contractor was backfilling a trench at the construction site. Fort Bend ISD immediately notified its archaeologists.

Texas law prohibits construction in the area of an owner’s property where human remains are discovered. Upon discovery, the Texas Historical Commission deemed the site an abandoned cemetery under the law and designated the site as a cemetery. 

Sugar Land 95 – DNA Research 

The Texas Attorney General issued an opinion in June of 2019 confirming that the Texas Historical Commission (THC) alone has the authority to authorize extraction of  biological samples for isotope analysis and DNA sequencing. Following this opinion, the tooth and bone samples necessary for future DNA and isotope testing were entrusted to the University of Texas’ Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) in Austin for curation.
 
Fundraising 
 
In the fall of 2019, the Texas Historical Commission approved a research proposal for the extraction and analysis of ancient DNA at the University of Connecticut. Pursuant to that permit, TARL forwarded samples to a respected geneticist at the University of Connecticut for genetic analysis.
 
Researchers have secured funding for the first batch of DNA extractions. Additional funding will be needed to fund the remaining DNA extractions, analysis, comparisons to existing databases, public outreach, and genealogical studies. Fort Bend ISD is not directing this fundraising. 

February 2020 Update:

The new permanent fund has been established to support the DNA extraction and related costs for the "Sugar Land 95" including but not limited to analysis, comparisons to existing databases, public outreach, and genealogical studies. Donors will receive a tax letter from the UConn Foundation for deductions. Please see the new donation information below. 

New gifts can be made to the fund a few ways:

1. Phone: Call the UConn Foundation at 860-486-5000 and ask to make a gift over the phone
2. Online: www.giving.uconn.edu in the “Search” type either or both “23598” and/or “Sugar Land 95 Fund” and follow directions to make a gift
3. Mail: Checks made payable to the UConn Foundation, Inc. with memo of  “23598 Sugar Land 95 Fund” and mail to:

Attn: Data Services

UConn Foundation

2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206

Storrs, CT 06269-3206

In February 2019, Fort Bend County commissioners stepped forward to explore possibilities of the County taking over the cemetery from the District. But the County determined that the law did not grant it the authority to own or operate the cemetery.  With the support of local lawmakers, a bill was passed that would allow the County to own and operate the cemetery.

During the legislative session, the District’s negotiations with the County continued regarding conveyance of the land for a memorial park, which the County had authority to operate. But then, after the legislation passed that allowed the County to own and operate the cemetery, negotiations stalled over the question of whether court approval was needed to rebury the remains where they were found. Since Fort Bend ISD was no longer seeking the court’s permission to remove the remains or the cemetery designation, there was no action for the court to resolve. Fort Bend ISD dismissed the petition, believing it was more respectful to the Sugar Land 95 to go forward with re-interment even before the conveyance of land. 

In June of 2018, a court granted FBISD permission to begin the process of exhuming the remains for the purposes of further forensic investigation.

The exhumation and onsite analysis consisted of a methodical and extensive process. Each exhumation took approximately 36-48 person hours per grave, followed by 4-8 hours for cleaning and an additional 12-15 hours for analysis of each individual.

Archaeologists believe the individuals buried at the property are linked to the property's historical use as a sugar plantation utilizing leased convict labor and the establishment of a convict camp beginning in the 1870's, after the abolition of slavery in 1863. Use of the burial site likely continued through 1911 as the State of Texas operated the Imperial Prison Camp Number 1 on the property.

The District has incorporated the discovery into the social studies curriculum. The Board adopted a locally-developed social studies standard related to the local history associated with the Sugar Land 95 and convict leasing. This local standard was implemented into the curriculum at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. 

There is no set timeline. The district remains open to considering a partnership with any community partner, including Fort Bend County.

The District can maintain the cemetery as long as necessary or until the County or another entity assumed the responsibility. The cemetery was discovered on District property and has been restored. FBISD has a legal and moral duty to maintain or care for it. Maintaining an historic cemetery is different from operating or managing an active cemetery, which would include ongoing sales of plots and burials, etc.

The finalization of the bioarcheological report is an important milestone in Fort Bend ISD’s efforts to educate the community at-large about the Sugar Land 95. The information contained within this report has been long awaited by the community to provide an understanding of who exactly the individuals are now known as the Sugar Land 95. Fort Bend ISD is in full support of bringing awareness to the lives and legacies of the Sugar Land 95, but also to reveal to true story of the injustices and exploitation associated with the system of convict leasing. This report is just one tool that FBISD can utilize in our efforts to advocate and bring voices to the Sugar Land 95.  The report was submitted to the Texas Historical Commission in August 2020 for technical review and approval.

In May 2019, the FBISD Board of Trustees adopted a local studies standard, integrating the Sugar Land 95 discovery into the District’s social studies curriculum. With the adoption of the standard, the Sugar Land 95 was incorporated into the social studies curriculum in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, and high school U.S. History. This standard will also allow for our students to learn about other topics related to ethnic history including key leaders and events in our local history.

Information regarding convict leasing in the state and the Sugar Land 95 will also be included in course curriculum and the corresponding TEKS for the State’s African American Studies course, which was approved by the State Board of Education in April 2020 and will be offered to FBISD students in the 2020-21 school year. Fort Bend ISD Coordinator of Community and Civic Engagement Chassidy Olainu-Alade collaborated with SBOE representative Aicha Davis to develop the state TEKS after presenting research on the discovery of the historic cemetery to SBOE Representative Pat Hardy.

Olainu-Alade has also designed and delivered a presentation and a series of professional learning sessions for educators and entities seeking to learn about the discovery. This presentation is available for other school districts, community organizations, and government entities seeking to gain understanding and insight on the discovery.

Yes, Fort Bend ISD is pursuing a Historic Cemetery Designation for the site and a formal submission is underway to the Texas Historic Commission. The Fort Bend County Historical Commission has agreed to support the application and will have the opportunity to review and provide comment prior to its submission. The designation process is estimated to take approximately four months, and upon its completion the District will be able to pursue the creation of an official historical marker. 

Fort Bend ISD is continuing to plan to incorporate educational features and memorial components within the James C. Reese CTE Center. This project is in the initial phases and we are thankful for the partnership and collaboration with the Fort Bend Museum and other local historians, as their expertise is greatly valued.

The District has ordered the markers for the gravesites, which will be installed in late August. For the time being, a barrier fence has been erected to outline the exact location of the cemetery, as well as signage noting the name of site as registered by the Texas Historical Commission “Bullhead Camp Cemetery.” This name is the historical name documented in archival resources, giving reference to the name of the Bullhead Bayou which once ran through the area. The sign also indicates hours of visitation for those who wish to visit.