Seguin invited to family reunion gala, museum celebration plus Juneteenth celebration
(Seguin) – Here’s one family reunion that everyone is invited to. Seguin this weekend will again be the host site of the tri-annual Hiram Wilson Sr and James Wilson Family Reunion. The history behind this family is perhaps one of the most interesting yet still unknown by many.
Hundreds of family members are set to come together this Saturday through Monday to celebrate not only each other but the community of Seguin, which has worked hard over the years to preserve the legacy left behind by their ancestors.
The legacy is that Hiram and James Wilson are said to be the first black entrepreneurs in the state of Texas. Freed from slavery by emancipation, the pair of brothers (by slavery, not blood) took the skills of their former master. They founded Wilson Potteries in Capote, a small community south of Seguin.
To keep the legacy of their craft alive, descendants have since organized the Seguin Wilson Pottery Foundation, which works to manage and maintain historical records of all things related to Hiram and James’ work.
Paula King-Harper is Hiram’s fifth-generation granddaughter and the newly elected president of the foundation. King-Harper says this weekend, which includes both family and community events, is the non-profit group’s continued effort to preserve this history of not only their family but of Seguin and Guadalupe County.
“Rev. Hiram Wilson and his brother James. They were slave brothers, and they arrived in Guadalupe County as slave children from North Carolina. Hiram and James were brought here by Rev. John McKamey Wilson who we are not really sure how he got the desire or created the vision of making pottery – how he knew about Salt Creek, the Guadalupe River, we have no idea how he knew about the red clay in the Capote Hills but he arrived here and started up a pottery making business called the Guadalupe Pottery Company and he taught Hiram and James and we are not sure how many other slaves how to make potteries and when emancipation happened, Hiram went into business and launched the H. Wilson and Company,”’ said King-Harper.
King-Harper says fortunately for the family, this weekend’s 33rd tri-annual Family Reunion will coincide with other important milestone opportunities for the foundation and for all those who came before them.
“Friday, June 16, is the beginning of the Wilson family reunion; it’s three days,” she said. “So, Friday, the kids are coming to Seguin to spend the day at ZDT’s. Then Friday night, we have the Wilson Pottery Foundation Gala at the Seguin Events Complex. It’s going to be a remarkable gala like one we’ve never had before. And this is a community event that the community is welcome to attend. On Saturday, we resume family reunion activities during the day at the Coliseum, and later in the day, we will break and head to the Sebastopol House for the 10th anniversary celebration. That night it’s back to the family reunion with our fashion show, dinner, and dancing. It’s lots of fun,” said King-Harper.
This year’s event, according to the family, will be even more special as plans are also set to extend into Monday, Juneteenth, the federal holiday celebrating emancipation.
“On Sunday morning, we have church service there at the Coliseum as well. We have Sunday dinner and that’s usually the close out of the reunion and this is the first time ever event for us – we partnered with the city for Juneteenth, so the Summer Concert in the Park is going to be the kick-off for the Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday evening and then on Monday, we are having a Juneteenth Celebration in the downtown square,” said King-Harper.
King-Harper says Seguin should anticipate many folks returning to where their family roots began. She says this weekend, however, is not only about her family but about the entire community.
“The Wilsons are part of the Seguin fabric, the historical fabric. If you were to lay out a quilt of all of Seguin’s happenings as it came about, Wilson is woven within there and we are doing our best to ensure that our history is not lost or ignored and so the family established the Wilson Pottery Foundation. It’s 23 years old now and we are happy to say that we’ve partnered with the city of Seguin 10 years ago and launched the Wilson Pottery Museum,” said King-Harper.
Live music for Sunday’s free concert will feature R&B group Mike McLean and Groove Factor. The band features music from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Montell Jordan, Stevie Wonder, plus Chaka Khan. The concert will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Again, the celebration continues on Monday, June 19, with a Juneteenth Festival in Central Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will feature vendors, music by the Seguin Community Choir and DJ Carlton “Silver” King.
Tickets to Friday night’s 18th Annual Wilson Pottery Foundation Gala are also available. This year’s theme is “A Night Under the Stars.” The formal black-tie event will feature food, a silent auction, plus works by this year’s guest speaker Sunni Ewing. Tickets are $15 for those 12 and under and $50 for adults. Tickets for the gala can be purchased at Seguin Radio KWED or by visiting wilsonpotteryfoundation.org.
On Saturday, the anniversary celebration at the Wilson Pottery Museum will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. The museum will be available for free self-guided tours. The Sebastopol House is located at 704 Zorn St.
More details about the family’s legacy can be found in the June issue of the Seguin Today Magazine. Copies are available at various locations around town, including Seguin Radio KWED. The magazine is also available online at SeguinToday.com.
