The Ground on Which I Stand: Tamina, a Freedmen’s Town

In 1871, newly freed slaves established the community ofTamina-then called Tammany -north of Houston, near therich timber lands of Montgomery County. Located in proximityto the just-completed railroad from Conroe to Houston, thecommunity benefited from the burgeoning local lumber industryand available transportation. The residents built homes, churches,a one-room school, and a general store.

Over time, urban growth and change has overtaken Tamina.The sprawling communities of The Woodlands, Shenandoah,Chateau Woods, and Oak Ridge have encroached, introducingboth opportunity and complication, as the residents of this ruralcommunity enjoy both the benefits and the challenges of urban life.On the one hand, the children of Tamina have the opportunity toattend some of the best public schools in the nation; on the otherhand, residents whose education and job skills have not kept pacewith modern society are struggling for survival.

Through striking and intimate photography and sensitivelygleaned oral histories, Marti Corn has chronicled the lives,dreams, and spirit of the people of Tamina. The result is a multifaceted portrait of community, kinship, values, and shared history.