By Story by TIM SULLIVAN
The National Park Service has formally recognized a local historical site for its role in the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves reach freedom in Mexico more than 150 years ago.
The Jackson Ranch and Cemetery south of Pharr is among the new listings by the National Park Service for its Underground Railroad Network To Freedom program.
According to the McAllen Monitor, the church was established by Nathaniel Jackson, a white farmer from Alabama who settled in the area in 1857 with Matilda Hicks, herself a former slave.
Through the church, the couple offered secret sanctuary to runaway slaves and a path to freedom in Mexico. The application for the National Park Service designation was written and submitted by UTRGV historian Roseann Bacha-Garza.
