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(c. 1839-c. 1920)
Born into a life of slavery in Alabama in the 1830s, Anderson Bonner was brought to Texas in the 1850s along with his family, including his wife, Eliza, and their four children. After Emancipation in 1865, Bonner worked to support his growing family by tending livestock, farming, and selling cotton, corn and other produce. In 1874, he and his brother, Lewis Bonner, purchased land along the White Rock Creek basin, which led the family to settle in the northwest part of Dallas.
Although he never learned to read or write, Bonner excelled by leasing land and farm equipment to sharecroppers and using proceeds to purchase additional land. By the 1920s, Bonner acquired many acres of land in the areas of Dallas, Richardson and Farmers Branch. According to oral tradition, Bonner rented land to African American families, which helped create a supportive community. Bonner and Eliza had ten children and contributed to the growth and development of North Dallas and the area's African American community. The exact date of Bonner's death is unknown; he is buried next to Eliza in the White Rock Garden of Memories.
The legacy of Anderson Bonner continued when one of the first African American schools in North Texas was named in his honor. Bonner's descendants worked to establish a scholarship endowment in his name for graduates in Richardson. In 1976, the City of Dallas established Anderson Bonner Park on land that once was the original Bonner farm, which had become a popular destination for African American family gatherings. As a prominent businessman in Dallas, Anderson Bonner transformed his life after slavery by becoming a landowner and an inspiring entrepreneur. (2020) |
