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Jane Elkins is significant to Dallas County and statewide history. Born into slavery around 1800, she was the first documented enslaved person purchased in Dallas County, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 1846. On March 17, 1844, Edward Welborn transferred ownership of Jane to John Young for $400. Around 44 years old, she was described as being “sound in body and mind, and a slave for life.” Young then sold Jane to Smith E. Elkins and his wife America. After her husband died, the widow Elkins leased Jane out to Andrew Wisdom, a widower with young children. Jane worked as their caretaker. Wisdom was found bludgeoned to death in 1853. Contemporary accounts are meager, but a Galveston Daily News article published on August 28, 1880, reported that Jane had accused a “prominent citizen of the county” of committing the crime. Despite Jane being the one to alert authorities, she quickly became the sole and primary suspect.
In the case of State of Texas vs. Jane (a slave), case #188, Jane was indicted on May 10, 1853, convicted and tried by an all-white, male jury on May 16 and sentenced to murder in the first degree on May 17. Jane had no representation during her trial, no witnesses were called and no formal investigation took place. She was hanged just ten days later outside the Dallas courthouse, on May 27, 1853. Records indicate her body was buried in a shallow grave near the courthouse but later exhumed and used for medical research.
Many details of Jane Elkins’ life remain unknown. But her place in history is secured as the first recorded enslaved person purchased in Dallas County and as the first woman to be legally hanged in the State of Texas. (2021)
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