its National Register of Historic Places designation of Shankleville's Addie L. and A.T. Odom Homestead. At Shankleville, a single family—the related Shankle-McBride clan—had unusual financial resources that they initially used to purchase land early on, which fostered the development of the community (Handbook of Texas Online: "Freedmen's Settlements"). At its peak, Shankleville is thought to have housed about 75 families. The settlement prospered and included schools, churches, a cotton gin, saw mill, grist mill, sugarcane mill, store, and blacksmith. Stephen McBride gave the land for a school and cemetery. McBride College was a two-story structure which operated from 1883 to 1909. Named after Stephen McBride, the school also served as a community center and town hall. During summer, teachers came to attend training conferences and seminars. When school was not in session, McBride College was also used to host revivals featuring traveling preachers. Good Morning America host and retired NFL player Michael Strahan is a descendant of Jim and Winnie Shankle. Preservation, conversation, and media The descendants of Shankleville are involved in historic research, community preservation, and family genealogy. Annual homecomings have been held since 1941 on the first weekend of August each year. The Shankleville Historical Society was founded in 1988 to "preserve the heritage", "document the history", and "propagate the legacy" of Shankleville. The society hosts many cultural events in honor of Shankleville, including the annual Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival which celebrated its sesquicentennial homecoming in 2017. The festival features cultural events commemorating different historical aspects of the settlement. Purple-hull peas were a historic cash crop and a staple of the local economy. Currently,the Shankleville Historical Society and the Texas Freedom Colonies Project are working to raise awareness of Shankleville and other similar settlements. Good Morning America host and retired NFL player and Hall of Fame Defensive End Michael Strahan is a descendant of Jim and Winnie Shankle. The show Finding Your Roots, confirmed the Shankles were Strahan's 3rd paternal great-grandparents. References External links http://www.shankleville.org PBS Finding Your Roots: Freedom Tales (Michael Strahan and S. Epatha Merkerson) Populated places in Texas established by African Americans History of slavery in Texas 1867 establishments in Texas Unincorporated communities in Newton County, Texas