Fort Worth Museum becomes first Texas site to dedicate ‘Stopping Stones'

A Fort Worth museum is the first site in Texas to dedicate two memorials as part of a project commemorating individuals who were enslaved locally.

Two “Stopping Stone” memorials have been dedicated at Log Cabin Village off S. University Drive in Fort Worth. The stones bear the names of two people who were enslaved at the home, which now serves as the entrance to Log Cabin Village: Jefferson Walton and Molly.

“It is very clear to us and weighs on us that we know every day when we come into the office, we are sitting in a building that was built by the hands of enslaved workers,” Shae Nawoj said.

Nawoj is the assistant historic site supervisor at Log Cabin Village, which is owned by the city of Fort Worth. It serves as a living history museum, emphasizing 19th-century Texas frontier history.

The purpose of the Stopping Stones project is to dedicate memorials to help residents remember the history of slavery and create conversations that address racial issues in the modern world, according to museum officials. Nawoj said the project was created by a Vermont artist who was inspired by similar stones memorializing those lost in the Holocaust in Germany.

“We have all of these hidden stories of history that have not been stories that have traditionally been told. It’s not voices that have been uplifted,” she said. “That is part of our mission, is to uncover those voices and make sure that we’re telling all of our history, not just the shiny, fun parts of it.”

The dedication ceremony Saturday included Fort Worth’s Opal Lee, a long-time activist who championed the effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. At 96 years old, Lee is preparing for another city-wide walk on Monday, June 19.

“Let me say how thankful I am that we have come this far,” Lee said.

Fort Worth mayor Mattie Parker said the stones dedicated Saturday serve as a reminder of the stories that must never be forgotten.

“May these stopping stones serve as a very important reminder of the progress we have made and the call to continue our work toward a future where every individual is treated with dignity, respect, and fairness,” Mayor Parker said.

The stones dedicated and unveiled Saturday are expected to be installed next week.