The Medallion, Volume 49, Number 4, Fall 2011 Page: 5
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THC OUTREACH
Bull Hill LosnalamIIL4I
Keens RollineResearchers Collecting Real Stoi
About Historic African American
etery
Article adapted from a report
Cameras are common at social
gatherings, but the equipment at
this year's Paul family reunion in
Marlin was especially elaborate.
Documentarians were on hand to film
and capture professional images and
conduct interviews of the venerable
Central Texas family that has strong
ties to the nearby Bull Hill Cemetery
dating to the 1850s.
The theme of this year's reunion-
Uniting Our Roots and Branches-was
appropriately intertwined with the
documentary, which centers on recent
discoveries and historical connections
made at Bull Hill. The film will focus on
collaborative efforts to bring attention
to the forgotten burial ground by the
Texas Historical Commission (THC),
the descendant community, and the
Dallas-based Summerlee Foundation.
"This is a fascinating aspect
of Texas history that's filled with
intriguing stories and discoveries,"
said former THC Archeology Division
Director Jim Bruseth, who plays a
significant role in the documentary.
"I'm very proud to be involved with a
film based on the remarkable historical
activity that's taken place here over the
past few years."
The documentary's working title
is "Speak My Name And I Shall Live
Again, The Resurrection of Bull Hill
Cemetery," and filming is expected to
wrap up in early 2012. The movie will
likely be completed and distributed
by Summer 2012; details about
screening locations and DVDFrom top: The Rev. Will Miller Jr. offered a prayer
at the Paul family reunion in Marlin; members of
the Paul family commended new honorary member
Jim Bruseth (back row).
availability will appear in a future
issue of The Medallion.
Overseeing the project is
researcher and writer Sharon Styles,
a Paul family descendant. Styles was
conducting genealogical studies in
2007 on her late grandparents when
she learned about their connection
to Bull Hill Cemetery. Soon after, she
began working to find the names of
those buried in Bull Hill with Nedra Lee,
a THC Preservation Fellow and doctoral
student of anthropology at University
of Texas at Austin. Lee wrote her
Master's thesis on Bull Hill's research,
investigation, and preservation efforts
and has continued to work with Styles
in documenting the cemetery's history
and significance to Falls County's
African American community.
While attending the gathering
in Marlin, Bruseth updated the Paul
family on the status of the discovery
of the Bull Hill gravesite believed toThe grave's
skeletal remains were exhumed
and transported to the Smithsonian
earlier this year for DNA comparison
and analysis. Although the DNA
was insufficient to make a positive
identification, Bruseth strongly
believes the remains are Coryell's. In
honor of his work at Bull Hill, Bruseth
was presented with a Paul Family
Reunion shirt and named an honorary
Paul family member. The family also
acknowledged the efforts of THC
Commissioner John Crain, president
of the Summerlee Foundation.
Styles is actively completing
the Bull Hill documentary and
encourages those with historic
photos or additional information
to contact her at 916.275.8084
or sharon.kay@sbcglobal.net.
For those interested in the
cemetery's historical legacy, a video
of Coryell's grave excavation is
available at www.thc.state.tx.us.
For access to Bull Hill Cemetery,
arrangements should be made
through the Summerlee Foundation
at 214.363.9000. *TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
FALL 2011
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Texas Historical Commission. The Medallion, Volume 49, Number 4, Fall 2011, periodical, Autumn 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth253479/m1/5/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Commission.