Hiram, James, and Wallace Wilson were African-Americans who made a significant contribution to the culture and history of the State of Texas during the mid-to late-1800s era. While they were slaves, they were brought to the central Texas community of Capote in 1856, where they were taught the craft of making pottery vessels. These vessels had wide utilitarian and practical use in households of that time. Their unique skill enabled them to start and maintain their own pottery-making enterprise in the years immediately following the Civil War. This endeavor has led historians to generally acknowledge the Wilson potters as being the first African American businessmen in Texas. The Wilson descendants are proud of this distinction and revere the magnificently rich legacy handed down by these men.
