HUTTO – In 1854, a lone 17-year-old braved harsh winters, grew his own food and protected the land and cattle belonging to his owner. Adam Orgain was a slave, and a vital, but almost unrecognized, part of Hutto’s history. Now, the city is telling his story with the official naming of Adam Orgain Park, a 65-acre recreational area adjacent to the Brushy Creek Amphitheater at 1001 CR 137.
The land for the park was sold from a private owner to the city in 2018 and was unofficially called Hutto Park at Brushy Creek. In 2021, the parks advisory board came up with a list of potential names, and city council chose Adam Orgain Park as the official name. Upgrades were made and the park was dedicated Feb. 25 with a ceremony and a plaque.
“We thought that was appropriate to name it after the first official settler of Hutto, even though he wasn’t a freed man at that time. We thought this would be a wonderful way to honor him and honor his legacy,” said Peter Gordon, Place 4 councilman.
Perry Savard, president of the parks advisory board, said it was significant because a lot of people don’t know the history of Hutto.
“There’s nothing else recognizing him in Hutto except a street name,” Savard said.
He envisions the park will continue to be a vibrant part of Hutto’s entertainment scene.
“We have Kokefest here every year, and Fourth of July. We’ve had Snoop Dogg, Pat Green, Nelly, KC and the Sunshine Band. I’d like to see more music, more events, more things for people to do and just come out here and be with nature,” Savard said.
Adam Orgain was brought to the area from Tennessee by his owner, John Henry Orgain, who settled in Round Rock while Adam watched over the remote land. Although Orgain was the first to live in the area, his legacy was overshadowed by a man who arrived a short time later, James Hutto.
“He beat James Emory Hutto here by a short amount of time,” said Mike Fowler, Hutto history expert and former mayor. “James Hutto came later in 1855, but because he sold land to the railroad in 1876, they named the town for him. Back then, they certainly weren’t going to name it for a Black man, which is a travesty. But gladly, we’ve named Adam Orgain Park in his honor because he’s a magnificent statement for our community.”
Adam Orgain married Eveline, most likely after receiving his freedom on Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) with all Texas slaves. He had two sons, Adam Jr. and Benjamin. In 1880, John Orgain sold his former slave five acres of land in Hutto, and the family was able to farm for a living.
Adam Orgain died in Hutto in 1902. There are no photographs of him and no record of where he and his family are buried. No other relatives are believed to live in the area.
“We’re excited this park has been named after Adam Orgain because it sheds light on the fact that we are a diverse culture, a diverse community here in Hutto,” said Onnesha Williams, founder of Black Families of Hutto. “I always say Black history is American history because it is. If we know our full history, it brings a lot of pride to everyone.
