Taylor Dirden (1848-1910) was born into slavery in Pike County, Alabama. After Emancipation, he moved to Texas, settling in Jacksonville to engage in sharecropping on Joseph Turney’s farm. He met Jacksonville native Lucy Grimes (1856-1935) and the two married on August 21, 1875. Recognizing the importance of land ownership, the couple purchased from Turney the 22.8 parcel of land they had sharecropped, including a small home on the parcel, on May 7, 1880. In the years that followed, Taylor and Lucy welcomed five children: Will (1882-1954); George Elijah (1888-1971), US Army, World War I; Mary Netta (1892-1929), who passed away from disease leaving four children; John Bill (1894-1919), US Army World War I; and Beulah (1896-1978). On their farm, the family grew fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, peas, corn, okra, peaches and watermelon and raised animals for sale at local markets. They also sold timber from their property. The profits from these ventures eventually allowed the Dirdens to purchase additional property in the area. The Dirdens were active in the community and members of Old Sweet Union Baptist Church, one of the oldest Baptist congregations in Jacksonville. After the deaths of Taylor and Lucy, Will and Beulah lived on the Dirden family farm for the rest of their lives, during which time the farm did not have 20th century amenities such as running water, electricity or phone access. Purchased as a means of self-determination and escape from the sharecropping lifestyle, the Dirden family farm, which is still owned by Dirden descendants, is a testimony to the diligence and resilience of Taylor and Lucy and their family for over one hundred years. (2023)