Walter Frank Cotton was born December 27, 1892 in Limestone County, Texas, the first of Jesse and Lela Cotton’s seven children. Walter’s family had been slaves on the Stroud Plantation six miles west of Mexia in Limestone County for several generations. Walter’s father, Jesse was born there just three years before emancipation.
Walter attended Limestone County Schools, earned a bachelor of arts degree at Samuel Huston College in Austin, a masters of science degree at Prairie View College, and was a veteran of World War I. He taught history and was the principal of Corsicana’s Jackson High School for eighteen years and served as Superintendent of Mexia’s Woodland Schools for six years.
In the 1940’s Cotton developed an interest in painting. Walter went on to paint Biblical scenes for his church and historical paintings and portraits for his schools and his family.
Cotton’s painting pictured above hung in the hall in the Jones Chapel for many years. He painted it on an old refrigerator box. The painting portrays plantation overseer E.E. Rogers reading the document to the slaves.

In 1993, we served on the advisory board for University of Texas exhibit, Spirited Journeys - Self Taught Artists of the Twentieth Century. About that time, we met Tom Chatham from Mexia, who had befriended Walter Cotton.
Tom worked to save his paintings and bring awareness to his talents.
We recall the day we saw this painting along with others in Tom’s well house. We begged to take the painting from the damp location and drive it directly to the University of Texas as a late entry into this famous Texas Folk Art exhibit. The painting and Walter’s immense talent and dedication recorded for generations.

Walter Cotton died in Mexia July 25, 1978 at the age of eighty-five, leaving a body of work in which he fulfilled his desire to preserve history. Most paintings are sold or in the African American Museum in Dallas’ collection at this point but Walter’s legacy lives on in the paintings. Walter addressed his preservation of history in a letter to the Mexia newspaper:

”To look backwards and marvel at the progress made is altogether fitting and proper. And we should remember, since remembrance is the only paradise out of which we cannot be driven….”

*some excerpts from Spirited Journeys catalog - 1994 written by Lynne Adele