Before Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park was established, this land was home to churches, homes, and schools. St. Matthew’s School once stood here with St. Matthew’s Missionary Baptist Church beside it, serving a local African American community whose cemetery still remains on the site. In the early 20th century, Rosenwald Schools were built across the Southern United States to provide education for African American children. Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and CEO of Sears, worked with Booker T. Washington to create this education system, and the local community contributed $400 to establish St. Matthew’s School. An original St. Matthew’s School building is documented circa 1921. The church and school buildings are gone, but the site endures as a reminder of the community that worshipped and studied here and of the importance of preserving these histories.