Charles Napoleon Charlton

     Charles Charlton was born on 19 January 1845 at Tyler County, Texas.^1,2 Charles Napoleon Charlton also went by the name of Charlie Pole.¹ He was the son of Napoleon Bonaparte Charlton and a female slave (?)¹ He married Mary Runnels, daughter of (?) Runnels and Fanny (?), circa 1866.³

"With a thirst for knowledge, two ex-slaves decided to started a school. Charles Charlton and the Rev. Woodson Pipkin turned a dream into reality. According to research, Pipkin had been owned by John Fletcher Pipkin, a minister. He learned to read and write with the permission of his owner. Charlton, also, learned to read and to write with the permission of his owner.

Charlton was the son of a white slaveholder, Napoleon Bonaparte Charlton and a slave woman. He was called "Charlie Pole" as a nickname. After both of these slaves were freed, they wanted to use their knowledge to help to educate other Blacks. Pipkin started classes in the St. Paul Episcopal Church in 1866, In 1874, Charlton helped to open a school in the Live Oak Baptist Church where he was the founder.

Beaumont Black schools had several locations in their history. Beaumont's first Black graduates were George Douglas and T. L. Anderson in 1901.

The Pine Street School became Charlton High School in 1912. Luckie High School on College and Neches was named after Prairie View Normal College headed by Professor C. W. Luckie. The Luckie and Charlton schools merged in 1925 and the school was named Charlton-Pollard in honor of Charlton and T. T. Pollard, a former student from Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute. Adams and School was named for Elisha Adams and Carroll Street School became part of the district. Schools increased in the Beaumont District and Blacks continued to be educated in that part of town. A number of publications contain information on the history of Blacks in the Beaumont Schools. Among them, is the Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, 1993 edition and publications in the Terrell Library."¹ He and his wife Mary Charlton appeared on the census of 22 June 1880 at Pct 1, Jefferson County, Texas.⁴ He was employed as a farmer on 22 June 1880 at Pct 1, Jefferson County, Texas.⁴ He and his wife Mary Runnels appeared on the census of 18 June 1900 at Collier's Ferry Road, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.³ He was employed as a teamster on 18 June 1900 at Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.³ He died on 23 March 1908 at age 63 years, 2 months and 4 days.² He was buried at Anthony Cemetery, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.²