The 1930 Sherman Riot Destroyed the Courthouse and Left a Mark on Local History

George Hughes, a Black farm worker, was awaiting trial in Sherman when a white mob surrounded the courthouse, set it on fire, and killed him. The governor declared martial law. The mob also burned Black-owned businesses and homes throughout the city.

Of fourteen men indicted for riot involvement, only two were convicted. The courthouse was later rebuilt. The event is documented in the Handbook of Texas and is part of the broader history of racial violence in the Jim Crow South.