During the years of Jim Crow, the separation between blacks and whites was strongly enforced in East Texas resulting in a separate downtown for African Americans known as the Cut. On the main street of Palace was the Alfreda Hotel where traveling people could stay the night. Open to both blacks and whites, it was a mainstay for mostly black America.
Every black musician that performed in East Texas stayed in the Alfreda including James Brown, Little Richard, and many more.
