The six founders, W. H. Smith, Benjamin Carr, Jerry Allsap, the Reverend Simon Roundtree, Jeff Lenze, and William Edmonds, all from Lexington, Kentucky, named the town Nicodemus after a legendary African slave prince who had purchased his freedom.
Contents
Who settled in Nicodemus?
Nicodemus
Earlier that year, Reverend Simon P. Roundtree arrived as the first settler of Nicodemus and was soon followed by a group of 30 settlers. Most of these families were related and had been enslaved on a single plantation. That fall, Hill and Reverend Bell enrolled 350 freedmen from Lexington to settle in Nicodemus.
What happened to Nicodemus Kansas?
The small town of Nicodemus, Kansas sits quietly on the northwest Kansas plains.The United States bought the land of the territory (and later State) of Kansas as part of the Louisiana Purchase (1803). The later Missouri Compromise intended that Kansas would be a territory in which African Americans would be free.
Why is Nicodemus Kansas famous?
Nicodemus, Kansas is the only remaining western community established by African Americans after the Civil War. Having an important role in American History, the town symbolizes the pioneering spirit of these ex-slaves who fled the war-torn South in search of “real” freedom and a chance to restart their lives.
What was life like in Nicodemus Kansas?
At its peak, Nicodemus was home to about 600 residents and boasted a bank, stores, a livery stable, two newspapers, a school and churches. But failed efforts to attract the railroad in the late 1880s, as well as the Great Depression, contributed to its decline. Today, the population hovers around 25.
What did African Americans bring to Kansas?
The eastern portion of Kansas saw another wave of black migration during the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s African Americans arrived in Kansas primarily from Arkansas and Missouri where the mechanization of the cotton industry and general and economic times had forced them to leave their homes.
What county is Nicodemus Ks in?
Graham County
Where is dearfield?
Weld County
Dearfield is a ghost town and a historically black majority settlement in Weld County, Colorado, United States. It is 30 miles (48 km) east of Greeley. The town was formed by Oliver Toussaint Jackson, who desired to create a colony for African Americans.
Where is Blackdom New Mexico?
Blackdom, New Mexico was the most important black homesteader colony in New Mexico. Blackdom was located fifteen miles south of Roswell.
What do you think is the larger reason the Nicodemus residents wanted to refuse charity?
Under Niles’ leadership, a decision was made to stop seeking charity in order to encourage the ideas of industry and self-sufficiency. Additionally, the town did not want to become a destination of the Exodusters, a migration of thousands of poor black farmers into Kansas.
What problems did exodusters face?
Exodusters: African American Migration to the Great Plains. When Reconstruction ended in 1877, southern whites used violence, economic exploitation, discriminatory laws called Black Codes, and political disenfranchisement to subjugate African Americans and undo their gains during Reconstruction.
What is there to do in Nicodemus Kansas?
The Nicodemus Township Hall and Visitor center is home to historic exhibits, the park film, and park store.
- Visit the Nicodemus dugout outside Stockton.
- Tour the 35-mile Ellis Trail.
- Visit the historic Nicodemus Cemetery.
- Take the Nicodemus Discovery Challenge.
- Become a Junior Ranger (or a Senior Junior Ranger)
How much did it cost in 1877 to buy a town lot in Nicodemus?
Residential lots cost $5 while commercial lots were $75. The promoters charged additional fees for establishing the settlers on the land. Efforts succeeded in bringing groups of colonists from Eastern Kansas and Kentucky, at one point the population reached about 600 people in 1878.
Are there any black homesteaders?
African Americans successfully homesteaded in all the Great Plains states. While few in comparison with the multitudes of white settlers, black people created homes, farms, a “place,” and a society which were all their own.
How far is Nicodemus from Kansas City?
The distance between Kansas City and Nicodemus is 272 miles. The road distance is 321.2 miles.
Why did slaves move to Kansas?
Singleton, a former slave from Tennessee who had escaped to the north, returned to Tennessee after the Civil War with the dream of helping his fellow former slaves to improve their lives. Singleton encouraged his people to move to Kansas where they would be able to purchase land and establish a better life.
Who was Benjamin Pap Singleton and what did he do?
Singleton advocated the organized colonization of blacks in communities in Kansas and testified about the “Exodusters” before a committee of the U.S. Congress in 1880. A second wave of nearly 20,000 African Americans came to Kansas in 1879 and 1880.
What was the black exodus?
Exodusters was a name given to African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late nineteenth century, as part of the Exoduster Movement or Exodus of 1879. It was the first general migration of black people following the Civil War.
What happened to Allensworth California?
The town suffered a far greater loss later in 1914 when Colonel Allensworth died after being struck by a motorcycle while visiting Los Angeles. The town however continued to grow due to the leadership of Oscar Overr, the Justice of the Peace, and Professor William A. Payne, the school principal.
Why is Benjamin Singleton famous?
Benjamin “Pap” Singleton (1809 – February 17, 1900) was an American activist and businessman best known for his role in establishing African American settlements in Kansas.
Where is Keota?
Weld County
Keota is a mostly abandoned town located on the prairie in the Pawnee National Grasslands in Weld County in the U.S. state of Colorado. Keota’s elevation is 4,964 ft (1,513 m). Keota is located approximately 50 miles east of Greeley on County Road 103.
