Historical Society to Present Story of Nicodemus Children
WELLINGTON, Kan. — The Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Society will host a presentation about the children of America's last remaining western town established by African Americans during Reconstruction.
Angela Bates, executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society, will present "Children of the Promised Land" on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Cowley College's Short Education Center, Room 113.
The presentation explores the experiences of mothers and children in Nicodemus, an unincorporated town in Graham County that was settled by Black homesteaders after the Civil War. Many of the children were the first members of their families born free.
Bates has a personal connection to the town's history. Her great-uncle, Henry Williams, was the first baby born in Nicodemus in 1877, just one month after her great-grandmother Emma arrived with the first group of settlers.
"He was one of the first in his generation born on the free soils of Kansas," Bates said. "He represents the many children of his generation that were reared by parents who were former slaves."
Nicodemus was designated a National Historic Site on Nov. 12, 1996, when President Bill Clinton signed legislation making the town's remaining historic buildings part of the National Park System.
Bates presents educational programs nationwide on topics including Exodusters, western Black towns, Buffalo Soldiers and Black women in the West.
The presentation is part of Humanities Kansas' Speakers Bureau and "21st Century Civics," a program designed to encourage community discussions about American democracy and citizenship responsibilities. The initiative is supported by "A More Perfect Union: America at 250," a National Endowment for the Humanities program.
For more information, contact the Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Society at 620-440-4245 or visit ksschgs.com. An after-hours number is available at 620-447-3266.
Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit organization that has provided programming, grants and partnerships to Kansas communities since 1972.