Background
In May, 2006, The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI)* launched a national campaign to find the descendants of the historic Votaw Colonies of Kansas. Between 1879 and 1881, approximately 60,000 African Americans migrated to the mid-West in search of beginning their lives anew. Of particular interest are the descendants of Shelby County, Texas: Richard Alexander, Martha Coleman, Abra Gudden, William Gilbert, Henry Hill, William Jones, Wesley Mattock, Betty Seastruck, Susan Saunders, George Saunders, Thomas Saunders, Thomas Teal, Alfred Teal, George Lovell, Benjamin & Charlotte Ingram, Robert Hopson, Paul Davis, Ancrum Goodwin, and Andrew Teal. "While we’ve identified these individuals in particular, we are also interested in descendants of all of the townships that settled into the State of Kansas," said Dr. Carolyn Council, CAAGRI’s Director of History Education. CAAGRI continues to look for additional colonies and families that settled in Kansas as a part of the "Great Exodus Migration". To date, the following colonies have been identified: Summit Township, Little Caney, Dunlap Colony, Morton City, Wabusee Colony, The Bottoms, Tennesseetown, Singleton’s Colony, Nicodemus, Votaw Juniper Town, Mud Town, Scuffletown, Hodgeman City Colony, David City Colony, Redmonsville, Wayside, Groove’s Center, Burlington, Richie’s Addition, Sedan, Chautaqua.
"Our research team spans the U.S. and consists of professional genealogists, authors, librarians, the Shelby County Historical Society Museum & Library of Texas, the Nicodemus Historical Society and many others. We are expanding our team to include experienced researchers in Kansas who would be willing to help in this effort," said Paula D. Royster, Founder & CEO of the Center. Royster continued, "We also enjoy the support of Kansas State Legislator and nephew of the late Alex Haley-Senator David Haley."
African Americans who think they might be descendants should contact CAAGRI at: 540.785.9925 or via email: exodusterdescendants@caagri.org. Written inquiries should be mailed to:
CAAGRI
P.O. Box 41246
Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Please note: portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity.
VKN (Host):
Introducing
Paula D. Royster, CAAGRI Founder and CEO, who will lead our discussion this evening.
Paula (Presenter):
I hope everyone is doing well this evening.
Is Dona still with us?
Dona_Lucas:
Yes, Dona is here.
Paula (Presenter):
Great. I'd like to thank Ms.Valencia for arranging this chat session for us.
Dona_Lucas:
I'm looking forward to the topic.
Mariah:
I am excited to listen in also.
Paula (Presenter):
We are are excited about this project and look forward to bringing it to a successful conclusion next year. Nat Fitz is a Votaw Colony descendant who issued a press release for help in finding the other descendants of the Votaw Colonies. We volunteered to help him find as many of the descendants that we could. But as we began planning for the research we decided to extend the search to ALL Exodus Migrators.
We reached out to Sen. David Haley of KS for help and he is assisting us as we need it. Sure. The Migration occurred between 1879 and 1881. The migrations weren't limited to Kansas but Kansas was the largest repository for the migration. Others went to MO, TN, OK. The numbers are inconclusive as to how many actually settled in KS but it varies from 30-60K. We have
discovered that at least 25 colonies and townships were established by African Americans but only one colony exists today and that is Nicodemus.
Dona_Lucas:
Was there one particular area that they came from?
Paula (Presenter):
No.
Mariah:
Why was Nicodemus the only colony to survive?
Paula (Presenter):
Because some stayed. Children of the descendants weren't interested in farming
so they moved to larger cities with better opportunities for their children and just never came back. There is one lady there, Ora Switzer, who is 102 years old and she rode in the covered wagons with her family when they settled in Nicodemus.
Dona_Lucas:
What were the factors that influence this migration to KS?
Paula (Presenter):
It was the selection of Rutherford Hayes as President. When he went to office, he decided to remove the Union troops from the south during the so-called
Reconstruction Era. Actually, the deal was, the troops would be removed in exchange for political favor. As such, the proposition of share-cropping was not ideal for us. Benjamin "Pap" Singleton started a movement to encourage folks in the deep south to buy their own land.
Dona_Lucas:
Did the government assist with aid for the families to move?
Paula (Presenter):
Oh no they didn't assist. Black folk saved their pennies -it cost $5 and White people helped quite a bit buy selling the land really cheap.
The government did hold hearings on the movement because it was so large. The called it the "Exodus" Frederick Douglas was dead set against the notion of migrating to an
unknown place to start all over again. He said that Blacks would be better off staying in the south and negotiating fair wages.
Dona_Lucas:
I am amazed at the numbers, was it considered the largest in our history.
Paula (Presenter):
It was the second largest Diaspora of African Descended peoples.
Mariah:
Was Kansas ripe for farmland and what was the crop?
Paula (Presenter):
According to Pap Singleton, it was cheap and the environment was good for black
folk. There wasn't the same kinds of hostilities in KS as it was in let's say...TN.
He tried getting people to go to TN but the people there raised the prices so high, that it would discourage us from buying. Pap's attempt to make this migration successful didn't come on the first attempt. He actually started about 1865/1866 to get us to move and farm for ourselves rather than to work for others.
Paula (Presenter):
Might I ask you all a question?
VKN (Host):
Please do Paula.
Paula (Presenter):
Thank you. What is your interest in the Exodus?
Family ties? Historical significance?
Dona_Lucas:
Historical signigicance for me. I am not aware of any of my family
lines that was there, but the information is always useful.
Mariah:
Historical for me as of now Paula.
VKN (Host):
For me all of the above with a heavy leaning
toward the historical significance.
Art:
I have ancestor's who migrated to Iowa ca 1850 from Ohio..
And From NC to Indiana in the 1880's.
Dona_Lucas:
I have found a lot of AA in Indiana from Iowa on various census,
didn't know why they left.
Paula (Presenter):
There were some who went to CO and IA but not as many
who stayed in the mid-west.
Dona_Lucas:
This land in KS, I take it was cheap because they felt it was not good soil for growing?
Paula (Presenter):
That is in part true but to Pap Singleton it was also about leaving something behind for your children. He was actually not a farmer but started his own business in real
estate.
Mariah:
Did any original families from Texas migrate there?
Paula (Presenter):
We are still looking for that info. part of the team is looking from 1870 forward and the other part, 1870 backwards. We have found that some of the folks from TX were born in GA< NC< SC, etc. The Shelby County Historical Society is looking 1870 backwards.
Dona_Lucas:
Could you provide some info on this project, and how can people get invovled?
Paula (Presenter):
Sure. If you are interested in helping with the research, contact me offline: exodusterdescendants@caagri.org. Our website has a database where the researchers are inputting data daily
http://www.caagri.org/familytree/phpmyfamily-1.4.1/index.php.
Dona_Lucas:
Great, I am a member of a Genealogy group and there may be descendants in our group.
Art:
I'm also looking at Whitmans & Brights who settled in Pratt, KS.
Paula:
Please share the information with them and have them contact us if they have ties.
Dona_Lucas:
Is Topeka KS a part of this migration research?
Paula (Presenter):
Absolutely!
Settlers were as far south as Montgomery County up to Kansas City, Kansas.
Dona_Lucas:
I have been looking for decendants of a John Freeman that settled in Topeka around
1870-71.
Paula (Presenter):
I don't have a Freeman on the list but I will send a note to KS to see if they can help. Drop me a line.
Dona_Lucas:
Freeman has a fascinating story. He was a resident in Indianapolis in 1853, moved to
Paula (Presenter):
Not ignoring you AYWalton--we were discussing the
Exodus Migration and the search for descendants.
AYWalton:
I understand, thanks.
VKN (Host):
How frequently is
http://www.caagri.org/familytree/phpmyfamily-1.4.1/index.php
updated, Paula?
Paula (Presenter):
I believe daily.
Art:
Zeb Bright, David Whitman & James Cabbell homesteaded 160 acres each in Paxson Twp. Pratt county ca 1885-1887.
Do you have anything on them?
Paula (Presenter):
I do now :) . Are they related to you?
Art:
No, I'm helping a friend research their KS family.
Paula (Presenter):
We're squeezing a lot of research into one year, so we may miss some folks if we aren't aware.
Dona_Lucas:
How many descendants have you been able to locate?
Paula (Presenter):
To find everyone would take at least five years
So far we have close to two hundred It may be more than that we have a meeting scheduled Sunday for an update.
Mariah:
I commend you on what you guys are doing.
Paula (Presenter):
Thank you.
Dona_Lucas:
Are you forming an association of sorts?
DeeBass:
Sorry to be late but when did this project begin?
Paula (Presenter):
No. No associations. We started in April/May 2006. Nat Fitz, whose family are descendants of the Votaw Colony, is 85 years old.
Nat Fitz founded the Votaw Colony Museum. I suppose if he chose to do that...that doesn't fit into the mission of our organization.
DeeBass:
Dona_Lucas what do you mean by associations?
Dona_Lucas:
Well there are numerous groups that form these association to promote and preserve the history, simular to the descendants of Jefferson at Monticello.
DeeBass:
Thank you.
Paula:
We are working with the NPS and other like-minded organizations to make sure histrical markers ar in place at every colony we can identify. Dwellings and structures might not exisit but they don't really need to so long as we preerve the history in writing.
Dona_Lucas:
You use the term colony as opposed to here in my state we use settlements.
Paula (Presenter):
It is the same.
Dona_Lucas:
This sound like fascinating work, and I am not aware of the Musuem, where is it located?
Paula (Presenter):
Thank you all for coming. If you would like to help with the research, please let me know. Also, we are scheduled to meet again on 9/6 @ 9:00PM. The Museum is in its formative stages. But it will be located in
Coffeyville, KS
Dona_Lucas:
Thanks for the information and I will pass it on.
Paula (Presenter):
Thanks Dona.
VKN (Host):
Thanx so very much for sharing this exciting project, Paula.
Applause Applause!!!!!!!!
Paula (Presenter):
Thank you Ms. Valencia. I enjoyed it!
Good night everyone.
Art:
Good night & best wishes
Participants
Art
AYWalton
Bjm
BJS
DeeBass
Denise
Dona_Lucas
ET
EttaBell
Freeaainnc
Kwyer
LL
Lyndam
Mariah
Paula (Presenter)
Rbpjr1906
Vicky
VKN (Host)
Additional sessions on this topic are scheduled on September 6, September 20, and October 4, 2006 featuring genealogists Char Mc Cargo-Bah and Electra Kimble-Price and Nat Fitz, Founder of the Votaw Colony Museum, Inc.
*About The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI)
Founded in 2004, The Center for African American Genealogical
Research, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides free genealogical data to the community at no cost. The only organization of its kind, CAAGRI’s specialized services provides a location for African Americans to conduct in-depth genealogical research, free computer training, mentoring programs for at risk youth and low-moderate income families and organizes special projects that include historical preservation efforts.