Paga •
P a r e a d Observer
Thursday. April 28. 1878
Block Exodus settles State of Kansas
T ir e d e f tb e d e c e it sa d p e r f id y
M S . Negre ss in every
state ■
Untoa began • quiet
I westward after the O i l War
Whites were not eo aware at this quirt
exit uatil »merely waa (ranted to tbe
awee neb coafederate landholder», who
returned to their plantations and began
looking around for laborer» only to find
“etd John* and *Sne* Ux>
with all the other» they
around to long Stack» from areas all
along the Mississippi left by the hundreds
in any kind of conveyance they could ng
together and those that had none walked.
Whites got their dogs, guns and boats,
blocked rivers and tried to stop them But
stiU they came. Moving ever westward
into Oklahoma where fnendly
helped them. Missouri.
North and South Dakota Some younger
and more intrepid struck out lor Mexico.
By 1878 the state of Kansas bore the
brunt of this influx of migrants. Through
the inspiration of one Benjamin Single-
ton. an ex slave who had gone to Canada
and returned to farm the Tennessee Real
Estate and Homestead Association. in
1888.
Prior to the forming of the Association
many appeals had been made by a
committee composed of five hundred
Blacks to the Senate and Congrew They
first asked, “to help us out of our distress,
or protect ua in our rights and privi-
ledges.* This was ignored. The second
appeal asked for land in the West or an
approprmtlon of money which would
enable them to sail tor Liberia. This to
was refused.
The Committee then
announced the intention to seek the help
of another government which would
allow tnem to live under its flag
Still
there was no attempt by Congress to
communicate with the Committee. The
plight of the Blacks was dubbed “a
Dismayed by the refusal of Congrea«
for any consideration Benjamin Singleton
and Henry Adams, with the aid of a white
railroad man. W.R. Hiii. began organizing
an exodus that shook Kansas.
An
estimated 20.000 migrated into the state
Several years prior to the exodus scouts
had been assigned to check various likely
locations.
They had brought back
favorable reports on some locations, so
vow the Blacks had some idea of where
they were going and what the country
was like. T hirty percent of the migrants
twenty
fifteen
Tenneanee. Some of the Exodus leaders
were beaten or driven out of town. One
Kansas settler who came back to get his
family was »tried by white» who rut off
his hands and threw them in hit
fa lap. saying 'S o w go to Kansas "
Benjamin Singleton and Henry
had done ihetr work well,
of Blacks were now alerted
and they kept coming Congress woke up
in December of 1878. and ordered a full
scale Congressional investigation in an
attempt to prove it was a Republican plot
to move Black voters into areas where
they would and could vote Republican.
But. when the Senate Committees
composed practically entirely of Demo
crats gut to the bottom of the matter that
learned it was the desire for freedom and
equal rights that caused the exodus, and
Exodus leaders sent work hack by the
Black man Congress had sent to forestall
them that “they would rather starve on
the prairie than go hack South and accept
the oppression and degredation heaped
upon them.
Benjamin Singleton, insti
gator of the Exodus, did not run or hide
Called to Washington, he candidly told
the Senators: "I am the whole cause of
the Kansas migration."
So many migrants arriving put a great
strain on Kansas, hut sympathetic whites
rallied to aid them in many instances.
Governor St. John helped form a
Freeman's Relief Bureau.
Kansas
residents collected over $100,000 dollars
for their aid.
Meat packer Philip P.
Armour, after personally touring the
area around Wyandotte. Kansas, return
ed to Chicago and collected $2u.uw
dollars from industrial friends as well as
providing from his packing plant.
The people fanned out throughout the
state. Colonies were created at Baxl-
Springs, which became known as to.
Singleton Colouy; a group from Leung
ton. Keqtucky located in Graham County
in the Solomon Valley; another group
from Kentucky formed a settlement
known as Morton City. Singleton formed
a settlement in Morris County at Dunlap
Others were formed at Wabaunsee and
Chataugua
Dogs, river blockades and
murder had not stopped Blacks in their
quest for freedom.
In several years time, through hard
work and thrift. Blacks managed to
purchase twenty thousand acres of land
and to build 300 houses within the state.
But. in those first years, moat of the work
Home Maiatuaaacu discussed
The Portland Metropolitan Steering
Committee - EOA i Incorporated j has
scheduled three Home Mamtenaoce and
Financing Seminars for the second week
in May. 1876. The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, local
financial institutions and building indus
tries. as well as other concerned agencies,
will participate in tbe seminars.
All residents within the target areas of
Southeast, Northwest and North Port
land. as well as other interested persons
within the Portland area, are invited tc
participate in the seminars, free. Follow
up services will be provided to help all
participants after the seminars.
For those residents who have any
difficulty, auch as transportation, baby
etc., in attending the seminars.
they may apply for assistance at the
PMSC Housing Program. 220 Northeast
Russe« Street, Phone: 2888891.
The Seminars are scheduled as follows:
1. May 10 and 11, 1976 - 7:30 to 10:00
p.m.. University Park United Methodist
Church, 4791 N. Lombard Street. 2. May
12 and 13. 1976 - 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.,
PMSC Building. 220 N.E. Russell Street.
3. May 14 and 17, 1976 - 7:30 to 10:00
p.m., St. Stephens Church. 1112 S.E. 41st
Avenue.
The subjecu to be discussed will
include: electric, plumbing, carpentry,
painting, roofing, siding, insulation and
other home repairs; along with Federal,
S u te , local, and other housing programs.
Contract Management Association Inc.
Business Success Clinic
Tuesday 2:00 pm
Conducted by Tom Booth
2 8 8 -8 4 6 9
3 9 3 3 N.E. Union Portland, Oregon
BENJAMIN "PAP" SINGLETON
involved spades and grubbing hoes
There were only one or two horses to a
settlement. Many had spent their last
dollar for railway fare and had no money
to buy lumber for houses, so they lived in
dugout sand barrows
For fuel they
burned buffalo chips and sunflower
sulks. It was a hard first year Many
whites blamed the white railroad repre
sentative. W .R. H ill for the misery and
plight of the Exodusers those first years.
Later, they relented and named a city for
him which today is known as Hill City, a
very thriving town.
The most outsta.nding community
esUblished by the Exodusers was at
Nicodemus, Kansas, in the Solomon
Valley. Named after a slave who came to
America on the second slave ship, bought
his freedom and became affluent, the
little community garnered the respect of
many Kansas citizens. It was one of the
few settlemenu undisturbed by internal
dissension. I t had i U own Masonic Lodge
and one of the best bands in Northwest
Kansas, an academy, and some years
later earned the distinction of furnishing
the s u te with iU first Black auditor. E.P
McCabe
A fter the people of Nicodemoua
became economically independent they
broke up their colony organization and
with a high celebration thanked the
people who had aided them through those
first bleak, dark days and the drought
years of 1883.
.JPV- »» db* *
A star packed tournament of North
east area basketball players will be
featured this weekend at tbe Cascade
Community College Gymnasium.
The
first cage contest is scheduled to begin
at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 1976
with sizzling competition to run through
until the Championship game, scheduled
Sunday. May 2, 1976 at 4:30 p.m.
Local teams vieing for first place
trophy honors include D r. Bernard's,
Northeast Youth Service Center, U ni
versity of Portland and the N et Burn
ers.
Out of town competition will
feature such names as John Brisker,
Em m ett Bryant, Larrv Jackson, Cla-
rence Ramsey and Larry Pounds. Out of
town competitors hail from Seattle and
Yakima, Washington.
Cascade Community College Gymna
slum is located at the corner of North
Albina and Killingsworth Streets. A d
mission is 50c tor high school students
and $1 for adults. For more informs
tion, contact W illie Stoudamire at 282
0452.
Cancer Fund
reports gain
More than $103,000 is reported “In
the bank" from the American Cancer
°ociety's Residential Division by Cru
sade Chairmen Dave Gilley of Clacka
mas County, George Bach of Multnomah
C o u n ty , and B ill M a p le t h o r p e o f
Washington County. Multnomah County
R e sid e n tia l C rusade C h airm an D o ris
(Mrs. Donald) Schwab reports that the
three counties are working to have all
the house to-house money and materials
turned in by the last day of April.
“More than ^ 0 percent of our kits are
already accounted for," Mrs. Schwab
stated, “and the volunteer leaders are
urging every worker in the area to
complete their calls and turn in all funds
and supplies before the 1st of M ay.“
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Two University of Oregon students
are entering a claim for a world record
in the three-legged walk.
Delta Upeilon fraternity brothers Joe
Croft, a University of Oregon sopho
• more from W ob urn, M assachuttes,
and Arnold Beyer, a junior from Wood
burn, joined in a three-legged tandem
and walked 20 miles Saturday (April
24th) in four i:~jrs. 26 minutes as
p artic ip a n ts in the annual E ugene
March of Dimes Walkathon.
The time, they claim betters a record
set last year by Croft and Steve Hauck,
a University of Oregon junior from
Ashland.
Croft and Beyer plan to submit their
accomplishment to the Guinness Book of
World Records.
Leaders of Portland's largest employers
and labor unions contributed to this ad
paid for by the ivancle for Mayor Committee
4225 N E Sandy Btvd . Portland
Michael White. Trr
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Basketball tourny scheduled
Oregon claims
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