Page 4
Portland Observer
Thursday. October 20. 1077
History Notebook
The Exodusters
Exodusters. W estward Ho!
“W here we goin'. Momma?”
“We're moving out Weat; to Kansas,
maybe."
“Why do we have to go there?"
“ ‘Cause things will be better there
Things will be belter..."
The time? After the Civil War. The
destination" The Prairie territory - that
land beyond the Mississippi acquired in
the Louisiana Purchase - Kansas. Okla
homa. Nebraska and the Dakotas.
During the period just after the Civil
War the Black American experience
reached an all-time low.
In response to the faltering Recon
struction. Blacks gathered their belong
ings. took their fate in their own hands
and joined the migration westward
In the 1870s there began to appear
posters and broadsides addressed “To the
Colored People of the United States of
America." These notices extolled the
“great advantages...for the great mass of
people of small means" just waiting to be
seized in the W est Such an attractive
invitation got attention. Soon thousands
would find such a bid too good to refuse.
By 1879. what had begun as a trickle
became a flood. This great movement, a
pioneer Black effort at self-improvement
- an attempt to pull them selves up by
their bootstraps - seem ed almost Bibli
cal. The analogy to the Children of
srael's exodus from Egypt was so strik
ing that the migrants hitting the dusty
trail came to be called “Exodusters."
Just as the Children of Israel had their
lo ses the Exodusters had Benjamin
"Pap" Singleton, remembered as one of
the principal leaders of the first phase of
the migration. After the War, Singleton
concluded that the open lands of Kansas
provided a good chance for Blacks to put
down stable economic roots west of the
lississippi. Forming a Real Estate and
iom estead Association, he then toured
the South, speaking before Black au-
lences and encouraging them to consider
moving west
Hope is a very salable commodity: and
iingleton was apparently a very good
salesman. Between 1873 and 1878, largely
trough the efforts of Singleton and his
associates. Blacks from the South stream
ed into Kansas and the territories of the
‘ram e Black settlem ents. like the town
of Nicodemus. Kansas, began to dot the
western landscape This first wave of
lack migration was. it seem s, well
organized for it proceeded without signi
icant mishap
In 1879, however, the floodgates open
ed. This torrent of Exodusters, less
organized and lacking funds, encountered
some formidable barriers. Several towns
along the way were inhospitable, some
mes hostile, refusing the migrants food
rest within their boundaries. For a
me. even passage across the Mississippi
as denied them when armed agents of
Southern landowners threatened to sink
verboats transporting Blacks.
Still the migrants persisted and in
iree years upwards of 40.000 Exodust
made their wav w est
PIONEER HOMEMAKING
Most settlers. White or Black, had
milar experiences taming the Wild
est. Getting there was half the battle,
lecause these pilgrims would in a sense
>e sta—.¡ng a completely new life, they
ook with them whatever they felt would
ase their adjustment to strange sur
oundings. Not only did they pack as
uch food as they could manage, but, like
oah stocking his Ark. they carried live
tock with them to be sure there would
eggs. milk, cream and butter, and
replenishments for meat supplies. Seeds
various kinds were brought along, too,
that familiar and favored crops might
planted.
Exoduster* recipe*
Kraft Kitchens has prepared recipes
that bring memories of pioneer days on
the plains.
Prominent among these recipes are
dishes featuring mill-ground corn, which
is significant in the history and economy
of the Plains area - and indeed of the U.S.
Corn, which ranks with wheat, rice and
potatoes among leading world crops, is
America's most valuable crop. And, as
far as can he determined, it is a grain
native to America. A remarkably versa
tile food, corn has many uses, ranging
from baked goods to whiskey. It is a
major “feed" for domestic livestock; and
among non food products derived from
com are such varied substances as
an tifreeze, ether, soaps, adhesives,
paints and solvents.
The recipe suggestions also pay tribute
to the venerable iron skillets and covered
pots that serve pioneer cooks so man
fully. These reliable friends to the cooks
were the medium not only of fried or
boiled dishes, but in the absence of stoves
with ovens they also served to produce
tasty baked or roasted dishes.
Brethren, Friends, & FellowCitizens:
I feel th ankful to inform you th a t th e
READ ESTATE
A IN TO
Homestead.
Association,
W ill L eave H ere th e
In p u rsu it o f H om es in th e S ou th w estern
L ands o f A m erica, at T ran sp ortation
R ates, cheaper th an ever
w as know n before.
For full information inquire of
Benj Singleton, better know n as old Pap,
IST O . 5 T S T O R T S F R O N T 8 T R E E T
Specolnton and A dventure», as it ia a danxvrou« thin--
tu b ll in their hamla.
Bt-warr at
Maahrillr. Tess.. Mareh IS. 1H78
In tne iPilM. the Real Estate sad H— rat rad Association
loured the South, encouraging Black* to consider moving to
Kanaa* and the ir m t o n e , of the Prairie Nearly 4O.(MM)
Exoduster* made their way West. Photo Kansan State
APPLE SPICE CAKE
Historical Society |
Migration, however, was rarely post
poned because some item was missing
from what was the optimal supply of
essentials.
In the Nebraska Pioneer
( ook book, author Kay Graber says:
Almost universally, these newcomers
started out with nothing but hope and
hard work, building even their houses or
dugouts - literally from the land they
lived on. (Sod houses - so called because
they were constructed from large slabs of
the thick, heavy textured and clay-laden
praine soil - may still be seen in the
region today, although they were origi
nally intended as temporary shelters.)
The pioneers need to improvise did not
end with housing
The editors of the
sumptuous Better Homes and Gardens
Heritage Cook Book state;
"Pioneer cooking meant working with
limited ingredients and a lot of imagina
tion.
For example, when sugar was
scarce and even sorghum molasses was in
short supply, pumpkin or watermelon
juice boiled to a syrup might be substi
tuted. During a blackbird plague, black
birds took a prominent place on the
menu. A Nebraska farm paper...lists
thirty-three different recipes using corn
As for coffee, it might be made of parched
barley, okra seeds, carrots, or cornmeal
and molasses that had been fried, powd
ered and semi burned, but it seldom had
anything to do with coffee bean. Most
households owned a coffee grinder, but it
was used to grind corn."
During summer, pioneer living was
relatively easy, "many healthful foods
could be found growing wild." On the
other hand, during winter, “there were a
few root vegetables, like potatoes or
turnips. The cow, a victim of malnutri
tion during the winter months, usually
went dry, so there was no milk then..."
The pioneer rooks' achievements were
even greater when it is realized that they
had so few cooking utensils. In fact, from
the pioneer literature it would seem that
the principal utensil was the Dutch oven.
That versatile vessel was taxed to per
form as a fry pan. stew pot, bread, cake,
or pie pan. Small wonder that one-dish
meals were frequent.
2 cups flour
1-1/8 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cups Squeeze Parkay margarine
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
I teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups finely chopped peeled apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 8-ot. container Philadelphia Brand
Whipped cream cheese
Combine flour, sugar, margarine, milk,
eggs. salt, cinnamon, vanilla, soda and
baking powder; mix well. Stir in apples
and nuts. Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch
baking pan. Bake at 350°, 40 to 45
minutes or until wooden pick inserted in
center comes out dean. Cut into squares,
serve warm with cream cheese.
Variation: Spoon Kraft caramel top
ping over warm cake squares topped with
cream cheese.
CHEDDAR SKILLET BISCUITS
1-2/3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Park ay margarine
1 cup (4 oxa.) shredded Kraft sharp
natural cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
Combine dry ingredients; cut in mar
garme until mixture resem bles coarse
crumbs. Stir in cheese Add milk, mixing
just until moistened. On lightly floured
surface, knead dough ten times. Roll out
to 1/2 inch thickness; cut with floured
2-inch cutter.
Place in well greased
12-inch skillet. Cover; cook over medium
heat 15 minutes or until underside is
golden brown. Turn. Cover; continue
cooking 5 minutes Serve warm.
Approximately 1 dozen.
D/i. Lawwfi B wû M
"VlMcamM.
D E N T A L
Gevertz joins national broad
ATLANTA, OCT. 15 - Mr. Ronald I.
Gevurtz. of Portland. Oregon, has been
elected to the national board of the
Planned
Parenthood
Federation of
America. His election was announced by
Henrietta H. Marshall. Chairman and
Acting President, following the family
planning organization's annual member
ship meeting here last week
Mr Gevurtz has been a member of the
Board of Planned Parenthood of Portland
for five years, serving as President in
1976 through 1977. A lawyer, be attend
W I T H ______
Tax statements mailed
ed the University of Oregon and William
ette College of Law. Mr Gevurtz was
formerly Director of Legal Aid Service in
Portland and presently is in private law
practice. He has been on the Board of
Trustees of the Waverly Children's home
for the past five years.
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America is the national, voluntary family
planning organization whose community-
based affiliates in 43 states and the
District of Columbia provided medically
supervised family planning services to
more than one million persons in 1978.
Property owners in Multnomah County
who haven't received their property tax
statem ents should contact the tax collec
tor's office, says Bruce G. Lawson,
Director of the Multnomah County-
Division of A ssessm ent and Taxation
If they don’t, Lawson says, they may
not receive a copy of their tax statem ent
in time to take advantage of the three
percent early payment discount. The
discount is open to anyone who pays their
taxes in full on or before November 15th.
It is up to the owner of the property at
the time taxes are due to pay the tax -
whether or not they have received a tax
statement. Statem ents are mailed to
persons listed on the official records.
Lawson says new owners, and anyone
else not receivings tax statem ent, should
write or call the tax collector's office and
request that a copy of the statem ent be
sent to them.
D *. BERNARD ADVISES...
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Your D en tal Insurance
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Dental Coverage
Form. Available at our Office
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