Nicodemus was one of those Kansas spots I’d been dying to visit… and I finally made it. Founded in 1877 by six men dreaming of the first all-Black town on the Great Plains, the town’s name is a bit of a mystery… biblical Nicodemus or an African prince who bought his freedom? Take your pick.
Flyers offering $5 residential lots and $75 commercial lots brought settlers from across the South. By 1878, about 600 people had moved in… including Edward P. McCabe, who later became the first Black state auditor north of the South.
A dugout became the first school in 1879, but 1887, the town had a school house, which burned to the ground. The school that is still standing, although not open to the public was built in 1918.
Life was tough for the “Exodusters.” Many were poor, had little farming experience, and lived in dugouts because there wasn’t much timber. One winter, the Potawatomi and Osage tribes passed through, saw the struggle, and returned the next day to teach the settlers how to build shelters from creek grass… and to keep sharing food and firewood.
The A.M.E. Church is one of five buildings in the park system. The original church was built elsewhere in 1878, but the current building dates to 1910. Music was a big deal here… one of the choir members, Nettie Craig, went on to become the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in music.
Nicodemus grew as more settlers arrived from Kentucky and Mississippi. Soon there were stores, newspapers, churches, a baseball team, a band, hotels, a bank, and even an ice cream parlor. At its peak, over 700 people called it home, making it the cultural heart for African Americans in the area. But missing a railroad slowed growth, and the Depression and Dust Bowl eventually shrank the population.
A few buildings are closed to the public, like the St. Francis Hotel… started as a family home in the 1920s, it later served as a schoolhouse, post office, stagecoach station, and hotel.
First Baptist Church started in a dugout in 1877, moved to a sod building, then limestone in 1907, and finally a brick building in 1975… also closed and showing its age. Hopefully, all five historic buildings will be preserved to tell Nicodemus’ story.
The Nicodemus Town Hall, built in 1939 through the WPA program, has worn many hats… theater, roller skating rink, and now the Visitor Center. Among the cool items on display is a signed baseball from Kansas City Monarch’s Satchel Paige, who played against the Nicodemus Blues.
In the 1970s, former residents helped restore the town, and in 1976, it became a National Historic Landmark. Today, about 20 descendants of the original settlers still live here… a small town with a big story, the only surviving western town founded by African Americans during Reconstruction.
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