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Nicodemus is an
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Graham County, Kansas Graham County (county code GH) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,415. Its county seat and most populous city is Hill City. The county is home to Nicodemus, founded 1877, which ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 14. The community was founded in 1877 and is named for the Biblical figure
Nicodemus Nicodemus (; grc-gre, Νικόδημος, Nikódēmos) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John: * He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings (). * The second time Nicodemu ...
. The
Nicodemus National Historic Site Nicodemus National Historic Site, located in Nicodemus, Kansas, United States, preserves, protects and interprets the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the American Civil Wa ...
, commemorating the only remaining western town established by
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
s during the
Reconstruction Period The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
following the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, is in town. During the last weekend of July, former residents and their descendants return for celebrations and parades.


History


Background

The settlement of Nicodemus was part of a greater movement of westward migration that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century. Several technological and cultural factors contributed to the growing trend of movement, enabling and encouraging new groups to move west. The
Homestead Act of 1862 The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of ...
provided settlement opportunities for people of modest means. A person could claim a 160-acre plot provided they lived on and develop the land for a 5-year period, after which it could be purchased. In addition, the expansion of the railroad network across the Great Plains increased both the accessibility and economic opportunity of developing settlements. Kansas also had an appeal to African Americans living in the post-Civil War South. Kansas represented a land of freedom and opportunity due to the actions of John Brown and other
abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...
. Promoters such as
Benjamin "Pap" Singleton Benjamin "Pap" Singleton (1809 – February 17, 1900) was an American activist and businessman best known for his role in establishing African American settlements in Kansas. A former slave from Tennessee who escaped to freedom in Ontario, Canada ...
encouraged African Americans to move to Kansas. Nicodemus would become a destination for these new migrants. Railroads and steamboats offered cheap passage for these early settlers. Eager to escape the persecution and poor living conditions of
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology * Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, thousands left the South and headed west seeking economic opportunity and a sense of freedom.


1877: Foundation

On April 18, 1877, a group of seven Kansans, six of whom were black, established the Nicodemus Town Company. African American W. H. Smith and W. R. Hill, an experienced white land speculator, served as the town's first president and treasurer, respectively. Most of the group consisted of former slaves from Kentucky in search of a new livelihood. The goal was to establish the first all-black settlement on the Great Plains. Two theories explain the choice of the name Nicodemus, one claiming the town was named after the biblical figure
Nicodemus Nicodemus (; grc-gre, Νικόδημος, Nikódēmos) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John: * He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings (). * The second time Nicodemu ...
, the other holding that the town's name was inspired by the legendary account of an African prince taken into slavery who later purchased his freedom. The location of the town, chosen by Hill, was along the northern bank of the
Solomon River The Solomon River, often referred to as the "Solomon Fork", is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 river in the central Great Plains of North America. The ...
, an area suitable for developing farming. The town itself was located on a 160-acre plot, of the 19,200 acres of the township, at large. Smith and Hill made efforts to promote the town and attract new settlers. Publications describing the resources and benefits of moving to the area were mailed to prospective migrants across the South. Early promotional efforts were directed towards attracting people with enough money to develop the town. Residential lots cost $5 while commercial lots were $75. The promoters charged additional fees for establishing the settlers on the land. Efforts succeeded in bringing groups of colonists from Eastern Kansas and
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, at one point the population reached about 600 people in 1878. In 1878, John Wayne Niles served as the second president of the colony. The early settlers found life in Nicodemus to be challenging. Some people turned around after seeing the scarcity of resources by mid-1878. Most were very poor farmers who came without money and other provisions. Without proper tools and equipment, such as plows, wagons, and horses, farmers could not efficiently develop the rough land; some resorted to using hand tools to make improvised fields. A lack of timber forced settlers to build homes out of prairie sod. To earn money some people collected and sold Buffalo bones found on the plains; others ventured miles away to work for the railroads. In response to the hardships, townsfolk reached out to other communities, private charities, and even the Native American Osage tribe.


1879–1880: Growth

New groups of settlers arrived in Nicodemus in 1878–79 from Kentucky and
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. Unlike the early migrants, they had the resources necessary to develop and cultivate the farmland; they came with the horse teams, plows, other farm equipment, and money that the early settlers did not have. John W. Niles, a leader in the charity movement, replaced Smith as the president of the town company. Under Niles' leadership, a decision was made to stop seeking charity in order to encourage the ideas of industry and self-sufficiency. Additionally, the town did not want to become a destination of the
Exodusters Exodusters was a name given to African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late nineteenth century, as part of the Exoduster Movement or Exodus of 1879. It was the first general migration of black pe ...
, a migration of thousands of poor black farmers into Kansas. They feared that a mass influx of poor farmers would be harmful to the community. Soon the town began to grow and businesses became profitable; a hotel and two stores were established and a school and three churches were built. Social organizations such as the Grand Independent Benevolent Society of Kansans and
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
put on dances and other celebrations for the benefit of the town. One such event was the annual celebration of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
's emancipation of slavery in the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
. In 1880, the election to determine the Graham County seat was held in Nicodemus, in which the town was defeated in favor of Millbrook.


1880–1888: Decline

After the growth of 1879–80, Nicodemus experienced a period of decline after 1880. Most people who settled in the town did not intend to remain there permanently and subsequently moved on. Not enough of the $75 commercial lots were sold to keep the town growing. Years of poor harvests also contributed to declining population. In 1884, less than 50 people remained in the town. Another challenge Nicodemus faced was a legal battle over the ownership of its land. Henry Miller, a local land speculator, discovered that errors in the filing record meant that the town had not received final ownership of the land. Miller's suit threatened the claims of the residents, but ultimately the case was dropped and the town received its official title on June 6, 1886. Beginning in 1886 the town began another campaign of promotion. The town's two newspapers: the ''Western Cyclone'' and the ''Nicodemus Enterprise'' were central to the new campaign. The papers sought to broaden the appeal of Nicodemus by reaching out to other populations, both black and white. Descriptions of the towns numerous social clubs, activities, celebrations, and business opportunities were spread in the hope of attracting new migrants. The town undertook a major effort to bring a railroad route through Nicodemus, passing a vote to sell $16,000 of bonds to finance the projects. Ultimately, none of the three prospective railroad companies (the
Missouri Pacific The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...
,
Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...
, and Santa Fe) brought their tracks to the town.


1888–present

The failed attempt to attract the railroad marked the end of growth for Nicodemus and most of the businesses in town relocated elsewhere. Despite the loss of business, the town remained a social center for the local community. Organizations such as the Masons, the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...
, and the Priscilla Art Club continued to host dances, celebrations, and other events. The annual emancipation celebration continued to be a focal point of town life. In the 1920s, thousands attended the event which consisted of horse races, boxing matches, parades, and baseball games. The
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and the
Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) a ...
each had a serious impact on Nicodemus; the population of the town fell to as low as 40 people. The town did receive aid from the
Federal Land Bank The Farm Credit System (FCS) in the United States is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions and specialized service organizations. The Farm Credit System provides more than $304 billion in loans, leases, and related services t ...
and Graham County Farm Bureau. Because of the Depression, many families lost their land and subsequently became tenant farmers. Additionally, the rough conditions of the Depression forced many farmers to change their farming methods, leading many to select more hardy and drought-resistant crops. The declining population led to the closure of the post office in 1953 and the school around 1960. Because of a lack of attendance, the social organizations also closed down. Starting in the 1970s Nicodemus underwent a process of revitalization and restoration. Donations from former residents led to efforts to repair damage to the deteriorating town buildings. New improvements were made to the town including low-income housing units, construction of a 100-foot tall water tower, and the pavement of the major town streets. These efforts succeeded in preserving Nicodemus and rebuilding its popularity. The town developed a new identity as a retirement destination for former residents. The Emancipation celebration, renamed Homecoming, changed to become a gathering of old residents to celebrate their roots and common history and continues to be celebrated annually. In 1976, Nicodemus was named a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
. As of 2018, its First Baptist Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, and other historic buildings were in such poor shape that they could not be opened to the public. The AME Church was successfully renovated and opened to visitors in 2021. At that point, Nicodemus was down to 23 residents.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the Nicodemus township has an area of 32.4 square miles. The town is located along Highway 24 in the
Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, a ...
.


Climate

Nicodemus's location on the Great Plains entails a four-season climate. Summer is typically long and hot, during which thunderstorms are a common occurrence. Spring and fall are usually brief, while winter is cold. The average annual precipitation is about 22 inches.


Demographics

For statistical purposes, the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
has defined this community as a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...
(CDP).


Recreation

The National Historic Site is a major tourist attraction in Nicodemus. The Visitor Center includes a bookstore and exhibits of the town's history. Walking and guided tours are available which showcase the historic buildings and features of the town. The Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum operated by descendants offer personal and group history and educational tours to cemeteries, homesteads, and school sites out in the historic township. There is also a roadside park located in the town which includes a playground and a picnic area.


Education

The community is served by
Graham County USD 281 Graham County USD 281 is a public unified school district headquartered in Hill City, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Hill City, Bogue, Morland, Nicodemus, Penokee, St. Peter, and nearby rural areas. Schoo ...
public school district.


Notable people

* Edward McCabe (1850–1920), town secretary, later Kansas State auditor * John Wayne Niles (1842–?), early settler of Nicodemus and the founder of the all-Black Indemnity Party he advocated for slavery reparations in the early 1880s. * Veryl Switzer (1932–2022), football player for Green Bay Packers, born in Nicodemus 1932 *
Lulu Craig Lulu Mae Sadler Craig (1868–1972), sometimes called Lula, was an early homesteader of southern Colorado. She was a historian, educator, and civic leader. Her records of the Black settlements in Kansas and Colorado have been valuable docume ...
(1867-1971), historian and author of unpublished manuscript focusing on the history of Black and Native peoples in Nicodemus


See also

*
Nicodemus National Historic Site Nicodemus National Historic Site, located in Nicodemus, Kansas, United States, preserves, protects and interprets the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the American Civil Wa ...
, containing a history of the town *
Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage (December 7, 1948) (pronounced: “cleg”) is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist.Spratling, Cassandra. "Pearl Cleage's Storied Life Cover Story." Detroit Free Press, Feb 21, 2010. ProQue ...
's play ''Flying West'' takes place in Nicodemus in the late nineteenth century. *
History of African Americans in Kansas There is an African-American community in Kansas, including in Kansas City, Kansas. Nicodemus, Kansas is the oldest surviving town west of the Mississippi River settled solely by African Americans. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was de ...


References


Further reading

* Craig, Lula S. "A History of Nicodemus: Graham County, Kansas." Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas. * Crockett, Norman I. ''The Black Towns''. Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1979. * Hamilton, Kenneth Marvin. ''Black Towns and Profit: Promotion and Development in the Trans-Appalachian West, 1877–1915''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991. * Hamilton, Kenneth Marvin. "The Origins and Early Promotion of Nicodemus: A Pre-Exodus, All-Black Town." ''Kansas History'' 5 (winter 1982): 220–242. * ''Promised Land on the Solomon: Black Settlement at Nicodemus, Kansas''. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Region, n.d. * Schwendemann, Glen. "Nicodemus: Negro Haven on the Solomon." ''Kansas Historical Quarterly'' 29 (spring 1963): 10–31. * Shaw, Bill & Daniel Chu. ''Going home to Nicodemus: The story of an African American frontier town and the pioneers who settled it''. Morristown: Silver Burdett Press, 1994. * Shortridge, James R. ''Peopling the plains: Who Settled Where in Frontier Kansas''. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1995 * Athearn, Robert G. ''In Search Of Canaan: Black Migration to Kansas 1879–80''. Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1978 * Ravage, John W. ''Black Frontiers: Images of the Black Experience on the North American Frontier''. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1997. * Hinger, Charlotte. ''The Healer's Daughter''. Gale Cengage Learning, 2019.


External links


Nicodemus National Historic Site





A history of Nicodemus, Graham County, Kansas

Nicodemus: Negro haven on the Solomon - 1971

1877 Historic Flyer
* * Graham County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{Authority control Unincorporated communities in Graham County, Kansas National Historic Landmarks in Kansas Unincorporated communities in Kansas Populated places established by African Americans African-American history of Kansas Populated places established in 1877 1877 establishments in Kansas National Register of Historic Places in Graham County, Kansas