What is Nicodemus Kansas known for and was life there easy?

Nicodemus, Kansas is the only remaining western community established by African Americans after the Civil War. Having an important role in American History, the town symbolizes the pioneering spirit of these ex-slaves who fled the war-torn South in search of “real” freedom and a chance to restart their lives.

Who settled Kansas in Nicodemus?

The six founders, W. H. Smith, Benjamin Carr, Jerry Allsap, the Reverend Simon Roundtree, Jeff Lenze, and William Edmonds, all from Lexington, Kentucky, named the town Nicodemus after a legendary African slave prince who had purchased his freedom.

What is Nicodemus Historical 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 War.

What is there to do in Nicodemus Kansas?

Among the other noteworthy attractions are the Nicodemus Township School, the St. Francis Hotel, the First Baptist Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Nicodemus Roadside Park is a particularly good spot for families to enjoy a picnic while reflecting on this incredible community.

What happened to Nicodemus KS?

When this promised station stop failed to materialize in 1887, the town’s fortunes turned. Many moved away. Subsequent droughts did little to reinforce the idea of Nicodemus as an ideal place to settle, but even so, the town continued to grow until 1910, when approximately 400 people lived there.

Why is Nicodemus important?

In the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, Nicodemus is a saint. Some modern Christians continue to call him a hero for defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin and helping give him a proper burial. Later, Nicodemus reminds the Pharisees that under Jewish law, Jesus should be granted a hearing before he’s condemned.

How far is Nicodemus from Kansas City?

272 miles
The distance between Kansas City and Nicodemus is 272 miles. The road distance is 321.2 miles.

What did African Americans bring to Kansas?

In the 1920s and 1930s African Americans arrived in Kansas primarily from Arkansas and Missouri where the mechanization of the cotton industry and general and economic times had forced them to leave their homes. Jobs in the thriving meat packing industry provided the lure of better economic conditions.

What happened to Nicodemus Kansas?

What did the exodusters do?

Exodusters were African Americans who fled North Carolina because of economic and political grievances after the Reconstruction era. In the late 1870s, whereas most blacks from other southern states mainly migrated to Kansas, many black North Carolinians went to Indiana.

What was the significance of Nicodemus, Kansas?

Nicodemus, Kansas, 1885. Nicodemus, Kansas is the only remaining western community established by African Americans after the Civil War. Having an important role in American History, the town symbolizes the pioneering spirit of these ex-slaves who fled the war-torn South in search of “real” freedom and a chance to restart their lives.

Where is Nicodemus in Graham County, Kansas?

/  39.39444°N 99.61694°W  / 39.39444; -99.61694 Nicodemus is an unincorporated community in Graham County, Kansas, United States. The community was founded in 1877 and is named for the Biblical figure Nicodemus.

Who was the first black mayor of Nicodemus Kansas?

The lore of the town of Nicodemus, Kansas began on April 18, 1877 when a group six former slaves and a white land speculator formed a company to create the first all-Black establishment in the Great Plains. W.H. Smith, who was Black, served as the town’s first president, and W.R. Hill, the land speculator, was its treasurer.

Why was Nicodemus a ghost town in the south?

Having an important role in American History, the town symbolizes the pioneering spirit of these ex-slaves who fled the war-torn South in search of “real” freedom and a chance to restart their lives. This semi “ ghost town ” has since gained recognition as a National Historic Site.