"PIONEER SPIRIT:
THE STORY OF NICODEMUS"

A Moment in Time

Kansas Historical Society

February 2001

A monthly series from the Kansas Historical Society

In 1876, nearly a decade after its founding, Graham County was home to only 75 residents. Within a few short years, however, the county opened its arms to hundreds of new residents, the majority of them were African Americans from Kentucky. These new residents brought their own cultural traditions to the county forever changing its character and securing its place in American history.

Although several African American settlements were scattered throughout the Graham County prairie and surrounding area in the years following the Civil War, the town of Nicodemus became the center of African American culture for the region. The town's place in American history was touted by organizers before it was even platted. In April 1877, before officially registering the town, the Nicodemus Town Company began advertising the community in Lexington and Georgetown, Kentucky extolling Nicodemus as "The Largest Colored Colony in America." The first wave of settlers, 350 persons strong, arrived on September 17, 1877.

The town's organizers were fairly well established and financially prepared to succeed in farming and commerce. In contrast, many who responded to the town company's advertisement, arrived with limited resources. Although advertisements promised "plenty of timber," these new arrivals found that there was not enough for permanent construction. Many second- and third-wave colonists, numbering 75 between 1878 and 1879, were disappointed to find that the town of Nicodemus, like many early pioneer towns, consisted merely of a series of tiny earthen dugouts.

Like that of many small Kansas towns, the financial success of Nicodemus was tied to the agricultural economy. Although the county's farmers struggled during the late 1870s and early 1880s, mild climates during the mid-1880s resulted in profitable crop yields. Those who weathered the difficult first years were rewarded during the 1880s. By 1886, Graham County resident Thomas Johnson had expanded his holdings to 1,000 acres.

Partly due to the success of farmers like Johnson, the City of Nicodemus grew and prospered during the mid-1880s. Successful businesses began replacing dugouts with permanent stone buildings. In 1886 alone, 30 new buildings were constructed.

Unfortunately, a reliance on the agricultural economy also made small communities indirectly dependent upon railroads. When Nicodemus failed to attract the Missouri Pacific rail line in 1887 and the Union Pacific line in 1888, the economic incline lost momentum. The Union Pacific's decision to bypass Nicodemus, locating instead in Bogue, coupled with the nationwide economic depression of the 1890s, sealed the town's fate. Many of the town's 400 residents relocated to Bogue taking permanent structures with them.

Although the population of Nicodemus continued to decrease well into the twentieth century, it has remained a center of African American cultural activity. Residents still host the Emancipation, an annual event first celebrated in the town in 1878. In 1976, the National Park Service recognized the significance of Nicodemus to United States history, designating the town as a National Historic Landmark District. In 1996, Congress designated Nicodemus as a National Historic Site, reviving the community's pioneer spirit and ensuring the history of the town will live on.