Black History in Daviess County

The following is an account of black history from the Daviess County History book published in1882. Local historians David Stark and Wilbur Bush also contributed historical facts and anecdotes.

Slaves were introduced into the United States in 1720, long before Daviess County was even plotted on the map.

It was in the early spring of the year 1830 that the first white settlers trod the soil of Daviess County. Hunters and trappers had plied their vocations through this Grand River country as early as 1826, but no log cabin reared its front until the spring of the year above mentioned. It was a grand country for game and wild honey. The first cabin was built by John Splawn and his son Mayberry. It is unknown who built the second cabin, but the third was raised by John Tarwater.

It was about this time that the first mill was put up in the country and one of the first black citizens was mentioned. Robert P. Peniston was the owner of the mill. Milford Donaho was the architect, assisted by “Uncle Jake” Peniston, a slave owned by Robert Peniston. The horse-mill was described as a triumphant piece of mechanical ingenuity and a splendid success.

Settlers flowed in and the year 1834 found many newcomers.

The county was not surveyed until the winter of 1836-37 and was not open to entry until 1839.

Not all blacks who lived in Daviess County before the Civil War were slaves. But Missouri was a slave state and there was a certain paranoia with regard to free blacks.

If a free Negro wanted to live in a Missouri county, he was required to first obtain a license from the county court and post a bond. The bond would be given up if the court decided the black had become a nuisance or a threat to society.

This license granted in 1845, by the Daviess County Court, was a typical one:

“William H. Harrison is the first free person of color found asking for a license to reside in the State. Having furnished his surety he got his license, which read, ‘so long as he is of good behavior.’”

The following is another order of the Daviess County court. It is interesting for two reasons: first it shows an effort being made to keep the slaves of an estate together as a family; second, it shows the value of the slaves at that time for the area:

In 1848, a court order was drawn up to make partition among the heirs and children of Eiley Cope., Sr., deceased.

“They were shown seven Negroes in all. The woman, Milly, mother of the children, upwards of 33 years of age valued at $350 was Dick, the father of the children, about 39, valued at $350; the girl Eliza, about six years of age, valued at $225; Boy, Dennis, aged about 11 years, valued at $300; Nicy, girl, aged eight years, valued at $275; and boy child James, aged about five months old, valued at $100; girl Chaney, about four years old, value at $175.

The 1860 Census reported the following populations:

“Benton township, white 1,026, colored 23, total 1,049; Gallatin township, white 1,446, colored 74, total 1,520; Grand River township, white 2,079, colored 43, total 2,122; Harrison township, white 566, colored 54, total 620; Jackson township, white 921, colored 50, total 971; Jefferson township, white 2,084, colored 114, total 2,198; Salem township, white 1,130, colored 0, total 1,130; total white persons 9,252, total colored 358; both totals together 9,610.”

When the Civil War broke out, the state was divided into Northern sympathizers and Southern slave holders. While 109,000 Missourians fought for the Stars and Stripes of the Union and 30,000 fought for the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy.

After the division and distraction of the war, Daviess County got back to the task of educating its students.

Wilberforce School for black students was established 1866-67. A report in the “Public Schools in Missouri” stated there weren’t enough black students to justify having more than one school.

The first school session was taught for four months; two of these months were taught in a nearby rented room while their school house was being constructed. The report also stated the students appeared to be very enthusiastic about their work and made much progress.

In 1870, there were 96 black children attending Daviess county schools. Fifty of these children had school privileges equal to the white children. Also, 50 of the 96 students lived in the Gallatin district and attended school there. The remaining 46 children were scattered over 13 townships, but less in any one township to warrant an organization.

In 1871 there were 85 teachers of primary schools, and that year one school for black children. These schools were kept open on an average of three months. The black school was located in Gallatin and there were 58 children in attendance. One hundred and forty dollars were set aside to pay for the support of this school for the year 1871. The blacks kept their school open three years by subscription.

Between 1878-1880, there were 103 school houses in the county, and three school houses were rented, making 104 white and two black schools in operation for the winter of 1879-80. Sixty-two children of the number given as attending school were black and there were 133 children in the county – less than half attending school. There were 6,538 whites of school age in Daviess County and the number attending school was 5,304.

In 1875, the number of white persons in the county between five and 21 years of age; male 3,100, female 2,863, total 5,963. Number of black persons in the county between five and 21 years of age; male 74, female 58, total 132.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1877 by the Rev. J. R. Lovings, whose care of the church in its early days did much to place it upon a firm foundation and to give a flourishing existence. The original members were George Rollins, Jere Nelson, George Sailes, David Roland, Ellen Rollins, Harriett Peniston and Susan Mitchall.

“They have built themselves a very neat and commodious church building at a cost of $1,000. It is frame and comfortably furnished and was erected in the first year of its organization. The pastors who have had charge since the organization are Rev. J.R. Lovings, Rev. J. Watson, Rev. S. Love, and Rev. J. Martin. The present pastor is the Rev. M.S. Bryant, and the church is steadily growing in number of members and in good work.”

Progress made by African Americans after the Civil War came to an end by the early 1900s. After the war, African Americans had voted and served in Congress and as public officials. By 1900 the myth of white superiority was being promoted across America. This notion was popularized through songs, theater and vaudeville.

On Sept. 6, 1900, Gallatin advertised the coming to its city of “Coontown 400.”

“In all its magnitude crowned with good endorsement from critics far and wide ‘Coontown 400′ will be here Friday, Sept. 7th and for the occasion, offer a program replete with choice music, elegant singing, expert dancing and refined comedy. There is nothing so exhilarating as to hear ‘coon’ sing or shuffle feet. To see a host of pretty creole girls garbed in silks and satins of rainbow hue sufficient to attract the eye of the most fastidious. A more complete entertainment cannot be found in any organization of this kind.”

The name of the show would be offensive today, but COONTOWN FOUR HUNDRED was a breakthrough in black musical comedy and a landmark as it was written and produced by African Americans and had an all-black cast.

By 1923 the Ku Klux Klan had made its move in Gallatin.

“A Ku Klux Klan national lecturer spoke at the Courter Theater here Sunday afternoon, and there was a fair sized crowd present to hear his address….He declared the Klan stood for Americanism, law enforcement, free speech, free press, free public schools with the putting back of the Bible, protection of pure womanhood, supremacy of the white race and Protestant Christianity. The speaker did not wear any Klan garb, and in the main his remarks might be called a patriotic address. Those who attended the meeting, or at least a great majority of them, attended more out of curiosity than anything else. The speaker had no introduction, and left the theater just about as hurriedly. We never learned his name. Some blank cards were passed out, with instructions that those who cared to sign them could mail them to Trenton. No fiery cross was displayed, nor were there any evidence of organization at this meeting save the passing out of these cards, and collection by someone at the door. Whether the Klan is to be perfected here we do not know. To date locally it is only a curiosity proposition.”

The following are excerpts taken from Black History in Daviess County, an essay written by Nichelle Berry and Kayanne Lambright as a history project at the Gallatin school.

The students interviewed local residents for perspectives on the black community and Daviess County. They commented: ”

The following was submitted by Mary Francis Davis:

“Since I was born and raised in Gallatin, I had the opportunity to make many friends among the Negroes. There was a loyalty among Negroes and their employers that was very genuine. My father was a merchant in Gallatin and Mart Brooks worked for him in his store for many years, doing odd jobs and delivering goods, etc., until he was an old man. He was a part of the hardware store.

Many of the women did domestic work in various homes where they became excellent cooks. They often brought their small children with them when they came to work. We would play together while their mothers washed, ironed, and cleaned or whatever needed to be done to help our mothers.

Before my time Gallatin had a black band and some members joined larger bands in the cities.

They had their own cemetery, Herndon, south of Gallatin. In time the dirt road became impassible and finally there was a section of Brown Cemetery designated as their own, something they certainly deserved, even though some did not approve.

There are no Negroes in Gallatin now and they are greatly missed not only as helpers, but as friends.”

Galen Grahm submitted this story:

“My father told me that at the turn of the century, 1900, Gallatin’s population was one-third black. For the most part, they populated the N.W. corner of the city, others scattered about town.

I moved to Gallatin in 1930 and I would have to say they, the blacks, were very much discriminated against here as they were all over this country at the time.

The first day I went to school here there was some families that lived up the hill west of Gallatin High School on old highway, they had several children and as they went past GHS in their little group in route to their school the big school would go out and pick on these children throwing rocks at them and going out in the street and hitting them. Moving here from Iowa, where I thought this was terrible, but in a few days I was right out there with them picking on them just because everyone else did, even though I had previously attended school with black children.

The fight for equality was long and hard in this nation, because of the greed of white people trying to find cheap labor. They are still fighting for equality but believe me they have come a long way.

Some of the families I remember were the Crenshaw brothers, George and Sam. George could use a scythe like no man I ever saw, he could cut grass like you would with a pair of scissors. Sam was an excellent concrete man….Marion Williams was a shoe shine expert and entrepreneur. Bob Walker kept many of Gallatin’s finest houses shining clean. Charles Walker also did this kind of work. The two Cowan brothers were excellent mechanics working for the Gallatin Motor Co. The Johnson family had a large family, many of the children accomplishing many things in their lifetime. There also was the McGaugh, Ramsey, McGill family and many more who were excellent citizens and as I look back, I am proud to have known them.

At this point and time, we do not have a single black man living in Gallatin.”

Hubert Long wrote the following essay:

We moved to Gallatin in 1925, so the information before that date is from many reports and as I recall it.

In the early 1900’s the Negro population was between 600 and 700 individuals, many of whom lived in the northwest of Gallatin, beginning at three blocks north of the McDonald’s Tea Room, though other lived in lesser numbers in other parts of the city. Some lived along Highway 13, south, and a few lived on city Route #6 west of the square.

The Negroes had their own school and two churches. The A.M.E., located where the present Sears Outlet Store was built, and the Wilberforce church and school located north of the Tea Room about five blocks. Both churches and the school were well attended, and quite active in early years, though usually separated in their activities from the whites.

There was no forced segregation, but custom had been followed until both blacks and whites accepted each other, just as they were and didn’t provoke any incidents.”

Katherine Brandom submitted the following:

“I have no way of knowing how Elzie Miller came to Gallatin. He was a very handsome young man, large and personable. He became a cook at the Woodruff hotel and was a very good cook. He cooked at the hotel for several years, and then went to work during the summer months at the State Y.M.C.A. summer camp at Branson as head cook – returning to Gallatin for the winter months. He, after a short time, married Lutie Crenshaw…whose husband Sam Crenshaw had passed away. Lutie did our family washing and ironing for years, and after Elzie passed away we helped her, and went to see her. As she grew old, and I was young, she told me the story of some pretty things she had in her home, and Elzie’s story. He came here from Springfield, Ill, where as a boy, along with his father, had worked for the Lincoln family. He had brought with him a desk which was black with age and oil. I admired it a great deal and the last time I went to see her she asked, “Katherine, would you like the desk which Elzie brought along with a few things?” Of course I said yes, she sold it to me for $50. I had it refinished and today I have it in our living room. It’s light oak and is I think very beautiful. It is like the furniture what is in the Lincoln home in Springfield. A few years later, Charles and I came through the town and visited the Lincoln Center. It is without a doubt from the same lot of furniture…She said Elzie told her much of the Lincolns – because he was very homesick and wanted to go back, but never did.”