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Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky at the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the "Promised Land" of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the homesteading movement across the Great Plains. It is the oldest remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Watch interviews with descendants from the Nicodemus community.
The five historic buildings were declared a unit of the National Park System on November 12, 1996.
Catch up on Nicodemus happenings in 2024 and learn what we have planned for 2025!
Learn about the oldest remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Learn about the Junior Ranger program at Nicodemus National Historic Site.
Listen to some of the oral history interviews collected from Nicodemus descendants over the years.
Last updated: December 11, 2025
