jQuery11240701645215317412_1711903427551({ "responseHeader":{ "status":0, "QTime":2, "params":{ "q":"*", "json.wrf":"jQuery11240701645215317412_1711903427551", "defType":"edismax", "fl":"Title,Abstract,Type,Subtype,Sites,Sites_Item,Image_URL,Image_Alt_Text,PageURL", "start":"0", "fq":"Category:\"Articles\" AND (Type:\"Article\" OR Type:\"Person\") AND Tags_Item:\"black homesteaders project\" AND Tags_Item:\"homestead colony\" AND -Allow_Listing_Display:false", "sort":"Date_Last_Modified desc", "rows":"10", "wt":"json"}}, "response":{"numFound":12,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[ { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Zachary T. Fletcher", "Abstract":"As an early settler, Zachariah .T. Fletcher was instrumental in the development of Nicodemus. He opened a general store, the town’s first business, in the fall of 1877 and sold only cornmeal and syrup. Fletcher also opened Nicodemus’s first post office and operated as Postmaster. Not only was Z.T. Fletcher heavily involved in community development, he was civically engaged as well.", "PageURL":"/people/zachary-t-fletcher.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/6CFE0D6B-FE2B-52A3-2177C367B7C0CA29.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"A black and white portrait of Mr. Fletcher. He wears a brimmed hat, suit and tie, and has a mustache", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park", "Nicodemus National Historic Site"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park,Nicodemus National Historic Site"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Peryle Woodson", "Abstract":"Woodson’s greatest passion was education. During the school year she taught the children of DeWitty’s black homesteaders in the community’s one-room schoolhouse. During the summer months she furthered her own education by attending “normal school,” what today we would call a state college. Woodson also homesteaded, receiving patent to her land in 1918. She must have understood the poor quality of the Sandhills soil, because she mainly used her land for grazing.", "PageURL":"/people/peryle-woodson.htm", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Francis Marion Boyer", "Abstract":"Francis (Frank) Marion Boyer was a community leader in Blackdom, New Mexico. Boyer and his family moved to New Mexico Territory in 1896 to escape the instability of Southern life. Boyer, a former Buffalo Soldier, arrived in the Pecos River Valley near the community of Roswell in 1898, where he worked in the courts. In partnership with thirteen original homesteaders, Boyer established and became president of the land speculation venture, the Blackdom Townsite Company.", "PageURL":"/people/francis-boyer.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/931DD692-B85A-9F9E-13D0D95640964E06.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"Portrait of a man with a mustache in a suit", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"William Kirtley", "Abstract":"Kirtley arrived in Nicodemus in November, 1878, as part of the third group of homesteaders. He believed that owning land encouraged self-sufficiency. His passion, however, was education. As a child denied the chance to learn to read and write, he arrived in Nicodemus carrying books. He worked with other community members to organize the first school. He permitted the students to use the books that he had brought with him.", "PageURL":"/people/william-kirtley.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/77213314-B60F-9677-BCDBA9BE0B8A30DE.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"Man standing in front of his house", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park", "Nicodemus National Historic Site"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park,Nicodemus National Historic Site"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Charles Speese", "Abstract":"Charles Speese used public land programs to build better lives for himself and his family. They moved to join what would become Empire, Wyoming in 1908. Speese homesteaded 320 acres under the Enlarged Homestead Act. Speese filed for 80 acres of land in DeWitty in 1920. Unlike their spacious home in Empire, the family’s dwelling in DeWitty was a soddy. In 1925, Charles Speese continued his quest for better land by moving with his family to Sully County, South Dakota.", "PageURL":"/people/charles-speese.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/65C4DCF4-04B3-A4EA-CEF1A9BCB88FB27E.jpeg", "Image_Alt_Text":"A black and white portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Speese in their wedding attire.", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Mattie Moore Wilson", "Abstract":"Mattie Moore Wilson was one of the most notable entrepreneurs of Chaves County, New Mexico, during the early 20th century. She followed two quite different careers in the Chaves County. She was known as in Roswell as the owner of a brothel and in the homesteader community of Blackdom, she owned 640 acres of land.", "PageURL":"/people/mattie-moore-wilson.htm", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Reverend Russel Taylor", "Abstract":"Russel Taylor was an African American Presbyterian minister and homesteader in Empire, Wyoming. He was educated at Bellevue College in Nebraska. He brought to Empire enthusiasm and a vision for what the community could and should be. Taylor assumed leadership of the school shortly after he arrived. He believed that children had the right to learn from a role model belonging to their race.", "PageURL":"/people/reverend-russel-taylor.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/6EF83A8B-C82E-7E22-CC763FCF38EC1FDA.jpeg", "Image_Alt_Text":"man sitting in a chair for a portrait", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Oliver Toussaint Jackson", "Abstract":"Oliver Toussaint (“O.T.”) Jackson was a serial entrepreneur and founder of Dearfield. In 1910 Jackson had formed the Negro Townsite and Land Company with the help of political connections and drawing inspiration from Booker T. Washington’s work on self-help. But Jackson faced resistance from black leaders because of his close ties to Democrats, whom many still associated with slavery and post-bellum repression. The company failed, but Jackson persisted, founding Dearfield.", "PageURL":"/people/oliver-toussaint-jackson.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/9A3F99C0-9446-D8A7-BA2BAD7A4DDA2258.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"Man in a suit sitting at a desk", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"James Monroe Thomas", "Abstract":"James Monroe Thomas was one of the first homesteaders in Dearfield. Thomas arrived in Dearfield from Denver in 1910. He was attracted to the colony by the opportunity to own land and a chance meeting with O.T. Jackson. Thomas and his family endured numerous hardships during the first few years, but his tenacity and hard work paid off.", "PageURL":"/people/james-monroe-thomas.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/9A539527-FB67-5D7A-190B2DB0F87E4D83.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"Man sitting outside of a small house", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}, { "Type":["Person"], "Title":"Norvel Blair", "Abstract":"Norvel Blair founded the African American homesteader community in Sully County, South Dakota. Blair arrived in Fairbank Township of Sully County in 1884. He previously sent his sons Benjamin and Patrick to scout the area. Norvel and his sons also became known in the region for raising racehorses. One of their horses, Johnny Bee, held the record for the fastest horse in the state from 1907-1909.", "PageURL":"/people/norvel-blair.htm", "Image_URL":"/common/uploads/cropped_image/9874E2B4-B494-F382-58CE9D2A38F95DE9.jpg", "Image_Alt_Text":"This portrait shows Norvel in a black dress jacket and white button down shirt. He has a mustache.", "Sites_Item":["Homestead National Historical Park"], "Sites":"Homestead National Historical Park"}] }})