Afro-Americans in Missouri
This background is an Adinkra symbol meaning
"LOVE DOES NOT GET LOST ON ITS WAYHOME."
(Black Church -- Mt. Moriah in Otterville,
I have photos of most headstones
in the Mt. Moriah burial area!
Afro-Americans in Missouri
My father's family -- the
WILSONS are from Bunceton, a small town in Cooper County, Missouri.
When I began my family history research in January 1999, I found very little
detailed information about African Americans in Missouri.
For example, most of the
Missouri GenWeb county sites did not include historical information about
African American people. That has changed now.
You will now notice that
sites like Boone, Morgan, Cooper and Howard have updated their sites...and
linked my pages for additional information. So now we have Progress, Progress,
and more Progress!!Since then, I have learned that my ancestors were owned
by a families named, TUTT, CHISM, ROSS, CHILTON, STEPHENS, McCLANAHAN and
others.The impact of slavery and the growth of African American communities
in the aftermath of the Civil War, Emancipation, and the Antebellum period
was of great interest to me, but it had been seriously overlooked.
However, I know that along with thousands of other African Americans who
have roots in Missouri, detailed information about these community histories
would help us understand when, why, and how our ancestors survived slavery
along the Missouri River in counties such as Buchanan, Jackson, Lafayette,
Saline, Callaway, Chariton, Cooper, Howard, Boone, Pike, Marion, St. Louis
and many other counties of Missouri. The Missouri River counties historically
had the highest concentrations of African Americans.
Well My Trip to Missouri
2000 story is long overdue. It's already 2001 -- so I have some work
to do. In the meantime -- here are some very old sketches of some of my
ancestors. I was blessed and touched to receive an excellent creative writing
by my cousin Kamara Jones entitled the Color
I believe these members
are my Pamunkey Indian relatives from Farquier County, Virginia. The back
of the sketchings notes "1787" -- I have no information on the artists
etc., of if the date I am reading is correct.
If you have any information
on these sketches please let me know!
Family Pic 1 & Pic
Mysterious Family Pics
Remember -- Missouri
was once a SLAVE state. This web site will grow to be a repository of as
many resources as possible -- but I can't do it without you. If you
have information about ancestors that would help illustrate the lives of
pre-1900 African American Missourians, please share. Photos, documents
and genealogical resources such as compilations of vital records -- marriage,
death and birth information are particularly helpful. Since many African
Americans were brought to Missouri from Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina
oftentimes -- there are additional pertinent resources we should note.
If you come across any original slave bills of sale, probate and land ownership
records you can post them below!
(Photos: Courtesy of Dotty Kasmann Columbia,MO)
City Cemetery, now called the Sunset Hill Cemetery in Bunceton Missouri.
This was burial site for many African Americans beginning in the mid-to-late
1800's. My great-great grandparents, Marion and Mary Wilson are buried
here. Anna Louise Stephens, great granddaughter of Harvey Bunce refers
to the cemetery as "Aunt Violet's Hill" in honor of a slave named owned
Mr. Bunce named Violet
Glasgow (see below).
Violet and Layton Glasgow
were slaves for the family of Harvey Bunce, founder of Bunceton,MO.
Actually the slaves came
from the family of Bunce's wife, Mary Ann Moore. Violet had a sister
named Julia Gillium -- who also served the Bunce family for many years.
The great granddaughters of Harvery Bunce now reside in California.
I recently traveled to Bunceton in Cooper County, Missouri to visit Ravenswood,
the infamous shorthorn cattle farm where my ancestors were enslaved.
It was built by slaves
and owned by Nathaniel Leonard.
"My Trip to Missouri."
L. Wilson-Kleekamp, Site Coordinator
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This page was last updated Monday, 15-Oct-2001 22:52:04 MDT
Copyright 1999 by
Traci L. Wilson-Kleekamp