Editors note: in conjunction with the 200th celebration of the establishment of Sidney, the Sidney Daily News will be publishing a year long series about the citys history.
SIDNEY Known as the land of plenty, America offers freedom and opportunity to those who journey here. However, for the people brought to this country as slaves, the American dream was replaced by oppression, poverty and indignities. In 1803, Ohio became the first state carved out of the Northwest Territory where the ownership of slaves was not permitted, yet laws were passed in 1804 prohibiting blacks from serving on juries or testifying against whites. Blacks could not settle in Ohio without a certificate of freedom, and those here must register and pay 12 1/2 cents. In 1807, blacks had to post a $500 bond, significantly limiting migration. The first documented black man in Shelby County was in the early 1820s when William Roberts moved to Salem Township to grant his slaves their freedom. One chose to stay with the family and worked as a paid employee on their homestead.
John Randolph and His Slaves
Virginian John Randolph was a wealthy politician who left three wills, two of which freed his slaves, I give and bequeath to all my slaves their freedom, heartily regretting that I have ever been the owner of one. He left $8,000 for transporting/settling his slaves and those over the age of 40 would receive 10 acres of land.
Claiming that John was insane, his brother contested the will and 13 years passed before the courts would honor it. Randolphs cousin, William Leigh, then traveled to Mercer County where he bought 3,200 acres for $6,000. In June 1846, 383 former Randolph slaves and wagon master Cardwell loaded 16 wagons heading 500 miles to Ohio. Their ages ranged from that of an infant to 100 year old Granny Hannah.
Their certificate of freedom stated, A true list and description of the emancipated slavesmade out from the general book of registers of free Negroes and Mulatoes (sic). The document listed all their names and according to Piqua historian Helen Gilmore, They examined them from head to toe and wrote down any marks you had on youmade you feel like you was cattle or pigs. Every slave had a number. Included on the 12 page list was No. 514 Shadrach, who would take White as a surname (later known as Buddie Shang) and No. 421 Carter a man of black complexion, aged 33 years, 5 9 . (A slave did not have a last name until freed and would often take the name of his/her master, residence or of some famous person).
Randolph Slaves Arrive in Ohio
The slaves boarded Miami & Erie Canal barges in Cincinnati heading to Mercer County. A Dayton newspaper reported, Some of them regretted being compelled to leave Virginiaa great deal of opposition has been manifested by the Mercer County citizens, and resolutions were passed to prevent these Negroes from coming.
In Piqua, the travelers were not allowed access to water and the barges moved into Shelby County, passing through the Lockington locks, on to Berlin/Fort Loramie where they were not allowed to land, and New Bremen/Mercer County. They were greeted by an armed mob of whites, Resolved, we will not live among Negroes; as we have settled here first we will resist the settlement of blacks and mulattoes in this county to the full extent of our means.
The blacks left on canal boats, disembarking in Miami County (Rossville) where whites brought them food. They would later locate in Sidney, Troy and other communities. Sidney newspaper, Aurora condemned the selling of land and pocketing a large amount of money for provisions not two weeks before the arrival of the poor creatures whom they so unjustly treated.
Some headed for Sidney/Shelby County said a Piqua newspaper, last week an effort was made to settle them in Shelby County, but like the attempt in Mercer it faileddriven away by threatened violence. Former slave Clem Clay told how local citizens eventually decided to allow a number of them to stay in Sidney: A good class of white people took some on the farm and some to houses
In 1900, the Randolph Ex-Slaves Association was formed and 62 of the original Old Dominions (born into Virginia slavery and transported to Ohio) were present. (The Buckeyes were born in Ohio). Up to 300 people attended reunions in Piqua, Troy and at the Shelby County Fairgrounds.
Plunkett, a man trusted to represent the slaves, sold the unclaimed land in the 1840s for $7,700. In 1907, approximately 170 of the former Randolph slaves unsuccessfully filed 27 cases to recover the land willed to them, or its $38,000 value. The cases lasted a decade and went all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
The Underground Railroad
Ohios Underground Railroad was a network of routes and stations/safe houses where blacks could stay while traveling north. Two trails entered Shelby County from the south, one split following the Miami & Erie Canal while a third trail passed through Sidney to the east and west.
Mount Vernon Baptist Church
Gospel songs indicated how escapes would occur on the Underground Railroad. Follow the Drinking Gourd referred to the North Star/Big Dipper. The Mt. Vernon Baptist Church began in the homes of two Randolph slaves in 1846 Roger Lee and Frank Brown. A circuit rider minister assisted in creating a new church and the first building was constructed on a lot now occupied by the Monarch Community Center.
Education
An 1853 state law established schools for colored children. A separate school was built for them in 1878 and abandoned in 1895 as the Black Laws had been repealed. There are sixteen schools in allone colored school. The 1885 Sidney Journal reported, Teacher of the Negro school is sick no school.
The Civil War (1861-1865)
In 1863, President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation led Sidneys Elias Artis and Hezekiah Stewart to join the 54th Massachusetts Black Volunteer Infantry. Although many died in battle, both men are thought to have survived the Civil War and their names are listed, among 324 veterans, on the tablets in Sidneys Monumental Building.
World War I (1914-1918)
Almost 400,000 blacks served in the militarys segregated units and a 1918 Sidney Daily News article featured five men, the colored people of the county had turned out to wish the boys God speed in their answer to their countrys call. As the men came out of the Court House they formed lines honoring the boys as they passed through. The colored people, then proceeded by the Sidney band, marched to the B. & O. stationAn immense crowd (white and black) was at the station
1930s 1960s
The plight of blacks was captured in the Depression-era slogan, Last Hired and First Fired. In 1948, President Truman desegregated the nations armed forces. Court rulings addressed education and housing where discrimination and segregation still festered. Jim Crow signs were posted in the 50s/60s segregating blacks from whites. These laws were based on the Supreme Courts 1896 decision ruling blacks accept separate accommodations as long as they were equal. For White Only signs appeared in businesses across the nation.
Ku Klux Klan
The KKK, a group of white secret societies, traces its roots to a group of Confederate veterans organized to oppose minorities. With concealed identities, they often beat and murdered, burning crosses to intimidate blacks.
Sidney Daily News April 28, 1923: We have waited a week in regard to the demonstration of the KKK in our village (Anna). The citizens are pretty much wrought up over the affair. About 95 per cent against such demonstrations. On May 16, 1923, a cross was burned in East Sidney (Brooklyn Avenue).
Harry Miller worked as a conductor and brakeman for the Western Ohio Traction Company from 1917 to 1929. He recounted for the local paper how he worked the Ku Klux Klan car which made trips from Sidney to the St. Marys/Celina area in the 1920s.
NAACP
NAACP, a national civil rights organization that works to end discrimination against blacks and minority groups, was founded in 1909. Major successes included the Civil Rights Acts of 1957/1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Consulting with black and white residents, Frank OLeary created a Sidney chapter of the NAACP in 1965. Fifty members were required and the founders included Carl King, Rufus Sims, Harrison Brown, James Daniel and Lucille King. The organizations initial mission was workplace discrimination that existed within some Shelby County industries. In 1971, the chapter became the Ohio Tri-County NAACP serving Shelby, Miami, and Logan counties.
James P. Humphrey First Black Mayor of Sidney
A descendent of the Randolph Slaves, Sidneys first black mayor, James (Jim) Humphrey was a lifelong resident that gave significant amounts of time trying to preserve the tragic saga of the Randolph slaves. Born in 1921, Jim was a World War II veteran and served in city government as councilman-at large, vice mayor and mayor (1981-1987). He was a deacon of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church for over 40 years and involved in community organizations such as the Salvation Army, NAACP and the Sunset Kiwanis. He was included in Whos Who Among Black Americans and honored in 1987 with the establishment of a scholarship fund in his name. Scholarships are awarded each year to black Shelby County students as incentives for achievement and has provided over $246,000 to 172 Sidney/Shelby County graduates. The funds are awarded in recognition of Humphreys commitment to excellence in education, black history, community service and his deep dedication to religious beliefs. He earned countless honors, including Black Mayor of the Year for Ohio, Sidneys Black Achiever of the Year, Man of the Year, Outstanding Senior Citizen in Shelby County, etc. Jim was a tremendous advocate for black history and talked passionately of the struggles that he and others suffered during earlier years.
On Jan. 17, 1890, former Randolph slave Buddie Shang stood in the courtroom of the Shelby County Courthouse accused of killing a white Lacyburg resident, (a shantytown behind Sidneys Graceland Cemetery). His attorney claimed self-defense to the all-white jury that took three minutes to render a not guilty verdict.
President Ronald Reagan spoke in Sidney, Ohio, on a Whistle Stop Tour on Oct. 12, 1984. He arrived on U.S. Car One a famous train car used by former president Harry Truman. Mayor James Humphrey was on the podium with the president as he gave an introduction and official welcome on behalf of the City of Sidney. The Ronald Reagan library has posted videos of the presidents journey through Ohio and the Sidney visit can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV9ObAlfNwM. A unique app was developed by the SMS Group for the Shelby County/Sidney Bicentennial which lists points of interest throughout Shelby County, including this stop at 400-416 North Street in Sidney. The app is free and can be downloaded to your smartphone/device.
A naturalized American citizen, David Lodge was born and raised in Manchester, England, serving in the Royal Air Force prior to coming to the U.S. He is a former City of Sidney Council member who served with Sidneys first black mayor and a long-time community volunteer. The Lodge Soccer Fields in Tawawa Park were named in his honor for bringing the sport of soccer to this area. He has authored three Teachers Guides as well as numerous articles on local history. Retired, he writes a column for Linns Stamp News, a philatelic publication of Amos Media.
Read this article:
Finding freedom in Ohio and Shelby County - sidneydailynews.com
- Opinion | U.S. religious freedom effort gets an unwelcome message in Saudi Arabia - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom Caucus urges GOP to reject government funding deal without border reforms - The Hill - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- The Equal Justice Initiative's soon to open Freedom Monument Sculpture Park - Montgomery Advertiser - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom school district to go to referendum April 2 for capital improvements totaling $62.5 million - Post-Crescent - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Press freedom in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda: what journalists have to say about doing their jobs - The Conversation Indonesia - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- She bought an animal testing site and turned it into a rehab sanctuary - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Young Americans for Freedom said UW-Madison's security fees were 'unprecedented.' Records show that's not the full ... - Daily Cardinal - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Responds to Outcome in Ohio GOP Senate Primary - Reproductive Freedom for All - Reproductive Freedom for All - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Biden Redefines Freedom and Democracy - AMAC Official Website - Join and Explore the Benefits - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom snaps three-game streak of wins at home - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- DePauw Faculty Talks Merit Pay, Academic Freedom, Donor Funds, and Event Planning at Monthly Meeting - The DePauw - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- SC governor: Proposed Medical Freedom Act could place innocent lives at risk - Live 5 News WCSC - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Li Yilei recaptures the freedom of childhood through sound - The FADER - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- The massive copper mine that could test the limits of religious freedom - Grist - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Netflix Is Rethinking Employee Freedom, a Core Tenet of Its Vaunted Culture - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom Caucus touts bill banning Ranked Choice Voting - Pelican Post - Online Newspaper - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Proposed TikTok ban is an affront to economic and personal freedom - The Hill - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Chase Freedom Encourages Cardmembers To Celebrate With Family, Given and Chosen, With Q2 2024 Quarterly ... - Yahoo Finance - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Baseball Game Recap: Freedom Patriots vs. East Bay Indians - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- 'The veils and the women': Can we really advocate for freedom when we are banning them? - LSE Home - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom wins going away against Brandon - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Protect the founder of WikiLeaks for the future of press freedom - The Baylor Lariat - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Applauds Confirmation of Judge Nicole Berner to Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals - Reproductive Freedom for All - Reproductive Freedom for All - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Five Themes Discussed at Princeton's Workshop on Decentralized Social Media - Freedom to Tinker - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Meghan Markle Unveils New Brand on Poignant Date with Prince Harry - PEOPLE - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom set to open the 2024 season against Torrey Pines (CA) - 69News WFMZ-TV - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Texas A&M Creating A Task Force To Work On Academic Freedom - Navasota News - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- H.S. BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Freedom teams advance to Christmas tournament title games - Morganton News Herald - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Gow cites freedom of expression in defending porn videos which led to his firing as UWL chancellor - WIZM NEWS - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Sound Of Freedom: All Updates & Controversies Since It Released - Screen Rant - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Im ready for freedom, Gypsy Rose Blanchard says as she gets early release from jail after role in moms... - The US Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Turkish Airlines Hasn't Applied For Permission to Operate Crucial Fifth-Freedom Flights From Singapore to Australia - paddleyourownkanoo.com - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- New ballot language submitted for proposed changes to Arkansas Freedom of Information Act - Mountain Home Observer - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The SRFOE calls on States to guarantee freedom of expression as a fundamental right for gender equality and the ... - Organization of American States - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Irene Crcoles releases 'Closet', a single that screams freedom - WECB - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Sound of Freedom Is Now Streaming: Heres Where to Stream the Controversial Crime Thriller Online for Free - Hollywood Reporter - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- FIA consider more freedom in technical regulations - The Judge 13 - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Texas A&M Academic Freedom Task Force Is Nearing Completion Of Its Recommendations - WTAW - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- 2023 was a dire year for freedom of speech on campus, says this organization. Will next year be any better? - Fox News - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The Spellbinding Freedom of Baldur's Gate 3 - The New York Times - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Stream It Or Skip It: Sound of Freedom on Prime Video, the Child-Trafficking Movie That Became a Culture War Flashpoint And Box Office Sensation -... - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Rare Mammoth Specimen Unearthed at Freedom Mine near Beulah, North Dakota - Net Newsledger - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Frontlines of Freedom TV Ep. 1 | 2023 Year In Review | Gaza | Ukraine | Trump RDI - Renew Democracy Initiative - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- We need more freedom of speech on campus, but that can't include advocating for genocide - Minnesota Reformer - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom, first and last Sonoma Sun | Sonoma, CA - Sonoma Valley Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Home for the holidays, from wrongful imprisonment - Star Tribune - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The Freedom to Dress Cannot Be Overstated - Highsnobiety - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom Town Column: Selectmen's meetings have resumed at the town office - Conway Daily Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Did Disney own the rights to Sound of Freedom? - Dexerto - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom Fitness 615 is ready to take on new year's resolutions - Lebanon Democrat - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Expressing the freedom of self-expression for Holocaust Memorial Day - North Kesteven District Council - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Airdate: Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom - TV Tonight - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Harry Belafonte Used Fame to Fight for Freedom - The New York Times - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Abducted Anambra truck driver regains freedom - Punch Newspapers - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- OP-ED: Kwanzaa, Freedom, Justice and Peace: Principles and Practices For A New World - Black Press USA - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Webinar to give overview of Arkansas Food Freedom Act - Searcy Daily Citizen - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Statement to Mark 25th Anniversary of International Religious ... - USCCB - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom of Information Act - Health.mil - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- 'Freedom' to be featured on GS merchandise - Statesboro Herald - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom students say they feel safe on campus; social media ... - thepress.net - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- What kind of freedom? | News, Sports, Jobs - Marshalltown Times Republican - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Woman has few hopes for freedom in shaken bay death conviction - Mississippi Today - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- MFRR Monitoring Report 575 media freedom violations in the first ... - European Centre for Press and Media Freedom - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Michigan's Freedom of Information Act Must Be Significantly Reformed - Mackinac Center for Public Policy - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom without justice - IPS Journal - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Free speech concerns arise in wake of journal editor Eisen's firing - STAT - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Salman Rushdie calls for defense of freedom of expression as he ... - Spectrum News 1 - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Governor Murphy Sounds the Alarm on Incoming GOP Assault on ... - InsiderNJ - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Soloviev Group Announces Affordable Housing Units in Freedom ... - New York YIMBY - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- North Macedonia Curbed Roma Citizens' Freedom of Movement ... - Balkan Insight - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- NCT 127: We are limitless but that freedom also has a lot of ... - NME - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Academic freedom or state control: Court hearing will consider blocking key higher ed law in FL - Florida Phoenix - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Salman Rushdie calls for defense of freedom of expression as he receives German prize - Euronews - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- It's Cold War II, and the enemies of freedom are lining up to forge a new world order - The Telegraph - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Freedom Caucus Urges GOP Leaders To Remain in Washington ... - The Messenger - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Statesboro: 'Freedom' the Eagle now has his own merchandise - WJCL News Savannah - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Escaping North Korea: 'Beyond Utopia' documents one path to ... - The Christian Science Monitor - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- PRH, WNDB Launch Freedom of Expression Award - Publishers Weekly - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Carbondale branch of NAACP hosts 46th Freedom Fund Banquet - The Southern - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- 'Herald favored our freedom of speech' The Durango Herald - The Durango Herald - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]