Nicodemus, Kansas
| Nicodemus, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
Nicodemus Township Hall (2006)
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 Nicodemus plat map |
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 KDOT map of Graham County (legend) |
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| Coordinates: 39°23′40″N 99°37′1″W / 39.39444°N 99.61694°WCoordinates: 39°23′40″N 99°37′1″W / 39.39444°N 99.61694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Graham |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Elevation | 2,021 ft (616 m) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 20-50550 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0472219 |
Nicodemus is an unincorporated community in Graham County, Kansas, United States. The community was founded in 1877 and is named for the Biblical figure Nicodemus.
The Nicodemus National Historic Site, commemorating the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the American Civil War, is in town. During the last weekend of July, former residents return for celebrations and parades.
The settlement of Nicodemus was part of a greater movement of westward migration that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century. Several technological and cultural factors contributed to the growing trend of movement, enabling and encouraging new groups to move west. The Homestead Act of 1862 provided settlement opportunities for people of modest means. A person could claim a 160-acre plot provided they lived on and develop the land for a 5-year period, after which it could be purchased. In addition, the expansion of the railroad network across the Great Plains increased both the accessibility and economic opportunity of developing settlements.
Kansas also had an appeal to African Americans living in the post-Civil War South. In the minds of many of these recently freed slaves, Kansas represented a land of freedom and opportunity due to the actions of John Brown and other abolitionists. Promoters such as Benjamin “Pap” Singleton encouraged African Americans to move to Kansas. Nicodemus would become a destination for these new migrants. Railroads and steamboats offered cheap passage for these early settlers. Eager to escape the persecution and poor living conditions of Reconstruction, thousands left the South and headed west seeking economic opportunity and a sense of freedom.
On April 18, 1877, a group of seven Kansans, six of whom were black, established the Nicodemus Town Company. African American W.H. Smith and W.R. Hill, an experienced white land speculator, served as the town’s president and treasurer, respectively. Most of the group consisted of former slaves from Kentucky in search of a new livelihood. The goal was to establish the first all-black settlement on the Great Plains. Two theories explain the choice of the name Nicodemus. One claiming the town was named after the biblical figure Nicodemus. The other holds the town was inspired by the legendary account of an African prince taken into slavery who later purchased his freedom. The location of the town, chosen by Hill, was along the northern bank of the Solomon River, an area suitable for developing farming. The town itself was located on a 160-acre plot, of the 19,200 acres of the township, at large.
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