Nicodemus
Only remaining all-Black settlement from Exoduster Movement
State: Kansas
County: Graham County
Founded: 1877
Nicodemus is the only remaining town from the 'Exoduster' movement—freed slaves who fled the South after Reconstruction ended. At peak, 600 Black Americans farmed this Kansas prairie. When the railroad bypassed them, the town declined to about 20 residents. Now a National Historic Site.
Quick Facts
- Only surviving all-Black Exoduster town
- Emancipation Celebration held annually since 1878
- Railroad bypassed them by 6 miles
- National Historic Site since 1996
Location
Address: Graham County, Kansas
Coordinates: 39.3936, -99.6192