I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3256

To establish the Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas, and for other

purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 16, 1996

Mr. ROBERTS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Resources

A BILL

To establish the Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas,

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

5 (1) the town of Nicodemus, in Kansas, has na6 tional significance as the only remaining western

7 town established by African-Americans during the

8 Reconstruction period following the Civil War;

9 (2) the town of Nicodemus is symbolic of the

10 pioneer spirit of African-Americans who dared to
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1 leave the only region they had been familiar with to

2 seek personal freedom and the opportunity to de3 velop their talents and capabilities; and

4 (3) the town of Nicodemus continues to be a

5 viable African-American community.

6 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—

7 (1) to preserve, protect, and interpret for the

8 benefit and enjoyment of present and future genera9 tions, the remaining structures and locations that

10 represent the history (including the settlement and

11 growth) of the town of Nicodemus, Kansas; and

12 (2) to interpret the historical role of the town

13 of Nicodemus in the Reconstruction period in the

14 context of the experience of westward expansion in

15 the United States.

16 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

17 In this Act:

18 (1) HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘historic site’’

19 means the Nicodemus National Historic Site estab20 lished by section 3.

21 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

22 the Secretary of the Interior.
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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HIS2 TORIC SITE.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the

4 Nicodemus National Historic Site in Nicodemus, Kansas.

5 (b) DESCRIPTION.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The historic site shall con7 sist of the First Baptist Church, the St. Francis

8 Hotel, the Nicodemus School District Number 1, the

9 African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Town10 ship Hall located within the approximately 161.35

11 acres designated as the Nicodemus National Land12 mark in the Township of Nicodemus, Graham Coun13 ty, Kansas, as registered on the National Register of

14 Historic Places pursuant to section 101 of the Na15 tional Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470a),

16 and depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Nicodemus Na17 tional Historic Site’’, numbered 80,000 and dated

18 August 1994.

19 (2) MAP AND BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION.—The

20 map referred to in paragraph (1) and an accom21 panying boundary description shall be on file and

22 available for public inspection in the office of the Di23 rector of the National Park Service and any other

24 office of the National Park Service that the Sec25 retary determines to be an appropriate location for

26 filing the map and boundary description.
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1 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE HISTORIC SITE.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer

3 the historic site in accordance with—

4 (1) this Act; and

5 (2) the provisions of law generally applicable to

6 units of the National Park System, including the Act

7 entitled ‘‘An Act to establish a National Park Serv8 ice, and for other purposes’’, approved August 25,

9 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of August

10 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666, chapter 593; 16 U.S.C. 461

11 et seq.).

12 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—To further the

13 purposes specified in section 1(b), the Secretary may enter

14 into a cooperative agreement with any interested individ15 ual, public or private agency, organization, or institution.

16 (c) TECHNICAL AND PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE.—

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide

18 to any eligible person described in paragraph (2)

19 technical assistance for the preservation of historic

20 structures of, the maintenance of the cultural land21 scape of, and local preservation planning for, the

22 historic site.

23 (2) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The eligible persons

24 described in this paragraph are—
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1 (A) an owner of real property within the

2 boundary of the historic site, as described in

3 section 3(b); and

4 (B) any interested individual, agency, or5 ganization, or institution that has entered into

6 an agreement with the Secretary pursuant to

7 subsection (b).

8 SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Sec10 retary is authorized to acquire by donation, exchange, or

11 purchase with funds made available by donation or appro12 priation, such lands or interests in lands as may be nec13 essary to allow for the interpretation, preservation, or res14 toration of the First Baptist Church, the St. Francis

15 Hotel, the Nicodemus School District Number 1, the Afri16 can Methodist Episcopal Church, or the Township Hall,

17 as described in section 3(b)(1), or any combination there18 of.

19 (b) LIMITATIONS.—

20 (1) ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE

21 STATE OF KANSAS.—Real property that is owned by

22 the State of Kansas or a political subdivision of the

23 State of Kansas that is acquired pursuant to sub24 section (a) may only be acquired by donation.
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1 (2) CONSENT OF OWNER REQUIRED.—No real

2 property may be acquired under this section without

3 the consent of the owner of the real property.

4 SEC. 6. GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the last day of the

6 third full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment

7 of this Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the

8 officials described in subsection (b), prepare a general

9 management plan for the historic site.

10 (b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the general man11 agement plan, the Secretary shall consult with an appro12 priate official of each of the following:

13 (1) The Nicodemus Historical Society.

14 (2) The Kansas Historical Society.

15 (3) Appropriate political subdivisions of the

16 State of Kansas that have jurisdiction over all or a

17 portion of the historic site.

18 (c) SUBMISSION OF PLAN TO CONGRESS.—Upon the

19 completion of the general management plan, the Secretary

20 shall submit a copy of the plan to—

21 (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Re22 sources of the Senate; and

23 (2) the Committee on Resources of the House

24 of Representatives.
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1 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There are authorized to be appropriated to the De3 partment of the Interior such sums as are necessary to

4 carry out this Act.

Æ