IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 884 
Honoring the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its contribution to American 
history. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2006 
Mr. MORAN of Kansas (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of 
Georgia, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. ENGLISH of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. COSTA, 
Mr. SOUDER, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. OSBORNE, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Vir-
ginia, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. FORBES, 
Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Flor-
ida, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. FILNER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. 
UDALL of Colorado, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. WALDEN of Or-
egon, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SIMPSON, 
Mr. COLE of Oklahoma, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. BERRY, 
Mr. CLAY, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. 
SHADEGG, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. RYUN of Kansas, 
Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. TERRY, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, and 
Mr. WEXLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its 
contribution to American history. 
Whereas, in the South, the rights gained by African-Ameri-
cans immediately following the Civil War were largely 
stripped away at the end of the Reconstruction period; 
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•HRES 884 IH 
Whereas this Nation was founded on the ideals of freedom 
and equality for all; 
Whereas the West was viewed as a land of opportunity; 
Whereas many African-Americans left the South and moved 
west in search of the freedom and opportunity promised 
to all Americans; 
Whereas abolitionists shed blood for the State of Kansas to 
enter the Union as a Free State; 
Whereas Kansans welcomed African-Americans from the 
South making Kansas their new home; 
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, was planned and founded by 
six African-American men; 
Whereas, on September 17, 1877, the first formal group of 
settlers, numbering 350, arrived in Nicodemus, Kansas; 
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, offered African-Americans an 
opportunity to own their own land, make a living farm-
ing, and prosper in a jurisdiction self-governed by Afri-
can-Americans; 
Whereas, during a time when many African-Americans were 
denied an education in the South, African-Americans in 
Nicodemus, Kansas, established schools to educate the 
town’s children; 
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, grew and prospered in the 
1880s as a result of the ingenuity of African-American 
entrepreneurs and the dedication of African-American 
farmers; 
Whereas the hard work, resourcefulness, and courage of the 
African-American pioneers who founded and lived in 
Nicodemus, Kansas, serves as an example of the Amer-
ican spirit; 
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•HRES 884 IH 
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, is the only remaining Western 
town established by African-Americans during the Recon-
struction period; 
Whereas, in January 1976, the Nicodemus Historic District 
was designated as a National Historic Landmark; 
Whereas, on November 12, 1996, Congress established the 
Nicodemus National Historic Site to preserve, protect, 
and interpret the remaining structures and locations that 
represent the history of the town of Nicodemus, Kansas; 
Whereas the National Park Service and the current residents 
of Nicodemus, Kansas, are working to preserve this his-
toric site for future generations; and 
Whereas, this year, Nicodemus, Kansas, will celebrate its 
tenth anniversary as a national historic site: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) honors the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for 
its contribution to American history; and 
(2) commends and encourages the preservation 
efforts of the National Park Service and the resi-
dents of Nicodemus, Kansas. 
Æ 
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