Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-11-16

only natural that others would fol-
low, so this, like other settlements,
got started, and grew. AS we said,
these men must have been possess
ed of some means, as each took up
large tracts of land.
The year that these first colored
men entered their lands, we know
not, but it was some time previous
to 1880. The center of this popu-
lation was approximately near the
Aquilla Lett place, now owned by
John Gander.
The homes which some built and
are still standing is mute evidence
of their thrift, enterprise and pros
perity. Prominent among them were
the Let's and Calamans. James
Lett bought 800 acres of land and
Aquilla Lett acquired a large tract
adjoining. 1t is said that Ben Cal
aman had even larger tract.
James Lett built a fine large brick
house and a good barn which is on
the main road leading from Rem
rock of GAINESVILLE, now owned by
Thornton Alexander The Aquilla
Lett house was a large two-story
frame with good outbuildings, etc.
Along with these above mentioned
families were the Zates, Simpsons,
Cliffords, Browns, Amos and Allen
Guy, Toby Hance and perhaps some
others.
At the peak of this population,
there were perhaps more than a
half hundred souls. Some of these
did not confine themselves to their
respective locality but scattered out
and worked in various places. Al
len Guy was with Thomas Dye for
quite awhile. One of their number,
a shoemaker, we cannot recall his
name, lived on the ''Uncle'' John
Jamison farm in Brookfield town
ship. He made the writer his first
pair of red-top boots. Their most
skilled shoemaker was MACE"
Simpson, who had his shop in the
community, which at a later period,
was enlarged and became the Jesse
Frazier store at Coal HILL Toby
Hance, who, it is said, had the dark
est complexion of any, worked in
the first Touring mill on Crooked
Run. Generally speaking, they wer3
intelligent and some we'll educatd,
capable of teaching, but were not
acquainted with some of the James
Lett family-John, Sam and Bank.
There were others of the family.
Jud and Elmer. Sam dropped dead
in the Jesse Frazier store He had
much fairer complexion than
some of the citizens of the Renrock
community. Many of them could
not be distinguished from the
never knew--upright, honest, square
dealing and religious. When John
Lett would extend his hand for a
greeting, he would almost always
say, "Give me shake of your old
corn stealer!'
But do not think for a moment
that all of this colored population
was square and honest. They had
their hanky-pankies much like white
trash. Surrounded by a people Of
different political beliefs, these col
ored folks had to contend for their
rights. At the time, and following
the Civil war, there was sprink-
ling of those who were in sympathy
with the 'Lost Cause" who consid-
cred the colored race beneath them,
and were disposed to want to lord it
over them and keep them in ignor-
ance and subjection. This antipathy
manifested itself in a bold way, par
ticularly in the school. They didn't
want the colored children educated,
but remain in ignorance and be ser
wants of the people. Some of the
well-to-do colored citizens who We're
more than fifty percent white, ana
were heavy taxpayers, justly con-
tended that their children had equal
rights to school privileges, just the
same as the whites.
After Lincoln's proclamation,
some of these bigoted rural aristo-
Gratis were even more insistent i'll
keeping the colored children out OF
school, and finally the contention
became so acute that when term
of school opened up two high-brow-
ed directors went to the school
MA