Angela Bates, a fifth-generation descendant of Nicodemus settlers, finds inspiration in preserving the history of those who left the South in the 1870s to establish a town in rural Kansas with hopes of attaining freedom.
Raised in California by parents born in Nicodemus, Bates later moved to Kansas, founded the Nicodemus Historical Society, and worked to preserve the town’s history as it faced economic struggles. Today, remnants of Nicodemus remain in a few buildings, and the settlement near the Solomon River is a National Historic Site recognized by Congress.
“It’s always exciting to talk about Nicodemus,” Bates said. “It runs in my blood. I’m a channeler of all those ancestors who endured slavery. I’m glad I’m still here to tell their stories and preserve their history.”
Bates shared her oral history at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas, where photographs and documents related to Nicodemus are archived. She recently completed a documentary on the settlement of Nicodemus and its legacy, tracing back to Kentucky where many settlers originated.
Her great-great-grandfather Tom Johnson was among the first to arrive in 1877, with another ancestor arriving in 1879. Despite moving to California in the 1950s, her family regularly returned to Nicodemus to celebrate the emancipation of slaves.
“I feel very blessed to be part of the Nicodemus legacy,” Bates said. “I do it not for fame or money, but because I don’t want their stories to be lost. I think their stories are important. They’ve been a part of my life.”
The settlers of Nicodemus, many from the central bluegrass region of Kentucky, aimed to own land in Kansas and distance themselves from Jim Crow laws. Despite the challenges of relocating to the Great Plains, they remained determined and faithful.
Bates narrated how the Potawatomie and Osage tribe members helped the early settlers, providing game and support, and how the name Nicodemus was derived from a Civil War-era abolitionist song rather than the Bible.
The town played a role in organizing Graham County, with the first three county attorneys being Black men. However, Nicodemus faced setbacks when the railroad bypassed it, and further economic downturns during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression led many residents to move away.
Despite these challenges, the archival records and preserved buildings put a face to the community’s courageous effort to reposition themselves within the United States. Bates highlighted the community’s spirit of determination and cooperation.
Relations with surrounding predominantly white towns were strained, but there was a notable bond with the French-Canadian town of Damar. The 160-acre core of Nicodemus has been designated a national historic landmark district.
Bates formed the Nicodemus Historical Society in the 1980s and worked with the Kansas congressional delegation to get the town recognized as a national historic site.
“It never occurred to me, not one time, that it wasn’t going to happen,” Bates said.
She emphasized the need for financial support to improve access to the town’s history and brought new materials to the Spencer Research Library at KU.
“These people represent what African-Americans did with their freedom,” Bates said. She stressed that the historical narrative often misses the contributions of Black people post-emancipation, hoping to fill that gap through the story of Nicodemus.