Nicodemus National Historic Site

Nicodemus National Historic Site Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the homesteading movement across the Great Plains. Please be considerate of other’s opinions.

It is the oldest remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River. Welcome to the official page of Nicodemus National Historic Site. We hope this will be a place where people feel comfortable sharing information and experiences about Nicodemus National Historic Site with one another. While this is an open forum, it is also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments and wa

ll posts clean. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here, as well as Facebook’s terms and policies. Be aware that if you do not comply, your message will be removed.

-We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit, or racist comments or submissions, nor do we allow comments that are abusive, threatening, hateful, or intended to defame or violate the privacy of anyone or any organization.

-Comments including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, residential addresses, or similar information will be removed.

-We do not allow comments that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.

-We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency. People who continue to post such content and/or links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page.

-We do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency. Such posts and/or links are subject to deletion.

-We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.

-You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username, and any information provided.

-Posting of external links on this site that are intended as advertising (or to drive traffic to websites unrelated to Nicodemus National Historic Site), or do not contribute to dialog and discussions about Nicodemus may be deleted. Messages intended to disrupt the functioning of the page may be deleted. People who continue to post such links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. External links do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. National Park Service or the U.S. Department of Interior.

In the lead up to the annual Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration, we are featuring the stories of Nicodemus de...
06/22/2026

In the lead up to the annual Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration, we are featuring the stories of Nicodemus descendants from oral history interviews.

This week on the Descendant Spotlight Series we’re featuring Florence Howard (1930-2022).

Florence was born about a mile and a half west of Nicodemus and was the 4th of 6 children of Nathaniel Moore and Sarah Griffie. She married David Howard October 28th, 1950, and the couple settled in Oakley, KS with a few thousand acres. In her 1998 oral history interview, Florence not only talked about Nicodemus, farming, and her family, but also relayed some of the harrowing stories told to her by her grandmother who endured slavery.

“‘You didn't have to go through nothing like Grandma went through,’ you know. And, uh, it was just sad. And she would show me bruises... that she went to her grave with—where she was beaten, you know.”

The Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration is hosted by the Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration LLC and will be on July 30th - August 2nd this year.

It's the last month to see the travelling exhibit in Nicodemus! We've enjoyed having the exhibit "Declaration 250: The B...
06/20/2026

It's the last month to see the travelling exhibit in Nicodemus!

We've enjoyed having the exhibit "Declaration 250: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy" on display at the Nicodemus Township Hall, but after July 13th, it will move to the Hays Public Library.

This exhibit was created by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and is presented in Kansas by Humanities Kansas. If you're interested in learning about the impact of the American Declaration of Independence on democracy around the world, be sure to visit us by July 13th!

#250

Event Tomorrow!Remember that tomorrow, June 19th, we are hosting some family friendly events to celebrate Juneteenth!At ...
06/18/2026

Event Tomorrow!

Remember that tomorrow, June 19th, we are hosting some family friendly events to celebrate Juneteenth!

At 2:00 PM, join Ranger Dan for a coloring activity and story time as he reads the children's book "Juneteenth for Mazie."

At 2:30 PM, Nicodemus's Angela Bates will present on the history of Juneteenth and the holiday's connections with the annual Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration. Angela Bates founded the Nicodemus Historical Society in 1988 and was instrumental in the establishment of Nicodemus National Historic Site in 1996.

These events will be in person at the Nicodemus Township Hall.

We hope to see you there!

"The Nicodemus colony almost unanimously make final proof on their claims next Wednesday the 25th Inst. For six long yea...
06/15/2026

"The Nicodemus colony almost unanimously make final proof on their claims next Wednesday the 25th Inst. For six long years they have held to their claims, and will secure a title to their land."

- The Hill City Reveille, March 20, 1885

Many early Nicodemus settlers eagerly claimed up to 160 acres of land through the Homestead Act of 1862. Locating in the countryside surrounding Nicodemus, these homesteaders set to work meeting the guidelines to eventually "prove up" and own their homestead claims.

The nearest land office to file for and prove up on these claims was in Kirwin, Kansas, about 33 miles northeast of Nicodemus. Today, the drive to Kirwin is about 45 minutes. Before cars, walking or riding on horse to Kirwin would be an almost two-day trip.

Many homesteaders travelled in groups to the land office. Proving up on a homestead required having two witnesses testify for the homestead claimant. By traveling in groups, claimants could all testify for each other and fill out the final proof for their own homesteads at the same time.

On May 27th, The Hill City Reveille reported that 35 Nicodemus residents successfully made final proof on their homestead claims on the 25th. Their homesteads became part of the over 18,000 acres of land owned by Black Americans in Graham County, Kansas.



Photo: Yellow and brown train depot in Kirwin, Kansas.

We're celebrating Juneteenth again this year at Nicodemus National Historic Site!On Friday, June 19th, we are hosting so...
06/11/2026

We're celebrating Juneteenth again this year at Nicodemus National Historic Site!

On Friday, June 19th, we are hosting some family friendly events to celebrate Juneteenth.

At 2:00 PM, join Ranger Dan for a coloring activity and story time as he reads the children's book "Juneteenth for Mazie."

At 2:30 PM, Nicodemus's Angela Bates will present on the history of Juneteenth and the holiday's connections with the annual Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration. Angela Bates founded the Nicodemus Historical Society in 1988 and was instrumental in the establishment of Nicodemus National Historic Site in 1996.

These events will be in person at the Nicodemus Township Hall.

We hope to see you there!

CANCELLED: Due to technical issues, our video system in the Nicodemus Township Hall & Visitor Center is down until furth...
05/21/2026

CANCELLED: Due to technical issues, our video system in the Nicodemus Township Hall & Visitor Center is down until further notice. The showings of the "Ellis Trail to Nicodemus" documentary on May 23 and 24 are cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience!

Visitors are still invited to enjoy the wonderful exhibits on display at Nicodemus National Historic Site, including the temporary "Declaration at 250" exhibit presented by Humanities Kansas.

[UPDATE: This program has been cancelled due to technical issues.] In 1877, Nicodemus settlers disembarked from the trai...
05/21/2026

[UPDATE: This program has been cancelled due to technical issues.] In 1877, Nicodemus settlers disembarked from the train in Ellis, KS. They then rode in wagons and hiked through the prairie to get to the town site that would become Nicodemus. A few years ago, Nicodemus Historical Society coordinated descendants and filmmakers to recreate this arduous trek in a documentary.

This Memorial Day weekend, Nicodemus National Historic Site will be showing the Ellis Trail documentary detailing this incredible journey on Saturday May 23rd and Sunday May 24th at 10am, 1pm, 3pm.

Be sure to come on down and check it out!

Did you know? The inspiration for naming Nicodemus came from the popular folk song "Wake Nicodemus!" published in 1864 b...
05/18/2026

Did you know?

The inspiration for naming Nicodemus came from the popular folk song "Wake Nicodemus!" published in 1864 by Henry Clay Work.

Telling the story of an enslaved man named Nicodemus who predicted emancipation, the song has a hopeful tone and would have been familiar to formerly enslaved African Americans like the early settlers of Nicodemus. Some of the song lyrics were used in an 1877 broadside advertising the town.

Want to learn more? Check out our new article on "Wake Nicodemus!": https://www.nps.gov/articles/wake-nicodemus.htm

As the school year comes to an end, we thank all our participating schools and partners for being a part of our annual 4...
05/16/2026

As the school year comes to an end, we thank all our participating schools and partners for being a part of our annual 4th Grade Days!

Over the past couple of weeks, Nicodemus National Historic Site hosted 247 4th grade students from 9 different schools in western Kansas. It was a great time learning about the history of Nicodemus through different activities.

Students also got their Every Kid Outdoors pass, a pass that allows U.S. 4th graders and family members free access to over 2,000 federal land and water locations across the country.

If you have a 4th grader and would like a pass, visit the Every Kid Outdoors website, where your student can complete the activity and print a pass voucher
https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm

Address

304 Washington Avenue
Nicodemus, KS
67625

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17858394233

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nicodemus National Historic Site posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Nicodemus National Historic Site:

Shortcuts

Share

Category