This is the second installment of a two-part series about state attempts to make apologies and the mapping of land that was denied to the Randolph Freedpeople. The first section is available here.
CHICKASAW As she trudged down a snowy street in Chickasaw, Ohio, Paisha Thomas remarked, “This could have been my neighborhood.” That enrages me.
About six miles west of the center of New Bremen, the Miami and Erie Canal terminus, is the village of Mercer County. Nearly 180 years ago, a white mob drove Thomas’s ancestors from their land.
A group of about 400 men and women known as the Randolph Freedpeople were freed from slavery by the will of their former owner. Although John Randolph was a well-known landowner and politician in Virginia, emancipated slaves were not allowed to stay in the state according to state rules. In addition to releasing his slaves, Randolph’s will left money for William Leigh, his executor, to buy land on their behalf.
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Western Ohio drew Leigh in. A $200 bond must be posted by employers to prevent a Black employee from becoming a public charge, according to the state’s strict Black rules, but these laws were hardly ever implemented. Leigh instead saw a rural, poorly inhabited area near New Bremen that was home to a small but vibrant Black community known as Carthagena.
When the freedpeople arrived, white men brandishing muskets drove them away and even marched along the canal until they reached the county border. Leigh had purchased about 3,200 acres for them.
Although they finally made their homes in a number of places, including as Rossville outside of Piqua, the Randolph Freedpeople were never successful in having the land bought for them. Many found employment as workers or domestic services rather than homesteading. A group of descendants petitioned Ohio courts to return their land in the early 1900s, but the statute of limitations caused the case to be dismissed.
The precise location of the properties was not commonly known until a group of Miami University students took on the tale as a class assignment, even though the deeds for that land remained. They initially created a map of the Randolph parcels, which included 3,140 of the total acres acquired, towards the end of last year.
However, even while it gives the loss a more concrete form, the issue of how to make amends remains very much open. A state senator wants Ohio to formally apologize and acknowledge the mob event.
However, the local lawmaker appears more likely to abandon it than to stay. In the meantime, Thomas and other descendants want much more than an apology; they want to be compensated for what was lost.
Approximately 200 pieces of property, located west and south of Grand Lake St. Marys, are now part of the Randolph Freedpeople’s land. Although there are a few commercial or industrial portions and a few of residential parcels in the northeast corner of what is now Chickasaw, almost all of it is still used for agriculture.
The irony of the street names that appeared on a piece of property intended for the Randolph Freedpeople—Liberty Street, which curved smoothly into Virginia Street—made Thomas laugh. It’s a small community of ranch-style homes from the 1970s with wide front lawns and no gates; the houses are lovely but not ostentatious. She talked about how her family was dispersed over Piqua when she was growing up.
According to Thomas, this may have been a neighborhood of people shouting and going across the yard. That is annoying.
The big grain silos a few hundred yards from the street really caught her attention.
I felt like I asked for it because I came here, but as we turned the corner and saw the farm and the grain storage next to a residential house, it was like there was no questioning or rejecting it anymore. Since it’s for someone else, there is concrete proof of what might be.
Thomas considers what was lost in terms of generations. According to her, the Randolph Freedpeople lost out on about two centuries’ worth of revenue that could have been generated by farms, in addition to the approximately five square miles of land that has increased in value over time.
She wants the state to try, even though it’s probably hard to place a monetary value on that.
To campaign for descendants and increase awareness, Thomas founded the nonprofit organization Land of the Freed. In Rossville, a community west of Piqua where several Randolph Freedpeople families settled after being turned away in Mercer County, the group has taken the lead in restoring African Jackson Cemetery.
In Ohio, hundreds of freed slaves were refused land by a white mob; a congressman seeks to make amends.
Butch Hamilton, a member of the Land of the Freed board, grew up with Thomas. He’s taking a long perspective, just like Thomas.
How much money has Paisha’s family lost since they are unable to claim and settle on the land? He stated, “That’s the idea that comes to mind.” The second thing that comes to mind is, “Well, what will be done to make the whole situation right?”
Sherri Hamilton, his wife, who also sits on the board, admitted that the task appeared to be impossible.
According to her, there is most likely no way to return what was taken so many centuries later. However, something must be done.
According to the Miami University analysis, the Randolph plots are currently valued at almost $14 million. However, that is probably far less than what the land would sell for on the free market because a large portion of the acreage is valued for its agricultural purpose. The land that the students identified would be worth around $4,500 per acre at $14 million. A few recent agricultural land sales in Mercer County that are posted on Zillow range from $16,500 to $21,600 per acre, although an Ohio State University survey estimated that agricultural land in the Western part of Ohio was more like $11,500 per acre.
Butch Hamilton maintained that despite the complexity of the value dilemma, it cannot be avoided.
“We keep saying we need to do something,” he remarked. The family must receive financial compensation as the necessary action. There must be a payoff, after all.
Whatever term you choose, reparations are a political third rail, especially among Republicans. According to the reasoning, compensating descendants benefits those who were not directly hurt by taking from those who did nothing wrong.
Nevertheless, there are noteworthy historical examples. President Ronald Reagan approved payments to Japanese Americans who had been detained during World War II in the 1980s. A $2.1 million proposal to pay residents of Rosewood, a Black village destroyed by a white mob in 1923, was adopted by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles in the 1990s.
State Representative Donatvius Jarrells, a Democrat from Columbus, must consider votes, whereas Thomas and the Hamiltons are considering generations. His long-term goals are almost as lofty, but he is aware of what is and isn’t feasible in a Republican-controlled General Assembly.
He would like to start by formally apologizing for the Randolph Freedpeople’s ordeal. Jarrells anticipates presenting the plan during Black History Month in February.
Since many of his coworkers are unaware of what happened, he explained, “I think that resolution is kind of the first step.”
As a result, it allows us to first establish a baseline of information about what occurred to these Ohioans throughout our chamber and then facilitates discussions about what we can do.
According to Jarrells, Thomas and the Hamiltons have a point when it comes to money, and he suggested that the state may make restitution to the descendants of Randolph Freedpeople by creating a museum or a scholarship fund. According to Jarrells, a lot of the hardships he has heard from descendants can be linked to this one instance in which they had the opportunity to accumulate riches before it was taken away from them.
However, Jarrells might have trouble just getting the General Assembly to adopt a resolution of apology.
Together with state representative Angie King, R-Celina, whose district includes all of Mercer County, he want to co-sponsor the bill. However, King claimed she had no idea what Jarrells was working on following a recent session. King would not respond to inquiries about what the state should do at this point, while claiming to be familiar with the Randolph Freedpeople story.
“That’s what I said,” she said. We digitized the records, so I am familiar with it as a county recorder.
King’s office received a follow-up email from the Ohio Capital Journal asking for more information. She didn’t respond.
The Riley House Museum in Celina, Ohio, is home to the Mercer County Historical Society. The organization’s collection includes a small mountain of documents pertaining to the Randolph Freedpeople. However, museum director Cait Clark admits that the event is mostly forgotten, even in Mercer County.
The general public, she said, “probably doesn’t know, and they definitely should.”
Clark is careful to point out that it is not within her authority to decide how public officials should make atonement. She countered that if there is nothing that can be done to directly correct the past, then the least you can do for these people is to acknowledge what happened, citing the expulsion of Native Americans from their territory as an example. Recognize it, if nothing else.
“If it were my family, I would definitely want acknowledgement and some form of compensation, as this was highly disruptive to a group of people,” Clark said, expressing worries about the likelihood of rewarding descendants in the current political context.
Clark focused on educating people through articles, public displays, or historical markers when discussing what her organization may accomplish.
“How far we get will determine how big or small our role is in it,” she remarked.
In the meantime, an apologies resolution doesn’t exactly impress Thomas and the Hamiltons.
According to Butch Hamilton, that is an illustration of crumbs. And that is no longer acceptable in this day and age.
Even though it’s a first step, he maintained that more actions must be taken quickly because this matter has been pending since 1846.
Some people will probably view any action taken by the state as a misguided response to a historical wrong, whether it takes the form of direct payments to descendants or something more dispersed like a scholarship program. Sherri Hamilton recognized that when reparations are brought up, people become cautious. However, she maintained that this is not a justification for ignoring wrongdoing.
Don’t forget about the African American experience. “Get rid of the Blackness,” she said. Simply state that these are people whose land was taken. What would be done for them now, if they were the German immigrants that came to New Bremen? Then that’s the solution.
Follow Xoron Bluesky, a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.