![]() Many were dependent on railroads that stopped operating. Over the years, the towns struggled to survive due to several factors. Altogether, African-Americans - Land Run settlers and freedmen - created more than 50 identifiable towns and settlements between 18.īoley, the largest and most well-known of the towns, was once home to more than 4,000 residents and hosted Booker T. The African-Americans settled near each other following the Land Run, creating their own towns, Dell said. In Oklahoma Territory, African-Americans from the Old South took part in the April 22, 1889, Land Run, when more than 50,000 settlers raced to a claim a piece of the more than 2 million acres of unassigned land in “Indian Territory” that was opened to settlers. “So, when these freedmen got land, obviously they settled near each other and eventually these towns in eastern Oklahoma developed.” “They were treated just like the other members of the tribe when they allotted land to them and broke up their communal living,” O’Dell said. When they renegotiated, the slaves became freedmen and were compensated with land. ![]() During the Civil War, many of the tribes sided with the Confederacy, and their treaties with the government were ultimately annulled. Larry O’Dell with the Oklahoma Historical Society said that when the federal government relocated the the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole nations to present-day Oklahoma, the tribes brought along slaves. In addition to unique aspects of each town, visitors see and learn about the schools and churches in each of the communities, or where they once stood, and meet with the mayors, Nero said. Nero partners with a library in Tulsa to host a tour each June that draws dozens of people. Rentiesville, for example, is known for blues and still hosts an annual festival, so visitors get to see a local blues club. “Each one has their own identity and we try to focus on that,” Nero said of the 13 towns still remaining. In addition to the tours, which have attracted people as far away as Japan, Oklahoma’s all-black towns are highlighted in a new guidebook from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and will be featured in an upcoming documentary film. ![]() “We have more historically all-black towns than any other state in the United States.” “Oklahoma is unique in the way of all-black towns,” said Nero, who offers group and individual tours of the communities. Though the communities continue to fade - the populations are dwindling, schools and churches have closed and dilapidated homes and buildings are being torn down - there’s been a renewed interest in learning about the settlements and a part of Oklahoma’s history that went untold for many years. ![]() Now, the Neros are helping to drum up interest in Clearview, which had a peak population of more than 600 in the early 1900s, and other historic all-black towns in the state. After she retired from her position as a school teacher, however, Nero and her husband returned to her beloved hometown of Clearview, a community of fewer than 50 people that is one of the state’s remaining historically all-black towns. Like many people from rural Oklahoma, Shirley Nero left her small town in search of education and job opportunities.
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