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Champaign County African American History Committee |
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Copyright © 1998 All rights reserved. |
Courtesy of:
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| SPRING 1995
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The rich heritage and tradition of Champaign County Blacks expands beyond the boundaries of Champaign and Urbana. As far back as the postbellum period (after the Civil War), Blacks have been a significant part of Champaign County's development. An example of a Black family achieving high status before the 1900s is Broadland's Smith family. More than one hundred years ago, George Smith, an escaped slave from Tennessee, migrated to central Illinois to become one of the first Black landowners in the state. Starting with the purchase of eighty acres in 1876, Smith increased his land holdings to four- hundred-thirty-seven acres by the early 1900s. The amount and value of the Smith land continued to grow throughout the early 1900s. After his death, his youngest son, John Smith, took over the farm and increased the land holdings to approximately six hundred acres. John Smith maintained the farm for forty years before retiring and passing it on to his son Charles in the 1950s. Charles managed the farm until his death in 1968. Despite the farm's activity declining after the death of Charles, the last remaining ancestors of George Smith decided to keep the property in the family. The family is not only committed to keeping the farm, but also sharing the accomplishments of their history with young people in hopes of keeping George Smith's tremendous achievements alive. |
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