In short, the town of Allensworth, CA was born out of the determination, courage and hope of a community of former slaves. It was a dream that became a reality and a beautiful testimony of the faith and drive that comes from the belief that anything can be done.
Colonel Allensworth began his life as a slave. He was punished for learning to read. Served in the military twice and eventually went on to college and earned enough to purchase land to build a town after he purchased his own freedom. He did this with the help of two other friends who had purchased their own freedom and the dream of a town built and governed completely by african americans became a reality.
Their primary emphasis, besides governing themselves, was to create a school that would educate all of their children. The first small building that served as the school was the center of the town and the later larger building continued to be the force that drove this town's growth. They grew over the years and Col. Allensworth travelled to recruit more families to join the effort. Unfortunately, the changing times of the railroad and struggles with water supply eventually caused the town to slow and most community members moved away. Yet, it is still a great story of a group of people rising above their foes in triumph. We found it a stark contrast to the impression we left the desert with in our reflections of the Navajo Nation.
As we visited the outside of the buildings and read the histories, a park ranger arrived and opened the house of Col. Allensworth for us to tour. We always love a trip back in time.
Hey, here's the link to their website if you want to learn more. I definitely recommend checking it out for any who are looking to enhance their study of american history. http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=583
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