07 Black Voices in Tompkins County: The 19th Century

Black Voices in Tompkins County: The 19th Century Written by Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen, Forward by Leslyn McBean-Clairborne Published by the Tompkins County Historical Commission © 2023 Black Voices is intended as a recovery of history ignored or over-looked. It is an attempt to highlight the lives of some Black people who came to and lived in Tompkins County and to put them into the context of their times. The narratives included come from notes and essays collected by Carol Kammen over 40 years. Meet H.H. Coleman, who recorded history, Lizzy who disappeared, George A. Johnson a Black orator; Rachel Newton and her interesting family. Hear the terrible history of Peter Wheeler and the amazing Peter Webb who bought himself from slavery. There are heroes here, a few villains, some admirable people, and some who had a raw deal. All of them are worth knowing and they broaden our view of the people and voices of our past.