The entrance welcomed me and I knew that I was in a very special place. Thankfully, it also had a campground!According to a brochure that I picked up, the town of Allensworth was established in August 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers. It was the first settlement in California founded, financed and governed by African Americans. Their dream was to develop a thriving community based on the belief in programs that allowed blacks to help themselves create better lives. By 1910 Allensworth’s success was the focus of many national newspaper articles praising the town and its inhabitants.
Born into slavery and educated illegally, Allensworth ran off and joined the Army during the Civil War. He became one of the Army's first Black chaplains and at his retirement in 1906, he was the highest ranking African American commissioned officer in the United States military.
The townsite was purchased in 1974 by the California State Parks. Some of the homes and buildings have been restored while others are reconstructions.
The Stockett House and outbuildings.
The First Baptist Church.
Each building has a sign which provides a brief history.
The prefabricated house of Colonel Allensworth, delivered by railroad and assembled in 1911.Additional photographs can be found on this page of the Allensworth Historical Park website. A biography of Colonel Allensworth can be found on Wikipedia.
1 comment:
Hello Becky,
I am glad you saw the sign for Allensworth State Historic Park and took the time to visit the park. Your pictures of the park are great.
I hope you come back to the park during one of the Friends of Allensworth special events. We host four events per year. The next event is the Old Time Jubilee on Saturday, May 15th. Docents will be on hand to give tours of the historic building. There will also be live entertainment and vendors. You can see a complete list of events for 2010 on our web site: http://www.friendsofallensworthsandiego.com/calendar.htm.
You can also sign up to receive our free newsletter on our blog: http://blogforallensworth.blogspot.com
Stephen Hill, Sr.
Friends of Allensworth
San Diego Chapter No 12
http://blogforallensworth.blogspot.com
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