African American history runs deep in Des Moines

November 6, 8:38 AMKansas City Cultural Travel ExaminerLysa Allman-Baldwin

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Kansas City Cultural Travel Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The State Historical Museum of Iowa
Lysa Allman-Baldwin

In terms of African American history, Iowa has served as a broad backdrop in the Black struggle.

Since the 1800s, African-Americans have lived in numerous cities across the state such as Buxton, Keokuk, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and others, creating their own communities—some by choice, others as a result of segregation--with their own places of worship, business enterprises, artistic outlets, professional organizations, social clubs and more.

Like most of the nation, Iowa was affected by the laws of slavery that were outlawed here in 1839. Over time, as increasingly more African Americans moved to the state, other civil rights movements began to take place as well, including the presence of influential white abolitionists who assisted in the efforts of the Underground Railroad, voting rights, integration of the schools and employment liberties, just to name a few.

Prominent African Americans in Iowa through the years include William Parker, Iowa’s first black judge; Dr. Phillip Hubbard, the University of Iowa’s first black professor and first black vice president; Valetta Fields, one of the first black women to attend the University of Iowa; George Boykin, the state’s first black county supervisor; Harriet Curley, Des Moines’ first black teacher; LaMetta Wynne, the first black mayor in Clinton, Iowa; George Washington Carver, a student and later educator at Iowa State University and on the legislative front, Cecil Reed and Willie Stevenson Glanton, Iowa’s first black male and female legislators, respectively.

These are just a few of the many, many African Americans that played a significant role in the development of Iowa’s cultural landscape from the 1800s until today.

Des Moines’ African American history
African American history in Des Moines runs deep as well.

The Jordan House is a lovely, 16-room Victorian mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places, named after its owner---James Jordan—one of the city’s first settlers that founded Valley Junction which is today West Des Moines.

As the oldest home in West Des Moines and one of the oldest structures in the county, it stands today as a reminder of its role in the Underground Railroad movement in the 1850s and early 1960s.

Also located in West Des Moines is the Bennett School. Although it is not clear if Blacks attended class here, it is one of the last one-room schoolhouses built in the area (in the 1920s).

Reportedly the oldest black publication west of the Mississippi, the Iowa Bystander is the city’s major black newspaper, providing a wealth of local, state and national news pertinent to the African American community.

The State Historical Museum of Iowa is a great place to explore the many facets that make up the historical, cultural, artistic and political landscape of the state.

Among the wide range of exhibits here you will find Caucus Iowa, an in-depth look at the very influential political caucus structure which begins in the state; The Delicate Balance, exploring Iowa’s natural resources; Working White House, a touring exhibit from the Smithsonian offering an historical insider’s look at this famous address through the eyes of its many servants; and You Gotta Know the Territory, exploring the period from 1838 to about 1846 when Iowa was a U.S. Territory, among others.

Many of these exhibits feature hands-on, interactive aspects tailored to visitors of all ages.

African American visitors in particular will be interested in Patten’s Neighborhood, Memories of the Center Street Community, part of the museum’s Collection Discovery exhibits.

The exhibit represents the life, work and influence of Robert E. Patten, who came to Buxton, Iowa from Georgia around 1900. A job printer and salesman, Patten eventually moved to Des Moines where he opened and ran a successful printing business for almost 40 years in the front of his home in the Center Street Neighborhood. Through it, he provided the African-American community with everything from tickets to posters of community and church events, party invitations, restaurant menus, family portraits, calendars, business cards and other printed materials.

His salesmanship also came into play while he sold products for other companies, encompassing everything from cosmetics to perfumes, food flavorings, cleaning products and hair preparations.

Patten’s Neighborhood represents not only the legacy of this entrepreneurial African American, rather also the history and culture of the Center Street community that, like other black communities across the country, met its demise because of freeway construction and urban renewal projects that cut through the neighborhood.

In our next adventure in Des Moines, well explore an historic fort, the state’s “Hall of Pride” and other interesting aspects of the city.