Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky at the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the "Promised Land" of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the homesteading movement across the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Interviews with descendants from the community.
The five historic buildings were declared a unit of the National Park System on November 12, 1996.
Watch our Park Documentary from 1993
The oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Be a Junior Ranger at Nicodemus National Historic Site
From the beginning of Nicodemus photos, film and other documents were preserved for future generations.
Last updated: September 30, 2024
