Segregation, Intolerance, and Integration

rederick Douglass, Cumberland's Emancipation Celebration

The following article appeared in the September 24, 1879 edition of the Washington Post. It was forwarded to me by the Allegany Museum. The fairgrounds reference were at that time located in South Cumberland:

"On this day, September 23 1879, Marshal Frederick Douglass arrived by express train at Cumberland’s Queen City hotel. Douglass was to lecture for the Emancipation celebration.

Black soldiers buried separately at Antietam
Officials seek information

SHARPSBURG (AP) — Eight black soldiers who served in the two World Wars are buried in the back corner of the Antietam National Cemetery, separated from their white contemporaries because of segregation.

A few names are barely legible on the weathered headstones: Pfc. Howard S. Puller of West Virginia; Sgt. Littleton Goens of Maryland; Lee I. Lavender, a cook.

Police officer mortally wounded in Shantytown

City lawman breaks up brawl, manages to place suspect under arrest after being shot

James Rada
Cumberland Times-News

There's no harm in a drink once in a while or so the saying goes, but those harmless little drinks once cost two men their lives, nearly ruined a hospital, nearly killed one man and got another man beaten up.

Not that unusual for an evening in Shantytown.

A living tribute
Originally published October 03, 2007

By Nancy Hernandez
News-Post Staff

Nearly a year ago, Lord Nickens stood in front of the William O. Lee Memorial Bridge and called on Frederick to recognize the contributions of black residents.
"I want to see many, many blacks honored on something other than a bridge," he said.

At the time, he didn't know he would become the first black resident to have a street named after him.

The following is excerpted from a newspaper article entitled, “The Railroad Lost Money” appearing in the August 6, 1904 edition of the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. It describes a picnic and reunion traveled to and attended by numerous “colored people” that was held in Frostburg, Maryland on July 26, 1904 by the Knights of Pythias of Cumberland and Frostburg There were also a large number of Afro-Americans” from Keyser, West Virginia and Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. The newspaper reports: