Despite assurances from the NM Public Information Officer that someone from Charles Young Buffalo Soldier NM would contact us to arrange a time for a tour, we never received an email confirming our proposed time. We tried calling the NM and leaving messages on the voice mail, but were never contacted. So we decided to go to the NM and see if maybe someone would be there we could talk to.
Charles Young was born in 1864 into slavery. His father escaped from the plantation and joined the Union Army. Following the end of the war and freedom for the slaves, Charles Young would go on to go to West Point and become the third Black American to graduate from West Point. It would turn out he was the last Black American to graduate from West Point until 1936. He served in the 9thand 10thbattalion Buffalo Soldiers. He commanded the 9thinfantry battalion in the Philippines during the Spanish American War and troops in the Mexican Punitive Expedition. He became the first Black Superintendent of a National Park when he command troops in protection of Sequoia and General Grant (Later Kings Canyon) National Parks. He also served as Military Attaché to the Embassy in the Haiti and Liberia. He became a professor of Military Science at Wilberforce University which is when he bought the home which is now the NM. The house was built in 1839 and is rumored to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. He was promoted to Lt Col but was forced to “medically retire” rather than be allowed to go to Europe for the First World War. It was believed that White officers would not accept him as their commander. Charles Young did not take his retirement lightly. He road his horse from Wilberforce Ohio to Washington DC (496 miles) to protest his retirement and show his medical fitness. He was later reinstated and promoted to Colonel, but not in time to command troops in WW1. He was assigned to the Embassy in Nigeria where he died in 1922. The home in Wilberforce was made a National Monument by President Obama, one of several cultural National Monument created under his administration.
We arrived at the NM a bit afternoon and there was no one around. We walked around the grounds and peaked in the windows. But all the interior shutters were closed and the doors were blocked by National Park posters. But having read more on line, we were left with the impression that there was not much in the way of exhibits inside yet. Maybe in another 4-5 years it will be worth returning to.
We decided to explore the huge Heart of Ohio antique mall almost across the highway from us. It was massive and we spent a few hours grazing the goods. Leslie found more dogs for her collection and wants to go back for more! However, we leave tomorrow. After returning to the Wanderer and having dinner, we took Etta for a nice walk around the park. The weather was warm with a nice breeze. We rounded one corner and low and behold a black cat crossed the road from the park into a cornfield directly in front of us. Time to turn around and find another route!!!! We’re pulling out tomorrow morning and don’t need to buy any trouble!
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| Entrance Sign |
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| Charles Young Home in Wilberforce |
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| Plaque |
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