Highland County District Library and AAARC present Black History Month program

The 2016 Black History Month program was held Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Highland County District Library in Hillsboro.

Each February, the Highland County District Library and the African American Awareness Research Council present a Black History Month program to honor the lifetime achievements of a Highland County individual or to highlight an aspect of this local community's history.

This year’s Black History Month program honored George H. Ford, for his accomplishments in the field of education, and Augustus West, who moved to Ohio in 1837 and was eventually able to purchase his own farm in Fayette County.

Guest speaker and Greenfield native Joyce Saulsbery-Dennis presented the fascinating life of Augustus West. She is a 30-year member of the Rhema Christian Center, where she is a teacher. She became a licensed minister in 2011. An avid genealogist and family historian, she has been researching the families of Augustus West for more than 35 years.

As recorded on the Augustus West Ohio Historical Marker, Mr. West was born in Madison County, Va. on March 20, 1814, and moved to Ohio in 1837. Legend has it that he was a runaway slave and worked as a farm laborer before designing a scheme to purchase his own farm. Mr. West, with abolitionist Alexander Beatty, traveled into slave territory no fewer than three times where the pair would sell West, help him escape, and split the profits. After splitting the profits, West used his portion of the money to purchase 177 acres of land in Fayette County where he built his "mansion." To remain inconspicuous and secure, West built the "mansion" as far from the main road as possible.

Access to the "mansion" came by way of a road, later known as "Abolition Lane." Homes owned by other abolitionists, both black and white, were located along the lane and these residents were active on the Underground Railroad. To help integrate the newly emancipated slaves into society following the Civil War, West provided a place for them to live. A series of cabins was built on his farm near the "mansion," forming the first free-standing African American community in Fayette County. Further down the road, local residents built a schoolhouse on a hilltop.

After a welcoming by Librarian Jennifer West, African American Awareness Research Council President and emcee Charles Harris introduced AAARC board members and guests.

In closing ceremonies, Barbara Cole led the guests in the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."