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| Photo courtesy of Sharon Chambers |
By Diana Vice, Regent, General de Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
The history of the Chambers family in Tippecanoe County is a bit out of the ordinary for African Americans during the Civil War era. Several members of the Chambers family were raised in a quiet Quaker community known as Farmers Institute in southwestern Tippecanoe County near Shadeland, Indiana. Buddell and Betsy Sleeper, Quakers, were conductors and stationmasters on the Underground Railroad. They transported and provided a safe-haven in their home for traveling freedom-seekers.
How the Chambers family came from Kentucky to live in an all-white religious community has been the subject of speculation throughout the years. One might conclude that it was due to the friendly atmosphere that existed between Quakers and the African American community. The Sleeper family had many abolitionist connections throughout the Midwest.
One of the most notorious slave traders, Pierce Griffiths, lived in Shelby County, Kentucky. In 1800 there were about 40,000 slaves in Kentucky. By 1820 there were a staggering 126,733 slaves in the state. According to historical accounts, Shelby County's slave population grew from 36% to 41% from 1840 to 1860. Prior to moving to Indiana, the Chambers family lived within the confines of this horrific reality.
Black folks living in Shelby County could not even count on their pro-Union neighbors for support since many Kentucky Unionists did not object to slavery. Some of them even resented the formation of the "U.S. Colored Troops." Due to the hostility and oppression that surrounded them, slaves from Shelby County poured into recruitment centers at the announcement of the formation of the United States Negro troops.
Many anti-slavery activists had already fled north years before the start of the Civil War, leaving little hope for slaves in the area. There were, however, several Manumission societies with one active group in Shelby County. Manumission societies were started by Quakers in North Carolina. These missions eventually spread to Tennessee and Kentucky. The objective was for Quakers to purchase slaves and then set them free. Many of the freed slaves were taken to Indiana by Quakers where they were given opportunities to start new lives among other Quaker families.
It is entirely possible that the Chambers family were helped by Quakers who operated one of the Manumissions in their county. By the time Ann Chambers and her family moved to Indiana, there was no need for Quakers to purchase them as slaves, but the need for safety was a pressing one. The Quaker network throughout the Midwest was well-established. The fact that the Chambers settled near the Farmers Institute is a good indication that they were directed there by other Quakers.
Reflections from a Slave Descendant
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| Farmers Institute |
In 1984 Jack Alkire, a Journal and Courier columnist, interviewed George Chambers (pictured above), a descendant of Ann Chambers, who reflected on his life in the Quaker community.
"I have pleasant memories growing up in that neighborhood," said George, who recalled living and working on farms in the area before moving to Lafayette in 1929. "It was a nice place to grow up whether you were black or white." George also said that he would drive through the area from time-to-time to reflect on the good times he had growing up there.
Ann Chambers' dream of a better life for her children and grandchildren had been realized.
A report entitled, "A History of Farmers Institute Monthly Meeting of Friends and Its Community," written by Nellie Taylor Raub in 1951, gives a further glimpse into the lives of the Chambers' family.
"No one is left to explain why they chose this community when they decided to move north. They did not come by way of the Station of the Underground Railroad for they arrived after the Civil War. They may have come to Farmers Institute because they knew it to be a Quaker stronghold and expected Friendly treatment."
Ann (Wilson) Chambers, a widow from Shelby County, Kentucky, made her way to the Quaker community in 1868 with her father, George Wilson, and six children: Ben, George, Jr., Frank, Robert, Harriett, and Julia Chambers. The former slaves were free to pursue their dreams and enjoy the fruits of their own labors.
Raub gives a glimpse of those early years on the farm. "Ann was a good, religious, hard-working woman. There are those still living who can remember her singing of Negro Spirituals. Her son, Ben, (a powerfully built man) inherited his mother's love of music. He was ingenious, too. He wished to play two instruments at the same time. He went to the blacksmith's shop near his home and bent a small iron rod so that it would rest around his neck and hold a harmonica in front of his lips. In this way, he was enabled to play a tune on the harp and accompany it by strumming on a banjo or guitar, suspended by a strap across his shoulders. The neighbors often heard his sweet music as he played after dark, strolling home from work."
Ann's daughter, Harriett, known as "Hattie," died in 1932 at the age of 81. An October 29, 1932 newspaper obituary notice confirmed that Hattie had been born into slavery. The report stated that she was "one of the few negroes left who was born into slavery." The report confirmed that "she came to this part of the country soon after the close of the Civil War."
Bob and Mollie Raise a Family
Raub's report also stated that Ann's son, Robert, began work for Jonathan Baugh at the age of 12. "He joined the Friends Church, where it seems he should still be sitting in his favorite place--a seat near a window on the men's side (west). He was married to Mollie Clay in 1884, and four children were born to them: Courtney, Frank, Lester, and Mayfair," reported Raub.
Robert didn't just work the farm; he eventually managed it. Frank and Courtney helped work the farm during their teenage years. It was a sad day for the family on April 22, 1916, when Bob and Mollie's oldest son, Courtney, died of Tuberculosis at the young age of 21. Courtney was laid to rest in the Farmers Institute Cemetery.
Mollie Chambers became ill during the summer of 1928. She spent ten days at St. Elizabeth Hospital prior to her death on July 30, 1928. The cause of death was listed as rheumatism of the heart. She was buried in Farmers Institute Cemetery.
After Mollie's death, Bob retired from farming; however, he continued to live in the Quaker community. Census records from 1930 indicate that he was employed by Henry and Elizabeth Anderson as a house servant in Union Township near Farmers Institute where he worshipped as a member of the church.
"He spent the last three years of his life at the home of his daughter, Mayfair C Sowell, in Hinsdale, Illinois. He lived to be nearly 100 years old and kept a clear mind to the last, falling peacefully asleep February 18, 1949," according to Raub.
The Legacy of Ann Chambers
The legacy of Ann Chambers left an indelible mark on society. Well-respected in the Quaker community, Ann's Christian faith guided her through the trials of life. She taught her children the value of hard work. Ann accomplished the mission of providing a better life for her children and grandchildren. The legacy of Ann Chambers is worth remembering.
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| General de Lafayette DAR Chapter Erected Marker at Buddell Sleeper House |
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