Green Flake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green Flake |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | January 6, 1828 North Carolina, US |
| Died | October 20, 1903 (aged 75) Gray's Lake, Idaho |
| Resting place | Union Cemetery, Cottonwood Heights, Utah |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Crosby |
| Children | 2 |
Green Flake (born January 6, 1828 – died October 20, 1903) was an important African-American pioneer. He was one of the first African-American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Green Flake was also one of the first three African-Americans to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847.
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Early Life and Faith
Green Flake was born into slavery on January 6, 1828, in North Carolina. When he was ten years old, he was given to James Flake as a wedding gift. James and his wife, Agnes, later moved to Mississippi with Green and their other enslaved people.
In 1843, a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited the Flake family. The Flakes decided to join the church. Green also chose to be baptized. He was baptized in the Mississippi River on April 7, 1844, when he was 16.
Life in Nauvoo
Soon after Green's baptism, the Flake family decided to move to Nauvoo, Illinois. This was where many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lived. Before they left Mississippi, James Flake offered freedom to all his enslaved people. However, Green chose to stay with the Flake family, even though he remained enslaved.
In Nauvoo, Green was very active in the church. He helped the Flakes build their new home. He also worked on important church projects, like the Nauvoo Temple. People at the time said Green was a strong man, weighing over 200 pounds. Some stories say he even lived with Joseph Smith and was his bodyguard. However, historians now believe this probably did not happen.
Green was part of the first group of Latter-day Saints to leave Nauvoo. He also helped set up Winter Quarters in Nebraska. This was a temporary settlement for the pioneers.
Journey to the Salt Lake Valley
In 1847, Green Flake joined the first group of pioneers traveling west. This group was led by Brigham Young. James Flake sent Green with his best mules and a carriage to help the pioneer company. Green's job was to cross the plains with the first group. He was then supposed to send the mules and carriage back. Green was to stay in the West and build a home for the Flake family before they arrived.
Green Flake was assigned to a group called the "fourteenth ten" in the pioneer company. He was not the only African-American in this group. His friends, Hark Lay and Oscar Crosby, who were also enslaved, traveled with him. All three were baptized members of the church. They worked together on many tasks. They helped establish Winter Quarters and forge trails. They also helped the company travel through the Rocky Mountains. Green had a special task: he was Brigham Young's personal driver during the journey.
On July 13, 1847, Green was chosen to go with Orson Pratt to find a path into the Salt Lake Valley. This small group reached the valley on July 22, 1847. Green Flake rode in the first wagon to enter the valley through Emigration Canyon.
After reaching the valley, Green showed his gratitude by being re-baptized on August 8, 1847. He was confirmed a member of the church again by Wilford Woodruff. Green then began building a log cabin and planting crops in Cottonwood, Utah. When the Flake family arrived in Utah in 1848, their home and farm were ready. Green was only 20 years old at this time.
Freedom and Later Life
Green Flake married Martha Crosby, who was Hark Lay's sister. Martha was born in Mississippi in 1828 and came to Utah in 1848. They had two children: Lucinda Vilate, born in 1854, and Abe, born in 1857.
The exact time and way Green Flake gained his freedom are not fully clear. Some family stories say that Agnes Flake gave Green to the church as a tithing, and then church leaders freed him. However, there is no official record of this.
In 1854, a church leader wrote to Brigham Young on behalf of Agnes Flake. She asked for Green to be sent to her in California, as her husband had died. Brigham Young replied that Green was not well and was needed in Utah to care for his own family. Young freed Green soon after this. By 1860, Green, Martha, and their children were listed as free residents in the census. Slavery was officially banned in Utah in 1862.
Green Flake died in Idaho on October 20, 1903. He was buried next to his wife in the Union Cemetery in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.
Legacy
Many early African-American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found strength in their faith. They often overlooked prejudice and unfair treatment. Green Flake's descendants, like Mary Lucile Perkins Bankhead, continued to be active in the church. They remained faithful even when facing discrimination, such as the priesthood ban.
