Hiram Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hiram Young
Born	c. 1812 Tennessee, US
Died	January 22, 1882(1882-01-22) (aged 69–70)
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery, Independence, Missouri
Monuments	City park, street, and public art
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Era	Civil War and Oregon Trail
Known for	Wagon maker
Spouse(s)	Matilda Young

Hiram Young (born around 1812 – died January 22, 1882) was an African-American man who was born into slavery in Tennessee. He became one of the most important makers of wagons for the Oregon Trail. His business was in Independence, Missouri, which was the starting point for many pioneers heading west. He helped people traveling during the Gold Rush.

Hiram Young was known as the "only colored man in the manufacturing business" in his area. He was also called Kansas City's first "Colored Man of Means," meaning he was a successful and wealthy Black businessman.

He worked to help other enslaved people gain their freedom. He would buy enslaved people to keep families together, then pay them wages so they could buy their own freedom. Even though he lived during the American Civil War and a time of racial segregation, many white people respected him. He even helped finance or co-sign for many of their businesses.

When his business burned down twice, the community helped him rebuild. His grave is placed in a special spot among white people's graves, which was very unusual for that time. The Kansas City Star newspaper praised him years after his death, saying he "fought valiantly for freedom and respectability."

Hiram Young's Early Life

Hiram Young was born into slavery in Tennessee around 1812. Not much is known about his early life as an enslaved person. He married Matilda Huederson.

In the 1840s, he lived in Independence, Missouri. His owner, Judge Sawyer, was easygoing and allowed Young to earn wages for extra work. Young used this money to buy his freedom. Judge Sawyer asked for about $2,500, with a down payment of $1,200. Young then "gave a mortgage on himself for $1,300," meaning he promised to pay the rest later.

He also bought his wife Matilda's freedom for about $800. This likely happened before he bought his own freedom. At that time, if one parent was free and the other was enslaved, their children would inherit the mother's status.

Building a New Life

After gaining his freedom, Hiram Young, Matilda, and their daughter Amanda Jane (born in 1849) moved to Independence, Missouri, around 1850.

Hiram and Matilda became important members of their community. In 1866, they helped start the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Independence. Young gave a lot of money to help build the new church, which is still open today. He also helped raise money and open the first school for African-American children in Independence. This school was first named after the famous activist Frederick Douglass.

A Successful Business Owner

In 1850, official records listed Young as a skilled worker, but without much property. However, by 1851, he had started his own business. He made yokes (wooden frames for oxen) and wagons, especially large freight wagons used to carry government goods across the plains. He was known as a very skilled woodworker who could make anything from an axe handle to a wagon.

Young also owned a home and a farm. He extended his path to freedom to others by allowing the enslaved people on his farm to work for wages. They could keep these wages to buy their own freedom.

By 1860, Hiram Young's business was huge. He was making thousands of ox yokes and 800 to 900 wagons every year. He employed about 50 to 60 men at his shop and on his 480-acre farm. His shop used a four-horsepower steam engine, which was very advanced for the time. It also had seven forges working constantly. His business had an inventory worth over $50,000.

Young's business continued to do well even during the border wars between Kansas and Missouri, when many other businesses failed.

Challenges and Rebuilding

The start of the American Civil War made life dangerous for Young's family. His property was looted by soldiers. In 1862 or 1863, his family moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. There, he restarted his business and also offered a service to help travelers get their supplies quickly. His goods were sold all over, from Texas to British Columbia.

After the Civil War, in 1868, Young and his family returned to Independence. He reopened his business, but trains were becoming more popular for westward travel, so wagons were not as needed. He changed his business to a planing mill, which processes wood.

On April 22, 1873, a second fire destroyed his business. The damages cost about $6,000, but his insurance only covered $2,500. The community helped him by raising money to buy a new engine for his factory. The St. Joseph Daily Gazette praised this community support. In 1877, the Kansas City Journal of Commerce called him the "only colored man in the manufacturing business."

In 1879, Young sued the United States government for damages to his property during the war. He asked for about $22,100. This lawsuit continued even after his death but was eventually dismissed in 1907.

By 1880, his mill had a twelve-horsepower engine, and his yearly payroll was over $60,000. However, he never reached the same level of success as his wagon business before the war. A study in 1973 found that he had been "56 times more wealthy than the average citizen of the county" in his prime.

Hiram Young's Legacy

Hiram Young passed away on January 22, 1882. He was not rich in cash at the time, but his estate was still worth about $50,000. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.

After his death, his wife Matilda started a new lawsuit for government payments for their war losses. She hoped the money would go to their daughter, Amanda Jane.

In 1908, 26 years after his death, the Kansas City Star wrote a long tribute to Hiram Young. They said he "fought valiantly for freedom and respectability." They also noted that his gravestone was in a special spot among white people's graves, which was very unusual and showed how much he was respected by everyone.

The school he helped found in Independence was renamed the Hiram Young School after his death. In 2004, the school raised money for renovations to become a community center.

In 1987, the city of Independence renamed Lexington Park to Hiram Young Park to honor him. The park has a large wooden wagon wheel sculpture and a stone with a plaque dedicated to Young. A street next to the park was also renamed Hiram Young Lane. His story is also featured in art in McCoy Park and Minor Park in Kansas City.

In 2016, The Telegraph newspaper celebrated Black History Month with an article about him, calling him "Kansas City's First 'Colored Man of Means'." The Santa Fe Trail Association said that his life showed the "rich and vital ethnic diversity" that made the American West a place of new possibilities in the 19th century.

Images for kids

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  50-foot wagon wheel sculpture in Hiram Young Park, along Hiram Young Lane