Sylvia Stark facts for kids

Sylvia Estes Stark (born 1839, died 1944) was an important African-American pioneer. She lived on Salt Spring Island in Canada. Sylvia was one of about 600 African Americans who moved to the new Colony of British Columbia.

Sylvia's Early Life

Sylvia Estes was born in 1839 in Clay County, Missouri. She was born into slavery, which meant she was not free. Sylvia was the youngest of three children of Hannah and Howard Estes. Her father, Howard, had lived separately from the family for a long time.

In 1852, Howard Estes bought his family's freedom from slavery. He paid $4,000, which was a huge amount of money back then. After gaining their freedom, the family moved to California.

Moving to British Columbia

In California, Sylvia's family faced many challenges. It was hard for them to get an education and find good opportunities. Because of these difficulties, they decided to look for a new home.

They joined a group of people who wanted to move to a new place. This group sent representatives to talk with Governor James Douglas. He was the leader of the Colony of British Columbia. Governor Douglas was of Creole descent, meaning he had mixed European and African ancestry.

Life in Canada

In 1855, when Sylvia was 16, she married Louis Stark. Louis was a farmer and was 10 years older than her. In 1858, Sylvia and Louis moved to Canada. They traveled by ship with about 600 other African Americans.

They were moving because of unfair laws in the United States. These laws included the Fugitive Slave Act and the Dred Scott v. Sandford court decision. These laws made life very difficult and unsafe for African Americans.

Settling on Salt Spring Island

In 1860, Sylvia, Louis, and their two young children, Emma Arabella and Willis Otis, traveled by boat. They settled on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. They brought 50 cattle and horses with them.

The family worked hard to clear the land. They built a home and planted an orchard. Over the next 15 years, Sylvia and Louis had four more children on Salt Spring Island: John Edmond, Abraham Lincoln, Hannah Serena, and Marie Albertina.

They survived the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic, a very serious illness that affected many people. The family moved twice over the years due to difficult situations with local people.

Returning to the Farm

In 1875, the Stark family moved to Cedar, British Columbia, near Nanaimo. However, Sylvia missed Salt Spring Island very much. In 1885, she decided to return to the farm. She went back with her son Willis and her father, Howard, who was now a widower.

Sylvia spent the rest of her life on Salt Spring Island. She ran the farm in Fruitvale with her son Willis. Sylvia Estes Stark passed away on Salt Spring Island in 1944. She was 106 years old. She was buried next to her father at Pioneer Cemetery in Ganges, Salt Spring Island.