Residents of Nicodemus are trying to repopulate the historical African American community with the construction of tiny homes.
JohnElla Holmes, a Nicodemus resident and township trustee, is spearheading the effort.
Holmes’ ancestors lived in Nicodemus, and she moved back to the community in 2015 after her retirement.
Nicodemus was founded in 1877 by African Americans moving west during the Reconstruction. It is the only remaining African American settlement west of the Mississippi and is registered as a National Historic Site.
Holmes remembers as a child coming home to Nicodemus during the summer for festivals and seeing aunts, uncles and cousins. She said living in Nicodemus has meant everything to here.
“My whole life I have wanted to come back because there is so much pride in being a descendant of original settlers. I can trace my lineage back to my great-great grandparents who came to Kansas. I know the plantation they came from. Not many people know that and can say that, but I can.”
(Read more: The Salina Post)