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The “Help” from Hampton: In Service at the Pownalborough Court House 1872-1892
February 13 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm EST
LCHA is proud to present:
The “Help” from Hampton: In service at the Pownalborough Court House 1872-1892
Thursday, February 13, 5:30 pm, free online with speaker James Tanzer,
Free Online Lecture, preregistration required, CLICK HERE to register
A $5 suggested donation helps LCHA cover costs with our free lecture series. All donations are gratefully appreciated, but no donations are required! Click here to donate online.
For 20 years, from 1872-1892, an aging Sallie and Captain Sam Goodwin, owners of the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, Maine, relied heavily on the housekeeping and farm labor of four young Black workers from Hampton, Virginia: Katy Brown, Randall O. Johnson, Martha Jones, and her brother Joseph Henry Jones.
For the first time, through an examination of letters between the extended Goodwin, Canby, Johnson, and Marshall family members, and letters written by Katy, Randall, Martha, and Joseph Henry themselves, we are able to piece together the fascinating stories of these young Black people, and illuminate their lives both in Maine and in Virginia during the Reconstruction era and beyond.
James Tanzer is the Special Collections Research Services Librarian at Bowdoin College, and the Vice President of Lincoln County Historical Association. He holds a BA in history and an MA in medieval history.