Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

About

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park originated from the visionary efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, a former enslaved person, Civil War veteran, and the highest-ranking Black officer of his time. In 1908, he, along with Professor William Payne, Reverend William Peck, John W. Palmer, and Harry A. Mitchell, founded the town of Allensworth in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Their goal was to create a self-sufficient farming and ranching community where African Americans could live free from racial discrimination and control their own destiny, often referred to as the "Tuskegee of the West." By 1914, the agrarian settlement had grown to include about 300 families, boasting a school, church, bank, and various businesses. Sadly, after Colonel Allensworth's death in 1914, the town faced numerous challenges including declining water tables, poor crop yields, and a changing railroad stop, leading to its gradual decline. In the 1960s, the discovery of arsenic in the water supply further threatened the town's existence. However, due to the passionate advocacy of former residents like Cornelius "Ed" Pope and others, the "Allensworth Historic District" was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1974, the California Department of Parks and Recreation acquired land within the historic town, officially establishing Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in 1976 to preserve and interpret this unique American story.