A local historic landmark has received a big boost to its status nationally, and students and staff at Camden High School played a role in making it happen. The National Park Service has announced that the Florence Settlement of 1848 is one of fourteen new landmarks added to the Agency’s “National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom” Program. The announcement was made by the agency on Friday, October 25th.
The “Network to Freedom” program is a list of over 800 historical sites, facilities, and programs integral to preserving the legacy of the Underground Railroad and the many individuals who bravely escaped slavery in pursuit of freedom. Through its mission, the Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression.
“These new listings, including the first in the Pacific Northwest, illustrate coast to coast efforts of freedom seekers and their allies to secure self-determination, liberty and justice for themselves and others," National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in the agency’s release. "Their brave and tenacious pursuit of freedom from oppression reflects the foundation upon which our nation was built and serves as a reminder that our country's journey to form a more perfect union is ongoing."
The Florence Settlement, also known as the Florence Farming Association, has played a critical role in that journey. The site, located in Florence, NY, presented a groundbreaking clean slate for free Black people to create sustainable and self-sufficient economic and social mobility for themselves.
It began in 1848 with abolitionist Stephen Meyers arranging for settlers to live there on land gifted by Abolitionist leader Gerrit Smith. The settlers had the opportunity to own their own land, farm, and create a community they could call their own. Smith had established Central New York as a vital haven for freedom seekers and freedmen, particularly near his homestead in Canastota, so this was a logical step.
Archaeological study has been taking place consistently for about a decade, with teacher Jessica Harney participating from the very beginning. Harney attended a workshop at Madison-Oneida BOCES about historical research skills with current Camden Middle School librarian Jennine Bloomquist. The workshop was presented in collaboration with the Madison and Oneida County Historians, along with the New York State Archives. That multi-day event sparked what has become a long-running odyssey into the Florence site’s past.
For six of those ten years, over 150 of Camden High School’s MVCC Dual-Credit US History and New York State History students have been at the forefront of preserving and discovering the history of this important location. They have participated in immersive and eye-opening research experiences at the site, as part of a long-term study where each visit builds on the previous outings. Students also complete document-based study in the classroom before heading out into the field.
The students, and teacher Jessica Harney, work directly with real-world archaeologists and historians from organizations like Hartgen Archaeological Associates, the Stephen Meyers Residence, The Underground Railroad Education Center, and the New York State Museum to discover new evidence and develop a greater understanding of the activities that took place in Florence. The effort has discovered long-forgotten cellars, wells, and foundations that validate much of the known information about the site and its story.
As the knowledge base has grown, the recognition of the site’s significance and the research on it has escalated to match. It has been chronicled in the book “The Black Woods” by Amy Godine, featured on the Pomeroy Foundation’s Historical Marker Map, mentioned in the New York Minute In History Podcast, and included in the New York State Archives Partnership Trust educator resources.
This recognition from the National Park Service is among the highest points yet for the project.
The application process began during hybrid learning at the height of the pandemic, when the challenges of the time brought educators and students to consider new ways of hands-on learning. Two students, Haley Tanner ‘21 and Evan Youngs ‘21, were among the first to get the wheels in motion toward this important milestone.
“We were faced with one student in class and the other online only, so we got creative about how to start doing hands-on history.” Harney said. “As we moved through the curriculum, both students were interested in getting this application started. We even met with the NPS representatives to get it going.”
Tanner and Youngs contributed specific research on the front end of the application and assisted with annotated bibliographical research of the many documents that have been assembled over the years. They also worked on early biographical narratives of some of the people involved.
The effort required was extensive, and greater than one school year could encompass, but those conversations started the challenging but rewarding path to recognition. The project was escalated to the jurisdiction of the Oneida County Freedom Trail, and continued to build momentum toward its ultimate approval from the National Park Service.
Both students were acknowledged in the application for their roles in the early stages. It also helped to set Tanner on a path into the field. She is currently studying Cultural Anthropology at SUNY Cortland. She has also been part of the District’s team in the Instructional Technology department during school breaks.
As an ongoing process, history is as much about what’s happened, as it is about what is next. And that applies to the generations as well. The over 150 students who have volunteered to be part of the study have gotten a unique and in-depth experience about the value of public history, and how the contributions of citizens can make all the difference in our understanding of the story of humanity. In this chapter, a Camden student just might make the next big discovery.
