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It is idealistic to believe that I will ever make the genealogical connection to the home land (Africa), but I will continue to dream. Like my ancestors who were enslaved in Weston, Missouri, surely they dreamed of freedom. Their dream came true. Three years of genealogical research has provided me with an understanding of the triumphs and heart aches my ancestors experienced. I would like to share with you a story of the early west and Uncle Ben Simpson. I can remember the times, when I was a small child, my mother and aunts sitting around the kitchen table telling stories about their ancestors My favorite was about Uncle Ben and the days he had a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota.
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I envisioned Ben as this tall muscular man feared by the townspeople, but friend to Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. His saloon was the watering hole for the hard riding, tough fighting colored troops ("Buffalo Soldiers") and other people of color. However, white men also frequented his establishment. As in any saloon, there were Saturday night fight, and his was no exception. My ancestor was indeed an untold story in the history of famous Deadwood, South Dakota.
My research has proven much of the story of Uncle Ben to be true. Did he know Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane? I don't know. Was he a tall muscular man? No, Ben was approximately 5' 8" with stocky build. But I did discover the people of Deadwood knew and respected him, the "Colored" Saloon Man of Deadwood, South Dakota. He was listed in the Black Hills City Directories as a saloon man and ranch man. The following is an excerpt from his Obituary printed in the Deadwood Daily Pioneer Times, dated June 9, 1916. "Ben Simpson one of the best known and one of the most highly respected colored men in the Hills, passed away at St. Joseph's hospital where he had been taken for care immediately after he had become afflicted. Deceased had lived in the Black Hills since its earliest days, and had always been one of the most progressive of men, so working and living that he gained the respect and confidence of all who knew him. During his lifetime he accumulated considerable wealth and at the time of his death owned a splendid farm and was engaged in business in the city." You may ask how Ben Simpson, born a slave in Weston, Missouri, came to live in Deadwood, South Dakota? Well that's another story! Submitted by: Patricia J Jackson a native of Los Angeles California Member of California African American Genealogy Society
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