Ohio inventions and firsts · Achievement · 1846
Randolph freedpeople settle in Shelby and Miami counties
In 1846, 383 people freed by John Randolph of Roanoke's will traveled from Virginia to Ohio by wagon, steamboat and canal boat. Armed settlers at New Bremen stopped them from reaching land bought in Mercer County, and they scattered across Miami and Shelby counties, founding communities including Randolph Settlement.
At a glance
- Year
- 1846
- Place
- Rumley / Van Buren Township area, Shelby County ZIP 45302 · Shelby County
Why it matters
It is one of the largest group arrivals of freed people in Ohio. In 1907, 170 descendants sued for compensation and lost because the time limit had passed.
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.