Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

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Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans. The small farming community was founded in 1908 by Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth and a group of others dedicated to improving the economic and social status of African Americans. Uncontrollable circumstances, including a drop in the area's water table, resulted in the town's demise.

The park is in Allensworth, California, an unincorporated area in Tulare County, California, United States.

Of historical importance, founder Colonel Allen Allensworth (1842–1914), had a friendship with Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), and as Tuskegee, Alabama was being developed there was much discussion of Allensworth being the "Tuskegee of the West".

California Historic State Park

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Location of Park

In 1968, Ed Pope was working in Sacramento as a draftsman and planner for the California Department of Parks and Recreation with the help of a professor at California State University, Sacramento, wrote a proposal to restore the Allensworth settlement as a state historical site. Finally, in 1974, then Governor Ronald Reagan authorized the department to establish the park. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park was established on 240 acres in 1976.

View layout of park here.

The park had 7,843 visitors in fiscal year 2006, according to the state parks. Rededication activities are held throughout the year to commemorate the park's history.

The preserved townsite features nine restored buildings, including a schoolhouse, a hotel, a general store and several homes. The park has a visitor center and tours are available by making arrangements with the park in advance. The visitor center features a video presentation, "The Spirit of Allensworth,"
which is available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., any day of the week. For more information read Colonel Allensworth SHP.

Amtrak's San Joaquin trains will stop at Allensworth for group travel with advance reservations.

Fifteen campsites, open all year, will accommodate RVs or tents. Each site includes a picnic table and a camp stove; flush toilets are nearby. Facilities for disabled people are available. Turf, trees, and shade ramadas are other features. A nearby picnic area is shaded by 75 large trees, planted by the California Conservation Corps.

The park is ten miles southwest of Earlimart on County Road J22. From Highway 99, take County Road J22 west to Highway 43 south and turn into the park at Palmer Avenue.

Early history

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Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth

In the year 1908, Civil War Union Army veteran Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth (1842–1914) and
Professor William Payne (1877-1954), sought to build a town where African Americans could own property, learn, and live the American Dream. They chose an 800 acre Tulare County site for a new town near the present location of Earlimart, California and about 45 driving miles north of Bakersfield. The site was chosen for fertile soil, adequate water, and its location along a railroad corridor. Black men and women — craftsmen, artisans, businessmen, farmers, ranchers, retired military — moved their families to the newly purchased land. The affairs of the town were administered by a council form of government known as the Allensworth Progressive Association, which directed the community through its formative and critical early years. Men and women held responsible positions in the community.

Allensworth's economy depended on agricultural — cultivation of alfalfa, wheat, sugar beets, and cotton; and raising of dairy cattle, chickens, turkeys, and Belgian hares. The town held several buildings; bakery, drugstore, livery stable, barbershop, church, school, library, and a machine shop.

In 1910 Joshua and Henrietta Singleton open the Singleton’s General Store & Post Office. The store sold a variety of merchandise and served as a weigh station for wagons. Allensworth Hotel was also opened by Clara and John Morris; the hotel had 8 guestrooms and charged 75 cents per night.

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The School

Singleton’s General Store & Post Office

Water problems

In 1908 southwest corner of Tulare County had water, lots of it, coming from wells drilled into the then shallow water table. The artesian wells and water mains laid throughout the residences during and since 1912, were controlled by Allensworth Rural Water Company, a State corporation. But water problems began developing in 1912 and by 1914 had become serious. The declining water tables throughout the area and increasing problems with alkali salts helped to doom the community. As the original settlers moved away the land values declined, some of the houses were left empty, others were rented or sold. By the 1950s Allensworth was an impoverished area without drinkable water supplies; its only water wells were contaminated with arsenic, and state health official declared them unusable. When the state acquired the land for park purposes, state officials said land owners were paid "market value" but because these values were so low, the state also provided financial assistance to relocate the former owners. According to State Park Ranger Greg Kauffman, "only two or three families were unhappy with the move". And, he said, "the project itself has received strong support".

Colonel Allensworth death

In 1919 Delilah L. Beasley wrote in her book The Negro Trailblazers of California:

"The death of Colonel Allensworth was most tragic, because after passing through three wars, he was finally killed by a careless motorcyclist on the streets of Monrovia, California, a few miles out from Los Angeles, the accident occurring on a Sunday morning in September, 1914. The aged Colonel was on his way to preach in a small church of the village and had just stepped from a Pacific Electric street car when these men knocked him down and ran over him, killing him through their careless driving, his death, occurring within twenty-four hours afterwards without his regaining consciousness, was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky to the people of the State. He had spent the two years previous in dictating and assisting Professor Charles Alexander to write his autobiography. The book had been sent to the publishers and was ready to come off the press when he was killed.

Colonel Allen Allensworth was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was accorded a military funeral by the Grand Army Veterans of Los Angeles. Few people are privileged to live and die leaving so sweet a memory. There were memorial services held for him throughout the State and Nation. His death was felt keenly by all who were so fortunate as to have enjoyed his friendship, or even to have known him."

Colonel Allensworth was interred at the Rosedale Cemetery on September 18, 1914.

The Allensworth community was devastated. Although, Professor William Payne and Oscar Overr assumed the leadership of the colony, no one could replace the colonel. Without Allensworth's spiritual guidance and leadership, the community began to disintegrate. By 1920, the two leading figures, William Payne and Josephine Allensworth, had left the area. Payne accepted a teaching job at El Centro, while Mrs. Allensworth returned to Los Angeles to live with her daughter, Nella. Most of the exodus continued during the years of the Great Depression and World War II.

Rare 1880s railroad boxcars

Rare 1880's Railroad Box Car

Two rare, 19th Century railroad boxcars that are believed to have been the residence of the Station Agent at the Colonel Alllensworth SHP has been restored by the California State Railroad Museum’s facilities. California State Parks contracted with the nonprofit museum in mid-2002 to conserve and restore the two railroad boxcar bodies associated with Allensworth. Wheels and axles were removed after the turn of the 20th century, and the boxcars are today considered rare specimens of early railroad freight cars. For project, one car was fully documented and received a museum-level conservation for protected display at the Park.

California Assembly Bill 576

April 19, 2007

California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed suit April 19, 2007 to stop construction of two dairies that would bring more than 12,000 cattle within about a mile of Allensworth State Park, a historic black settlement. Brown alleging it is in violations of the California Environmental Quality Act. The suit alleges that the Etchegaray Dairies failed to meaningfully evaluate the impact on the unique historical resources and setting of Allensworth State Park, and did not adequately address environmental impacts on the adjacent Pixley National Wildlife Refuge and Allensworth Ecological Reserve.

The new bill, Assembly Bill 576, authored by Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto (San Bernardino County), is supported by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, and the California Legislative Black Caucus.

June 5, 2007

Opponents of two proposed dairies near Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park scored a victory Monday when the Assembly voted to establish a 2.5-mile dairy-free zone around the southern Tulare County park. Black leaders and environmentalists say Assembly Bill 576 will keep dairy flies and odors away from the park.

AB 576, passed the Assembly on a 41-23 vote. The bill is backed by the Legislative Black Caucus and enjoys support from key Democratic leaders, so it has a good chance of passing the Senate and making it to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.

Terrain and environment

The terrain is typical of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Excepting the railroad roadbed, there is less than five feet elevation difference across town. Like most of the valley, there has been some subsidence probably related to historic overpumping of ground water for irrigation.

A generally warm, dry climate prevails in the Central Valley, it is hot in the summer, mild in the winter. In the Central Valley precipitation falls mainly from October through April. Winter temperatures well below freezing producing frost, however, snow is very rare. Summer temperatures above 100 degrees are part of the normal pattern.

The valley was historically the site of vernal pools and seasonal lakes before twentieth century diversions of water and agriculture. A natural gas well field exists west of town. Burrowing owls, a species active in daylight hours, are sometimes present in the park.

Just North of Allensworth is the 6,833 acre grassland and wetland habitats Pixley National Wildlife Refuge, operated by the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Of great interest, thousands of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis), use this refuge each winter from November through March. The Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), also are among the 141 type of birds that can be seen here.

Adjacent to the town is Allensworth Ecological Reserve. The endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) can be found in this area.

References

• Delilah L. Beasley, The Negro Trailblazers of California, A Compilation of Records from the California Archives in the Bancroft Library at the University of California, in Berkeley; and from the Diaries, Old Papers, and Conversations of Old Pioneers in the State of California (1919), reprinted in 1997 and 2004, pp. 141, 151-157, 287-288.
• B. Gordon Wheeler, Allensworth: California’s African American Community, This article was originally appeared in the February 2000 issue of Wild West.
• Battles and Victories of Allen Allensworth, by Charles Alexander, Electronic Edition, (1868)

Documentaries

• Howser, Huell, "#308: A Tale of Two Cities", California's Gold, Huell Howser Productions, 1992.

External links

• Allensworth State Historic Park
• Official Website for The Friends of Allensworth
• San Diego chapter of the Friends of Allensworth
• Evelyn Radcliffe, Out of Darkness: The Story of Allen Allensworth, Menlo Park, CA: Inkling Press, 1998.
• B. Gordon Wheeler, Black California: The History of African-Americans in the Golden State (1997)
• California Region Timetable: 18, Modesto, California: Altamont Press, 2003 pp. 43.

Teacher's guide: student lessons

Allensworth: A Piece of the World -- A teacher's guide with Student lessons and resources

Adobe Reader is required view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Online video of the park

Take a short video tour through Colonel Allensworth SHP. Go down the list to number 17. Windows Media Player is required to view the video.

Pictures

The community of Allensworth held high standards.

• A life for themselves.
  A life for themselves.
• Margaret Prince, Allensworth teacher assistant, at far right.
  Margaret Prince, Allensworth teacher assistant, at far right.
• Their desire for their children to receive the best, this standard was kept up by pride and a desire to succeed.
  Their desire for their children to receive the best, this standard was kept up by pride and a desire to succeed.

Photo gallery of the buildings on Allensworth SHP property.

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