RUSSO: To celebrate Black History Month, we often remember brave locals who fought in the Civil War and revolutionary leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. I'm Bryan Russo. These crucial historic events are well-documented on the East Coast, but the documentation often falters for the a hundred years in between. What did Black Americans do post-war and pre-rights? So in this segment of conservation conversations, Lauren Imhof interviews a woman whose family history lies in the in-between.
IMHOF: On a gloomy February day, I met Deborah Scott at Polk Outpost. Sheltered by tall pines. We stood in a small opening right off South Upper Ferry Road featuring a short trail woven within the trees. I would soon learn this small place had a big history,
SCOTT: And my grandfather was the oldest son among the 10, and I sometimes I just try to imagine him having a conversation with his parents, telling them what he wanted to do.
IMHOF: As Deborah continued, I learned about her grandfather, Thomas E. Polk. As an illiterate 21-year-old, he left the comfort of the only place he knew and embarked on a grand journey across the United States. What willed him away from his familiar woods? Nothing other than to become a Buffalo Soldier. Formed in 1866, the ninth and 10th Calvaries were all-black army troops who protected settlers as they traveled across the American West, their fierce battles against Native Americans earned them the nickname Buffalo Soldiers.
SCOTT: When I first started doing Buffalo Soldier presentations and mentioned Buffalo Soldiers, people's eyes would glass over like, "what are you talking about?" And the history is not known, and it's not known for a reason... because it was just ignored, and we hope to correct that a bit. There are no museums east of the Mississippi solely dedicated to Buffalo Soldier history.
IMHOF: And that's why Deborah and her family started their nonprofit, The Outpost, and are working to preserve this land that has been in their family since 1892. The land currently features Hattie's Trail, a free nature trail named for Thomas Polk's wife. They also hope to install a small museum and pavilion, but building a museum takes time. Fact checking and grant writing can be exhausting. So I wondered what sparked Deborah's continued passion and drive.
SCOTT: Wow. There are so many things for those of us who know something about the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment and what each of those represented, and why the legislation was passed. So that meant that some of the men who signed on to be Buffalo Soldiers signed on to fight for this country before this country even recognized them as citizens. That is one thing that I am passionate about sharing.
IMHOF: Envisioning the museum complete, I asked Deborah what she wants future visitors to walk away with.
SCOTT: I want them to walk away with a "wow" factor stamped on their brain and they'll go back home or wherever and say, you guys, you've got to go visit this place because it's history that we did not know about.
IMHOF: If you want to learn more about this history, visit polkoutpost.com where you can donate to their museum fund. Walking Hattie's Trail, I'm reminded that history lives beyond a physical building. The Buffalo Soldiers are remembered in the stories we pass on to others. Now, thanks to Deborah, we can be a part of that history too. With Delmarva Public Media, I'm Lauren Imhof.
RUSSO: Conservation Conversations is a partnership between Delmarva Public Media and the Lower Shore Land Trust. To learn more, visit lowershorelandtrust.org or delmarvapublicmedia.org.
