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THE NEXUS
ANDERSON-FREEMAN-MEEHAN MIGRATION ROUTE
This is the migration route of three families as they traveled from Maryland to Canada to Alliance between 1785 (Livas Anderson's approximate birth year) and 1935 (Charles Meehan's death).
Our nexus was the Elgin Settlement - North Buxton, where the three families settled between 1851 (Anderson & Freeman's arrival) and 1861 (Meehan's arrival).
FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW TO VISIT OUR COMMUNITIES
THE QUEEN'S BUSH, CANADA
When Livas (Joseph) Anderson and his family left the United States in the early 1840s, they settled in The Queen's Bush, located in Peel Township, Ontario, Canada.
THE ELGIN SETTLEMENT, CANADA
The Elgin Settlement was a planned community for Black people escaping enslavement. Charles Meehan and Hester Freeman were raised here. It is from this community, the bonds of friendship forged here, and the lessons learned that Nebraska's most recognized all-Black community was formed.
RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES
Why did Black families leave Canada? Why did they choose Nebraska? Discover possible reasons for the decisions mandated by and how the future Black Nebraska homesteaders made their way from Ontario to Dawson County, Nebraska.
OVERTON, NEBRASKA
The first wave of Black homesteaders from the Elgin Settlement in Canada settled in Overton, located in Dawson County. Seven of the Meehan children were born here, and three of them are buried here, not having reached much beyond their first birthdays.
DEWITTY-AUDACIOUS, NEBRASKA
DeWitty, later called Audacious, was the epitome of Black community building in Nebraska. Not all DeWitty residents had roots that extended into Canada, but the Canadian contingent was DeWitty's heart.
This section includes a database of individuals and families who called DeWitty home.
ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA
As families grew and scattered, many relocated to Alliance in Box Butte County. It is in Alliance that Charles and Hester Meehan took their final rest.
OUR EXTENDED COMMUNITIES
Anderson-Freeman-Meehan descendants settled not just in Nebraska but around the country. Some in large metropolitan areas like Chicago, some in small towns, and some in other historical Black communities in the U.S.
COLONIAL COMMUNITIES
Traditional genealogical research paired with shared DNA matches has opened the window to the places and people we were surrounded by during enslavement and emancipation across decades.