NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — The author who shed light on an enslaved woman who took hold of her own destiny and ended up in New Richmond is visiting the area to talk about her book.
Kristen Green is the author of "The Devil's Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail." It tells the true story of Mary Lumpkin, the enslaved mistress of one of the most notorious slave traders in the south, Robert Lumpkin.
Mary was forced to bear five children with him. After he died, Robert left Mary his slave jail in Richmond, Va.
"To see her seize that power is a really amazing thing, but then on top of that, when she inherited the slave jail she rented it out to a preacher from the North who turned it into a school for free Black men," Green said. "And it laid the groundwork for one of the first historically Black colleges and universities in America which is still open today, Virginia Union University."
Mary eventually found her way to New Richmond, where scholars believe she married a Black Union soldier and is most likely buried with him somewhere at the Samarian Cemetery. Back in July, WCPO 9 spoke to graduate students from Northern Kentucky University and Mount St. Joseph University who were working on a project to uncover more about Mary's life in New Richmond and eventually find her exact burial plot.
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Green has two events in the Tri-State.
"I'm really excited to share the story of her life with people there and to hear people's thoughts and insights on why she may have been there and other clues they might have because this story is like an onion," Green said. "I've peeled back a few layers, but I would love for other people to learn things about her I wasn't able to track down."
The first event is Wednesday, Sept. 27 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. It kicks off with a reception at 6 p.m. and the lecture from Green gets underway at 7 p.m.
Then on Thursday, Sept. 28, she'll talk about her journey into finding out more about Mary Lumpkin at the New Richmond branch of the Clermont County Public Library. That event starts at 11 a.m. Both events are free, but organizers are asking attendees to register.
If you'd like to attend Wednesday's event, you can register here. To attend Thursday's event, sign up here.
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