CINCINNATI — A new exhibit tracing the history and contributions of two forgotten Queen City families is now on display at the Walnut Hills Branch Library.
"Cincinnati's Lost Founders," outlining the remarkable story of the Fossett and Clark families, opened on May 20 at the library.
Twelve display panels and two cases filled with artifacts are on view until the of July. The exhibit is hosted by the neighboring Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
The exhibit is the work of Jennifer Williams, a Northern Kentucky University graduate student, and serves as her Master’s in Public History capstone.
“Sometimes, important history is easy to find. Large monuments tell us about someone’s brave deeds. A beautifully preserved building shows secrets about the lives of those who walked inside them," Williams said. "At other times, important history needs some digging. You may have a remarkable story in your own past, or even in your own backyard.”
Christina Hartlieb, Executive Director of the Stowe House and Williams' mentor for the project served as one of the panel discussion members at the opening. Williams joined her, Sean Andres of Urbanist Media, and Andrew Davenport of Monticello’s Getting Word Project joined virtually. The discussion was moderated by Dr. David Childs, director of the Black History Program at NKU.
At the opening, Williams described how a chance meeting with Cincinnati resident James Clark at a local jazz club set her on the path to this exhibit.
Clark, a retired welder (whose work graces the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) is a keeper of his family history through stories and a cache of rare documents passed down through the generations.
“Mr. Clark and his family have helped to keep the history of their ancestors alive,” Williams said.
"Mr. Clark’s enslaved ancestors helped run Monticello, the plantation owned by President Thomas Jefferson. They also helped develop the neighborhood of Cumminsville and they took part in some of Cincinnati’s most remarkable events,” Williams said.
“His family story goes all the way back to 1735, when Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Hemings was born. Hemings was a powerful matriarch whose descendants made up a third of the enslaved population at Monticello. Hemings and her daughters were key figures in managing the household. Hemings daughter Sally traveled with Thomas Jefferson, and he was the father of her children,” Williams said.
Betty’s oldest daughter, Mary got married and in 1780 gave birth to Joseph Fossett, Williams said. Joseph went on to become the head blacksmith at Monticello.
“Joseph married an enslaved woman named Edith Hern. Together, Joseph and Edith would have eight children, including Peter Fossett, Mr. Clark’s great-great-grandfather.”
When Jefferson died in 1826, he was deeply in debt. Among his estate in 1827 were 200 enslaved individuals, which encompassed about 90% of his wealth. Jefferson freed only five people, Joseph being one, in his will Davenport said.
Slave auctions frequently disregarded familial bonds, separating husbands and wives, and children from their parents at the whims of the buyers. “This was something every enslaved family feared,” Williams said.
Williams’ research traces the tragic turn of events that followed.
Peter Fossett, born in 1815 was a member of the last generation born enslaved at Monticello. At just 11 years old he was sold away from his family to satisfy Jefferson's creditors. Fossett’s new owner, Colonel Jones, offered to sell him back to his family, but after they had raised the money, he reneged on the agreement, Williams said.
Jones also forbade Fossett from reading and writing, but he continued to do so in secret. Williams said he became involved in the Underground Railroad and used his education to forge freedom papers for his family.
He attempted to escape twice but was caught and returned to slavery both times.
Fossett eventually gained his freedom in 1850. “It is believed that his family raised money to purchase his freedom,” Williams said. Now free, Fossett moved to Cincinnati to join his father, Joseph.
It was in the Queen City where he would meet his wife and Clark’s great-great-grandmother, Sarah “Sally” Mayrant Walker.
“Unfortunately, we don’t know much about Sarah’s background,” Williams said. Her research has determined that she was born enslaved in South Carolina in 1826. "Later in her life, she was relocated to Alabama and Mississippi. At some point, she was sent to Louisiana to learn hair and scalp techniques from a French specialist.”
Williams has also traced her arrival to Cincinnati.
“In 1844, her enslaver John Mayrant, sold her to a man named Joshua Green, who transported her from Mississippi to Cincinnati to free her,” Williams said.
It was in the Queen City that Walker and Fossett married in 1854.
“We don’t know how Peter and Sarah met… but we do know that they fell in love and built an incredible life together,” Williams said.
“I’ve called them a ‘Cincinnati Power Couple,” she said. “They were highly involved in the community. Peter worked as a successful caterer. During the Civil War, he served as a Captain in Cincinnati’s famed Black Brigade. Sally was a highly sought-after hairstylist known for her specialty treatments. The two have been linked to the operations of the Underground Railroad.”
The two gave generously back to their adopted home. “They were involved with the Union Baptist Church," Williams said.
Union Baptist Church, founded in 1831, along with Allen Temple AME Church, founded in 1824, are among the oldest black congregations in Cincinnati.
“Peter was instrumental in establishing the Union Baptist cemetery and the two aided in the formation of multiple churches in the area. They are best known for the founding of the First Baptist Church in Cumminsville in 1870. He served as a pastor there for 30 years.”
Williams also notes the two also “contributed to Colored Conventions, large gatherings of black Americans who discussed how to improve their standings in the community.”
Sarah was noted for her generosity independent of her husband. In 1897 she raised what would be today, $8,000 for the Colored Orphan Asylum, Williams said.
However, her most publicized contribution to Cincinnati history was in 1859.
“Nearly 100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, Sarah fought and won her own battle with the City Passenger Railroad Company,” Williams said.
“On her way to an appointment, she paid her fare and boarded a streetcar. When she attempted to take a seat, the conductor tried to force her off, even while the car was moving.”
Williams said a scuffle broke out and Sarah at one point held on with both hands while trying to bite the conductor’s knuckles to protect herself. She fell and reported being unwell for weeks afterward. She sued for $1,000 in damages, Williams said.
“The defendant was forced to pay only $10 plus court fees. However, the Cincinnati passenger car was desegregated because of her suit," she said. "While this initially only applied to women and children, Black men were granted the right to ride as regular customers in a later case.”
Peter Fossett died in 1901 and Sarah Fossett in 1906, both laid to rest in the Union Baptist Cemetery. Their descendants, such as James Clark, continued to live and contribute to their community.
In 1954 many in these vibrant middle-class African American neighborhoods in Cincinnati were forced from their homes. Their land was claimed under eminent domain as the city built a new highway.
“This happened frequently in Cincinnati and in cities across the United States under the guise of ‘urban renewal,” Williams said. “While the stated goal is for improvement, in practice, neighborhoods with high minority populations are often targeted for destruction. Several black neighborhoods in Cincinnati have been radically altered and even erased altogether for new roads and development.”
This cycle repeated itself in the 1970s with the construction of Interstate 71 and Martin Luther King Drive in the 1980s.
Williams hopes her exhibit will encourage others to think about the old buildings in their city and neighborhoods.
“Often, preservation only happens when someone famous lived or worked in a place,” she said.
She invites everyone to “look around your own community and explore whose stories are prioritized and whose are hidden," she said. "What can we do to put our attention on 'regular people'?"
Dr. Brian Hackett, Director of the Public History Program at NKU, said Williams's exhibit was "an amazing piece of work...it really shows the importance of how history belongs to all of us. It took all of our ancestors to make us who we are today."
Greg Knight was also happy to see the history of his great-great-great-grandparents on display.
"What really compelled me about the exhibit was that before only a few people knew about them before," Knight said. "Now, many more people will know about how they were trailblazers and pioneers in African American and Cincinnati history."
Clark said he was thrilled to see the exhibit about his family and to "share the history with everybody."
“Cincinnati’s Lost Founders” is on display on at the Walnut Hills Branch Library until July 31.
