LINCOLN SINGLETON, KOSSUTH COUNTY'S FIRST BLACK RESIDENT

Does the name Link Singleton mean anything to you?  It didn’t to me either until a post was made on the Kossuth County Historical Society’s Facebook page which talked about a black man by that name who had settled in Kossuth County not long after the Civil War.  Of course my interest was piqued and so I pulled up his obituary which began with the headline, “Beloved Negro Passes Away.”  His story began many miles from here. . . 

WHO WAS LINCOLN SINGLETON?

Lincoln Singleton was born in Alabama in 1856 to slave parents.  They were owned by a railroad company and so they moved from place to place, taking Link with them.  They both died when he was quite young.  He and his younger sister were taken in by an aunt who was a cook in the railroad camp.  Although just a boy himself, Link too was owned by the railroad and worked caring for animals and doing other jobs assigned to him. 

The Civil War was raging at this time and news came to the railroad camp that a squad of Yankee soldiers were on their way.  To protect their horses, mules and other provisions from the enemy, they were immediately gathered up and moved deep into thick woods in the hope they would not be found.  Link was left with three white men to tend to the animals.  Armed with shotguns, the men boasted about what they would do to any Yankees that appeared.  When a portion of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry burst into their fortress, one of the men immediately took off running.  Ignoring cries to halt, he was killed in a barrage of bullets. 

Soldiers surrounded the two other white men and questioned them about their allegiance to the cause.  When they had finished with the rebels, they turned to Link who thought his time had come.  He was but a boy of 8 or 9 years.  When asked if he knew where the horses and mules were located, he pointed to the ravine where they had been left to graze along with the other supplies.  As he led them to the site, he heard one of them say, “If this little black devil is lying to us we will kill him.”  Fear gripped the lad, but he had no choice but to keep moving.  Once the Union soldiers had pillaged all of the capable horses and mules and carried off the provisions, they burned the rest.  They were fearful that Link would be killed by the Confederates for giving them information so they asked him to go with them.  Though desiring to remain at home but fearful of refusing, he consented to go with them. 

A soldier did explain to Link’s aunt the danger he was in for cooperating with them and so she consented to let him go.  Their last moments together were heartbreaking as the weeping of his aunt and little sister touched him deeply.  He never saw either of them again.

The cavalry placed Link on a horse and instructed him to follow the forced march.  When darkness settled, exhaustion set in and Link lost control of his horse.  It wandered off the road and when Link awoke, he found himself among strangers.  They were the Fourth Iowa Cavalry.  The frightened boy burst into tears.  A kindly soldier by the name of Peabody came to comfort him.  When it was discovered that his home was too far away to return him that night, Peabody gave him some hard tack and meat and fixed a place for him to spend the night.  Link ate his food and then cried himself to sleep. 

COMING TO KOSSUTH COUNTY

Instead of returning home, the boy stayed with Mr. Peabody and at the close of the war accompanied him to Kossuth County where they settled on a farm in Riverdale township.  Link received good care and went to school.  When Mr. Peabody decided to move to California a year later, Link went to live with the Addison Fisher family with whom he stayed the next two.  He then spent the next twelve years in the home of Thomas Robison, just south of Irvington.  Link proved himself to be a truthful and well behaved boy.  He became a great favorite both at country school and at singing school held in the old Irvington town hall.  He especially loved and respected Mr. Robison who had cared for him and treated him so kindly.

Singleton was a talented runner and, when he moved to Algona in the early 1880s, he took on many competitors and became the area champion.  A local man, Lee Horning, was his “promoter” and won considerable money on the events. 

Link’s racing career came to an end after a deceitful scheme to embarrass him and to cheat Horning out of some of his winnings.  A match was arranged between the local hero and a “ragged stable boy” from Emmetsburg.  It was to be run on Diagonal Street.  When the day of the race arrived, Link was discouraged to see the “ragged stable boy” wearing spiked racing shoes and professional tights which displayed the muscles of a trained athlete. Following his defeat, Link never raced again.

Link was always well liked by everyone.  As a young man he began to take care of horses for different owners.  He served as a stable boy for A. D. Clarke and the Wadsworth brothers, prominent citizens of Algona. 

 
MARRIAGE AND SINGLETON HILL

At the ripe old age of 40, Link took a bride.  He was married to a colored lady, Miss Fannie McQuiddy of Emmetsburg, on November 18, 1896.  She had been employed by Col. and Mrs. E. S. Ormsby as a servant for a number of years and was highly respected in the community.  The couple were soon happily settled into a house built by Link on land he owned just south of the fairgrounds in an area which would become known as Singleton Hill.

Singleton Hill

The couple were never able to have children of their own.  They adopted a son named Harold.  Although the Singletons were well liked, it was difficult for their son growing up here.  Teased and ridiculed, he became frustrated with pent up anger.  He began to get into trouble and ended up dropping out of school.  At the age of 19 while working for S. H. McNutt carrying for his horses, Harold used a sharp stick to puncture the intestines of two of the animals causing their death.  He was later sent to prison for the incident, much to the sadness of his parents.

The Singletons were dedicated members of the Baptist Church, with Fannie

Baptist Church

especially active in their women’s group.  Their farm was quite versatile as were many of the farms of that day.  They raised chickens and sold eggs, had a few head of cattle and some hogs.  Link was locally known as an animal expert.  He regularly won awards at the county fair for his livestock.  

WELL-RESPECTED CITIZENS GONE

In the spring of 1918, Link’s health began to fail.  No one was able to determine the source of the problem and he died on June 26.  A postmortem examination discovered an abscess of the liver.  His funeral was held at the Baptist Church in Algona and was largely attended.  During his eulogy, Rev. J. W. Jeffries recounted the story of the small boy who rose from slavery to become a free man who owned land and made his own way.

Shortly after Link’s passing, Fannie obtained a job as a housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence C. Jones in Piney Woods, Mississippi.  Mr. Jones was the founder of Piney Woods Country Life School for the higher education of the Negro race.  Fannie had been a long-time supporter of the school.  Three hundred men and women of color attended the facility. Besides a literary education, the institution offered classes in industrial areas such as farming, blacksmithing, weaving, wheelwrighting, broom-making, and millinery among others.  In addition to her housekeeping duties, Fannie baked the bread and headed up the poultry department.  

A group of singers called the “Cotton Blossoms” toured to promote the school.  Through the efforts of Fannie Singleton, they performed here in Algona several times raising much needed funds.  Mrs. Singleton visited Algona frequently through the years and loved to receive news from the area.

After suffering a stroke, Fannie’s health gradually declined.  She passed from this life in her sleep on October 19, 1940, and was buried in the Piney Woods Cemetery, many miles from her husband who rests in Riverview Cemetery here in Algona.  Link lies next to his white neighbors, a sign of real acceptance at the time.

Unfortunately I have been unable to locate any confirmed photos of Lincoln Singleton.  It would be wonderful to find one to preserve his important place in Kossuth County history.  Link’s story is one of both luck and hard work.  He was forever devoted to the officers and soldiers of Co. L of the 4^th Iowa Cavalry and frequently received letters from them.  He never forgot the kindness they showed to him. A hardworking person who made the most of opportunities as they came along, he was always proud to have been known as Kossuth County’s first Negro resident.

A PERSONAL NOTE

It is hard to believe, but it has been one year since I set up the Kossuth County History Buff site and started publishing historical posts.  I had set a personal goal of publishing an article every week for one full year which I have achieved. However, in addition to being an amateur writer, I am also a farm wife, mother, grandmother, volunteer and full-time employee.  Harvest is approaching and everyday life is calling my name.   Although I intend to keep writing historical articles, at least for now they will no longer be published weekly.  I have been so touched by all the comments and compliments I have received over the past year that I want to thank all of you who take your precious time to read the stories that I post. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy researching and writing them.

I have lots of stories yet that I want to share, so keep an eye on your Facebook feed for future posts or, if you want to be sure you do not miss a single one, go to kossuthhistorybuff.blogspot.com and sign up to have the posts sent directly to your email address.  

Until next time,

KC History Buff

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