Legacy Letters for Black History Month

A number of our Legacy Letters bring new African American stories to light. In honor of Black History month, we want to share a few of Envision Minnesota's Legacy Letters that drove their writers to years of research and discovery.

Al Boney's "The Colored Company"

St. Paul firefighter Al Boney found an old photograph of black firefighters that revealed the presence of an all-black fire station about 100 years before blacks were thought to have been on the force.

Walt Bachman's "Joseph Godfrey"

Walt Bachman tells us how he learned the story of Joseph Godfrey while researching his family history, and how the discovery led him to inquiry into the extent of slavery in the "free" state of Minnesota.

Susan Hunter Weir's "Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery"

Susan Hunter Weir takes us into the Soldiers and Pioneers Cemetery in south Minneapolis and gives us a glimpse of the many storied people buried there.