What city in the US is the first incorporated city with a black majority at the time of incorporation?

(This one may be a source of contention, so please have some type of reference.)
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12-22-04, 03:22 AM
Jenny Roberts
Gary, Indiana? 84% black American/African community.

12-22-04, 10:30 AM
DorianGreyed
Gary was founded in 1906, years after the answer I have, and I haven't seen anything that indicates that Gary started out as a black city. Gary is not the answer.

12-22-04, 10:15 PM
jusork
Is it in South Carolina? I know that around the end of the 1700s, black slaves began to outnumber whites in South Carolina. Not sure what city. How about Charleston?

Oh wait, I guess that wouldn't be at the time of incorporation, huh? Eh, nevermind.

12-22-04, 11:38 PM
mozart56
Jusork could be right about Charleston.
By 1820 Charleston's population had grown to 23,000, with a black majority. Source

12-23-04, 10:44 AM
DorianGreyed
The article in the link states that most of Charleston's original residents were English. I'm looking for a city whose population at the time of incorporation was all or mostly black.

12-23-04, 04:31 PM
mozart56
I'll guess another one, Centerville now Centralia WA. was founded by a Black settler in 1875 and incorporated in 1886.I can only assume that there were more Black people than White.

12-23-04, 04:53 PM
DorianGreyed
The one I have is just a bit older than Centerville/Centralia WA, regardless of the percentage of founders. However, Washington sounds like quite a man, and I hope the town still honors him. It was men like him in little towns all acrtoss the US that made a difference.

12-26-04, 02:26 PM
mozart56
1873 Brooklyn,Illinois. "Oldest African-American City in the U.S.A" .

12-26-04, 05:02 PM
DorianGreyed
Mozart, you are good. Brooklyn, Illinois is the oldest black incorporated city I could find. Loated about 10 miles due south of me, just north of East Saint Louis, Illinois, and across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, Brooklyn was indeed incorporated in 1873, and is still a city.

History, Heritage and Honor: Brooklyn, Illinois, America's oldest African American city - 126 year old city is America's first incorporated city founded by African Americans. (29-Oct-2000)

Another city that claims to be the oldest incorporated all-black city in Americais Eatonville, Florida, incorporated in 1886.

African American History

"... Eatonville, the first incorporated all-black city in America." - myflorida.com/myflorida/governorsoffice

Thanks to St. Louis' PBS station, KETC, for suggesting this question. KETC is a really good PBS station, and has a great deal of local history shows, as well as better concerts than most I have seen on cable.

12-26-04, 05:49 PM
mozart56
Too bad you found out about Eatonville,Florida,I was keeping it in reserve, for another trivia!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,