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| East side of the Horace M. Peterson III Building |
The Black Archives of Mid-America, Inc. was founded May 8, 1974, by Horace M. Peterson III and was originally located at 1821 Paseo Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri, in an old Y.M.C.A. building. The purpose and mission of the Black Archives of Mid-America “is to collect, preserve and make available to the public materials documenting the social, economic, political and cultural histories of persons of African American descent in the central United States, with particular emphasis in the Kansas City, Missouri region. Black Archives of Mid-America is an educational resource and provides access to its collections for research, exhibition and publication to honor our community heritage and to catalyze public awareness.”
Now located at Horace M. Peterson III Building in the historic 18
th and Vine District, The Black Archives not only serves as a local source of cultural heritage, but also as a regional repository of African-American culture. Recently, project staff digitized two small World War I related collections at The Black Archives of Mid-America.
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"Token of Appreciation" for Henry Bell, October 6, 1919
AC26 |
The first collection focuses on the World War I service of Henry Bell. While little is known about Henry Bell, much information can be extrapolated from his documents. Native of Salisbury, Missouri, Henry Bell was inducted into military service on October 26, 1917, at the age of 23. He served with Company I, Colored Regiment at Camp Funston, Kansas, until December 4, 1917, when he was transferred to Company D, 317
th Ammunition Train. He served overseas from June 15, 1918-February 28, 1919. Bell achieved the grade of corporal in October 1918. He was discharged from military service at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky, on March 25, 1919. On Bell’s honorable discharge certificate, he is described as having black eyes, black hair, a light brown complexion, standing 5 feet, 71/2 inches in height, and, prior to service, worked as a chauffeur.
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Members of the Wayne Miner American Legion Post, October 20, 1921
AC25 |
The second collection highlights photographs from the founding and early days of the Wayne Miner American Legion Post 149 in Kansas City, Missouri. A traditionally African-American Legion post, Post 149 was formed in 1919 and chartered in 1920. Post 149 bears the name of Private Wayne Miner, an African-American soldier killed in action on November 11, 1918, while serving in France with the 92
nd Division. Killed three hours before the armistice, Miner was one of the last Americans killed in combat during World War I. Many well-known and respected men were founding members of Post 149. According to
The American Legion Magazine, “Among Post 149’s founding members were Homer B. Roberts, the first black man to own an automobile dealership in Kansas City, and Carl Johnson, the first African-American to be elected as municipal court judge.”
In addition to its World War I collections, The Black Archives of Mid-America holds the Alvin Ailey Papers, as well as several other special collection items including correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, board meeting minutes, campaign posters and ephemera, sheet music, artifacts, oral histories, rare books, and an online digital image gallery.
For more information about
The Black Archives of Mid-America or the
Wayne Miner American Legion Post, please, visit their websites.
Bibliography
Bell, Henry Collection,
(AC26), The Black Archives of Mid-America, Kansas City, Missouri.
The Black Archives of Mid-America. “Mission.” About Us. Accessed August 18, 2014. www.blackarchives.org/
Brooks, Steve B. “A place to gather...and much more.” The American Legion Magazine, February 2014.
Wayne Miner Post 149. Accessed August 18, 2014. alwm149.org/
Wayne Miner Post #149 Collection, (AC25), The Black Archives of Mid-America, Kansas City, Missouri.
