Sugar Creek Community
Black southerners established a thriving, free community around Thorntown in Sugar Creek Township by the early 1850s. Most became farmers and some owned property, despite Indiana's constitutional prohibition of black settlement. By 1870, this community of over 170 residents established an African Methodist Episcopal church, school, cemetery, and Masonic lodge.
With the passage of the 15th Amendment, male residents engaged in politics through voting, public speaking, and organizing a Republican club. While the community dispersed in the 1890's, the church and affiliated women's group remained active into the 1900's. Only the cemetery, where at least one Civil War veteran of the U.S. Colored Troops was buried, has been preserved.
Erected 2019 by Indiana Historical Bureau.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 40° 8.301′ N, 86° 37.436′ W. Marker is near Thorntown, Indiana, in Boone County. It is on N 825 W, on the left when traveling north. Located in the Colored Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Thorntown IN 46071, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Indiana and specifically in Greater Indianapolis. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Darlington Covered Bridge (was approx. 9.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2021, by Trevor L Whited of Kokomo, Indiana. This page has been viewed 571 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 30, 2021, by Trevor L Whited of Kokomo, Indiana. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
