[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 884 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 884

    Honoring the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its contribution to 
                           American history.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2006

 Mr. Moran of Kansas (for himself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of 
  Georgia, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Payne, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Ms. 
Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, 
  Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Costa, Mr. Souder, Mr. 
Rehberg, Mr. Osborne, Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Mr. Jones of North 
Carolina, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Pickering, Mr. 
Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Hulshof, Mr. Filner, Mr. 
Hoekstra, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Walden 
 of Oregon, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Simpson, Mr. 
 Cole of Oklahoma, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Berry, Mr. Clay, 
   Mr. Rangel, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Shadegg, Mr. 
 Neugebauer, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Ryun of Kansas, Mr. Brady of Texas, 
 Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Terry, Mrs. Musgrave, and Mr. Wexler) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Honoring the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its contribution to 
                           American history.

Whereas, in the South, the rights gained by African-Americans immediately 
        following the Civil War were largely stripped away at the end of the 
        Reconstruction period;
Whereas this Nation was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality for all;
Whereas the West was viewed as a land of opportunity;
Whereas many African-Americans left the South and moved west in search of the 
        freedom and opportunity promised to all Americans;
Whereas abolitionists shed blood for the State of Kansas to enter the Union as a 
        Free State;
Whereas Kansans welcomed African-Americans from the South making Kansas their 
        new home;
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, was planned and founded by six African-American men;
Whereas, on September 17, 1877, the first formal group of settlers, numbering 
        350, arrived in Nicodemus, Kansas;
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, offered African-Americans an opportunity to own their 
        own land, make a living farming, and prosper in a jurisdiction self-
        governed by African-Americans;
Whereas, during a time when many African-Americans were denied an education in 
        the South, African-Americans in Nicodemus, Kansas, established schools 
        to educate the town's children;
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, grew and prospered in the 1880s as a result of the 
        ingenuity of African-American entrepreneurs and the dedication of 
        African-American farmers;
Whereas the hard work, resourcefulness, and courage of the African-American 
        pioneers who founded and lived in Nicodemus, Kansas, serves as an 
        example of the American spirit;
Whereas Nicodemus, Kansas, is the only remaining Western town established by 
        African-Americans during the Reconstruction period;
Whereas, in January 1976, the Nicodemus Historic District was designated as a 
        National Historic Landmark;
Whereas, on November 12, 1996, Congress established the Nicodemus National 
        Historic Site to preserve, protect, and interpret the remaining 
        structures and locations that represent the history of the town of 
        Nicodemus, Kansas;
Whereas the National Park Service and the current residents of Nicodemus, 
        Kansas, are working to preserve this historic site for future 
        generations; and
Whereas, this year, Nicodemus, Kansas, will celebrate its tenth anniversary as a 
        national historic site: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its 
        contribution to American history; and
            (2) commends and encourages the preservation efforts of the 
        National Park Service and the residents of Nicodemus, Kansas.
                                 <all>