Nicodemus Homecoming Celebration
Nicodemus Homecoming Celebration
Hay bales in Graham County, home to about 2,500 people.
Nicodemus Welcomes Its Family Back Home
Homecoming
A lone tree in Nicodemus, a small Kansas town settled by formerly enslaved African Americans at the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. Each summer, the town hosts a weekend-long “family reunion” for descendants, whose ties to the community remain strong, even if they live one or many states away.Proud to Be Here
Pearlina Moore of Hill City, Kansas, inside Town Hall July 30, 2016, the third day of Nicodemus’ 138th Homecoming celebration.Miles of Milo
Many of the original settlers were farmers, and six families still farm in the area, growing grain sorghum, or milo, among other crops.You Can Go Home Again
Veryl Switzer of Manhattan, Kan., inside Town Hall on the third day of the 2016 reunion. Raised in town, he played two seasons for the Green Bay Packers after a stint in the Canadian Football League. Switzer owns and operates an 800-acre farm in Nicodemus and surrounding Graham County.Hay Stranger
The view from Kansas Highway 24 entering Nicodemus last July.School s Out
Built in 1918, the District No. 1 School in Nicodemus closed in the early 1960s due to dropping enrollments. Children living in the community today attend school in Bogue, Kan.AARP Offer Remember the past help shape the future
Share your stories and help advocate for political support to protect your future.Meet and Greet
Descendants and other reunion attendees chat after a reenactment performance last July at Town Hall. The number of permanent residents in town has dwindled to about 30, but swells into the hundreds during annual homecoming celebrations.Bright Blooms
The wild sunflower, Kansas’s state flower, can be seen throughout the Great Plains.Food Worth Coming Home For
Vanessa Adams of Detroit on the steps of Ernestine's Bar-B-Q during the 2016 reunion’s second day. Adams is the daughter of Ernestine Van Duvall, who founded the restaurant in 1975.Not Forgotten
The town cemetery has about 177 interments, some dating back to the late 1800s. Nicodemus was established in 1877 and, within a decade, had grown into a thriving frontier town with a bank, four general stores and two barber shops, among other businesses.Opening Day
Residents and relatives of descendants gather at the Nicodemus Historical Society on the first day of the 2016 homecoming.Prairie Peace
The Nicodemus Cemetery, July 2016.Caring Two Ways
Raymond A. Groves IV and Raymond A. Groves III, both of Denver, have been attending the homecoming for years. Before last July’s celebration, the elder Groves presided over the Sunday service at First Missionary Baptist Church, and the younger tended to the grounds.Family Bond
Earlice Switzer-Rupp of Houston, and Norma Switzer of Topeka, Kan. on the second day of the 2016 Homecoming.Early Bird
Alfred Matthews IV of Denver, before the start of the reunion.A Welcome Connection
Kathy Padgett of Lexington, Ky., after a service at First Missionary Baptist Church. While researching her ancestry, Padgett found a Nicodemus connection and decided to travel to Kansas to learn more about the town and its traditions.Summer Gathering
Hay bales in Graham County, home to about 2,500 people.