Professor Tobin Beck of Concordia University shared stories about African-Americans who lived in Seward during its early years
The Seward Rotary Club met on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at noon at the Jones Bank Auditorium. The meeting was conducted by President Elect Ben Spirks. Following the luncheon and business meeting, Senator Mark Kolterman, who was the program Co-Chair for the month, introduced the guest speaker, Professor Tobin Beck from Concordia University. Professor Beck topic was “Stories on Seward’s Early African American Pioneers” with an emphasis on Adaline Lindsey.
He shared background on the unique African American Community that was a part of Seward in the 1880’s and touched on various African American’s that resided in Seward and their background-all based on the WW Cox History of Seward County and the obituary of Adaline Lindsey, however the focus was on the Adaline Lindsey story.
Lindsey was born a slave on October 20, 1837 and endured a very harsh life as a slave-stating “she suffered as a slave with the cruelest of conditions.” She was first married at 17 to her husband, Joseph Taylor, who was also a slave. They had a son, Robert Taylor. Joseph Taylor was sold as a slave and she never saw him again.
Adaline taught herself to read and write. During the Civil War, in the middle of the night, she would ride over six miles to find a newspaper to bring back to the
slave’s cabins and read and share the updates of the Civil War. Eventually she decided to escape slavery with her son in 1862, during the heart of the Civil War. She stole her owner’s horse and his wife’s $60 saddle and rode behind and followed a Union Troop to safety.
She arrived in Hannibal, Missouri and crossed the Mississippi River to freedom. She eventually arrives in Seward, Nebraska with her son, Robert in 1874, where she became active in the Methodist Church and the WCTU. She made a living as a dress maker and her son Robert did plaster work. Her son, Robert, died in 1882. In Seward, she married James Tate, a local plasterer who died and then she married Braxton Lindsey who was also a Plasterer. Lindsey was a decorated veteran of the Civil War, had trained at Camp Nelson and served in the US Colored Troops Division.
She died in 1886 from complications and heart failure. She is buried in the North Cemetery in an area with many other African American’s who lived in Seward, however her grave is not marked. It may have been marked at one time but the stone is gone or it was marked with a wooden marker.
Beck concluded with how this story surfaced and answered questions from the membership.