Grey Roots Museum and Archives has launched a new interactive map of significant Black history sites across Grey County.
Black communities were established in Grey in the mid-1800s, and the new map connects residents with this part of the area's history that is still considered lesser-known.
"This project maps out early settlements that had significant populations of black settlers in Grey County" says Stephanie McMullen, Community Historian for Grey Roots Museum and Archives. "Most communities were established in the 1840s and 1850s, and the people settling were refugees fleeing the United States. They came to Grey County to start a new life for themselves, a life of freedom and independence."
McMullen feels that it's a "fascinating thing to go through the map and see the number of different communities that had black settlers in them. As someone that grew up here, I didn't realize how diverse we were in this county throughout its history."
Grey Roots continues to add locations to the map. If you know of a place you feel should be on the map but currently isn't, they do accept submissions on their website.
The map can be viewed by following the links at GreyRoots.com.