Hiram Young

Life & Legacy

Hiram Young (c. 1812—January 22, 1882) was an African-American freed slave from Tennessee who became one of the leading manufacturers of wagons for the Oregon Trail. In the mid-19th century, his business was located at the eastern origin of the trail in Independence, Missouri, serving westward pioneers including the Forty-niners. He was called the "only colored man in the manufacturing business" and Kansas City's first "Colored Man of Means".
He worked to free slaves, specifically purchasing them in order to preserve their families intact and then paying them wages to buy their emancipation. Though living through the American Civil War and racial segregation, he was widely respected in white society, having financed or co-signed on many of their businesses. He received generous community support when his business burned down twice, and his grave is conspicuously located among those of white people.
The Kansas City Star extensively eulogized him 26 years after his death, saying "This negro fought valiantly for freedom and respectability".