Sunday morning whilst perusing the internet I came across a great history site, Red River Historian, a site dedicated to the history of the Red River and it’s basin. While there is something the for everybody, ghost towns, iron bridges, railroads, this diary will focus on white mob violence against blacks. The page is titled Bloody Red River has links to specific events, some of which I am familiar and some not.
One of the nots is the Massacre at Colfax where 150 blacks were murdered by a white mob.
Another not is Cullen Baker, a psychopath who delighted in the murder of blacks.
A great essay not in the Bloody Red River collection is The Freedmen's Bureau, established in 1865 as the Bureau of Refuges, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. While it had a great impact it also heralded the rise of the KKK and white vigilantes and President Andrew Johnson vetoed the renewal of the act in 1866.
Altogether a great resource for the histories of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. As a civil war buff I especially like the entry on Doaksville outside of Fort Towson and site of the surrender of the last Confederate Commander Stand Waite, a Cherokee leader who led renegades from as many as five tribes against Union forces.
I grew up in this general area and have spent considerable time on the Red. Now I live on the east side of the river. I can attest this is one of the most racist parts of the country. You don’t see it as openly as when I was coming up but it’s there, lurking below the surface.