From her arrival within the late1860s to her loss of life in December, 1912, Auntie Fletcher was among the best identified Black ladies in Des Moines. For years she labored as a laundress for white pioneer and settler households. In direction of the top of her life, Auntie Fletcher lived on the foot of a public dump the current day Courtroom Avenue district the place supported herself by elevating chickens and promoting rags. Although she died fairly poor, she died free and proud within the house she constructed out of lumber, logs and sticks salvaged from the Des Moines River. To honor her story, the Iowa Black Historical past Analysis Collective has determined to inform Auntie Fletcher’s story in her personal phrases, as quoted within the Des Moines Register in April of 1912.
“I used to be born in Virginia and got here with my grasp’s household to Missouri after I was 5 years previous…They put me on the block they usually known as out ‘ going for $300 who will bid extra?’ Then any individual would bid a little bit extra and Mr. (Elijah) Patterson bid $600. The person doing the calling hit me on the pinnacle till I assumed he had cracked it and stated I used to be offered to Mr. Patterson.”
“Mr. Patterson stored me with the remainder of the darkies till after the struggle. I needed to work mighty laborious within the fields on a regular basis. The meals was simply the coarsest they might give us however I reckon it was wholesome as a result of none of us acquired sickly on it. When Mr. Lincoln set us darkies free, I didn’t know of it for a very long time. Mr. Patterson didn’t inform us. Once we heard it we began for the north. I attempted to however he shut me up in a cabin and locked me in, however simply as quickly as I may get away I escaped with my kids.”
“I tied rags to the ft of my kids however I used to be barefooted and we walked all the best way to Canton. Once we acquired there, I used to be instructed we may go to a negro ladies’s house however she stated she had seven in her household and couldn’t take us in. I simply requested her if I may depart the youngsters there and she or he had no place to place them, however I instructed her I’d discover a place. I acquired a
field, only a frequent extraordinary field and put some clear straw in. I put the youngsters within the field they usually slept by the range that means for a lot of nights. I by no means had any cash however I needed to have some mighty fast or my kids would starve. I heard a person ask one other man to chop some wooden. The person stated it was too chilly to cut wooden. I requested if I may do it and he let me. He gave me fifty cents and I purchased some meal and bacon. The subsequent day I stacked the wooden that I had lower and he gave me one other fifty cents and I purchased some bread and a few butter. It was the primary wheat bread I had tasted in a very long time and it was mighty good.”
“How come I to Des Moines? Nicely, my mom got here out right here and I made a decision to go to her. I had three kids then. Then I married Mr. Fletcher right here and simply staid. That’s all.”