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| Lee County, first established in 1836, was one of the first counties to be settled in what became the state of Iowa. The bottom portion of the county known as “The Half-Breed Tract” was opened up for settlement in the 1820’s to those of mixed Indian ancestry. The top part of the county was opened to settlement along with the rest of the Black Hawk Purchase in 1833. The African American community in Lee County today has its roots in the period before the Civil War. The first recorded African Americans in Lee County were three slaves belonging to Indian trader, Joseph Palean who reportedly sued to obtain their freedom after his death. While historically, there were a number of African American farmers in Lee County particularly near the towns of Argyle, Croton, New Boston, and Montrose, the majority of the African American population in Lee County has centered on the two major towns, Keokuk and Fort Madison. Keokuk has generally had the larger African American population. While there are strong similarities between the African American communities there are also some differences. |