Introduction | History | Archeological Investigations | Material Culture | Conclusions

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Conclusions
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Investigations at BRVB have demonstrated that significant archeological resources can exist in association with later 20th-century urban developments. For instance, several intact historic structural foundations were found by the north and east sides of the Monroe Elementary School, and a historic well was located in the basement of the Monroe Elementary School. In the case of the Monroe Playground Field, archeological resources are now known to exist where there was never any visible development at all.

Refugees on Levee, 1897. Carroll's Art Gallery. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

The archeological resources that exist on the BRVB property tell the story of the Monroe School neighborhood and the growth of Topeka from the late-19th-century into the 20th century. Encompassed in the history of this neighborhood is the migration of thousands of African-Americans from a repressive system with roots deep in the past, to a place they envisioned with opportunities and freedoms never available to them before. Although most Exodusters moved on to other areas, many stayed in Topeka and made it their home. Unfortunately, the opportunities for equality and freedom they had hoped for in Kansas did not materialize, and again the African-American community was forced to struggle under a repressive system of racial inequality. This is a significant period in American history that can help us better understand the dynamics of race relations at the turn of the 20th century. Because the working class neighborhood that preceded the Monroe Elementary School was previously undocumented, the combination of archeology and history will continue to provide a better understanding of the people, race relations, and historical context that set the stage for a community to change a nation.

Urban areas should not be assumed to be void of archeological deposits or features simply because none of the historic structures exist at the present time. As demonstrated at BRVB, what we see on the surface today is generally only the end result of numerous phases of construction and development that occurred over time. These developments might not be visible at the present time, but information about them may be retained in archeological signatures buried beneath the surface.

The study of late-19th and early-20th-century urban, industrial, and African-American neighborhoods has seen a marked increase in attention from archeologists and historians. Other sites in the Midwest Region with potential to inform about working-class communities and ethnic minorities include Nicodemus NHS, Kansas, and Central High School NHS, Little Rock, Arkansas. The archeological work conducted at BRVB has produced a wealth of new information about the late-19th- and early-20th-century inhabitants of the Monroe School neighborhood, and like other archeological projects, has provided new avenues and questions worthy of further investigation. Future studies focusing on the ethnic diversity and variability in the neighborhood, the effects of technological change on a community, and consumer behavior are just a few avenues which may be explored using the archeological and historical information gathered at the park.

Because BRVB was established to commemorate the significance of the court decision that was instrumental in the American Civil Rights movement, the primary mission of the park is to interpret the events surrounding that period of history. Nevertheless, the 1860s–1926 neighborhood which preceded construction of the Monroe Elementary School is highly significant in its own right. In an effort to avoid what Paul Shackel and others have labeled “time freezing” or interpreting one history at the expense of another, several similar National Park Service units, including Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Fort Smith National Historic Site, have recently chosen to expand their archeological and historical interpretations to include time periods not directly associated with the period of a park’s historical significance. The archeological study of the late-19th- and early-20th-century Monroe School neighborhood is an important part of beginning to understand the development of Topeka and as pretext for the fight for civil rights action at the Monroe Elementary School. Brown v. Board Introduction >>

Suggested Readings

Acknowledgements

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