Colonel Allensworth

Colonel Allensworth 
Historical State Park Brochure

"Somewhere, Sometime, Your Dream Has Been To Have A Home."
— Allen Allensworth

In 1908 a group of Black Americans led by Colonel Allen Allensworth founded a town that would combine pride of ownership, equality of opportunity, and high ideals. Today California State Parks is committed to the town's renaissance as a living example of the American spirit. Enjoy the video and virtual audio tour below.




CLICK HERE for the entire brochure. CREDIT: Special thanks goes to Steven M. Ptomey, M.A. RPA, California State Park Interpreter III and Park Manager at the Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park who is the voice.

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Brochure Stop 01: Railroad Station Stop 02: Johnson Home and Bakery Stop 03: Howard Home Stop 04: Hindsman Store Stop 05: Hindsman Home Stop 06: Singleton Home and Store Stop 07: Allensworth Hotel Stop 08: Smith Home Stop 09: Milner's Barbershop Stop 10: William Scott and Mary Gross Drugstore Stop 11: Mary Dickerson Memorial Library Stop 12: Allensworth Schoolhouse Stop 13: Phillips Home Stop 14: Allensworth's Home Stop 15: Ashby Home|Dairy Barn Stop 16: Dotson Home and Livery Stable Stop 16: Dotson Home and Restaurant Stop 17: Stockett Home Stop 18: Hackett Home Stop 18: Hackett Barn Stop 19: First Baptist Church Stop 20: Carter Home Stop 20: Carter Livery Stable Visit To Image HTML Map generator

Stop 01: Railroad Station ParkMap

Allensworth Railroad Station by The City Project

Stop 02: Johnson Home and Bakery ParkMap

Johnson Home and Bakery by The City Project

Stop 03: Howard Home ParkMap

Howard Home by The City Project

Stop 04: Hindsman Store ParkMap

Hindsman Store by The City Project

Stop 05: Hindsman Home ParkMap

Hindsman Home by The City Project

Stop 06: Singleton Home and Store ParkMap

Singleton Home and Store by The City Project

Stop 07: Allensworth Hotel ParkMap

Allensworth Hotel by The City Project

Stop 08: Smith Home ParkMap

Smith Home by The City Project

Stop 09: Milner's Barbershop ParkMap

Milner's Barbershop by The City Project

Stop 10: Scott and Gross Drugstore ParkMap

William Scott and Mary Gross Drugstore by The City Project

Stop 11: Mary Dickerson Library ParkMap

Dickerson Memorial Library by The City Project

Stop 12: Allensworth Schoolhouse ParkMap

Allensworth Schoolhouse by The City Project

Stop 13: Phillips Home ParkMap

Phillips Home by The City Project

Stop 14: Allensworth's Home ParkMap

Colonel Allensworth's Home by The City Project

Stop 15: Ashby Home|Dairy Barn ParkMap

Ashby Home and Dairy Barn by The City Project

Stop 16: Dotson Home and Livery ParkMap

Dotson Home and Livery Stable by The City Project

Stop 17: Stockett Home ParkMap

Stockett Home by The City Project

Stop 18: Hackett Home ParkMap

Hackett Home by The City Project

Stop 19: First Baptist Church ParkMap

First Baptist Church by The City Project

Stop 20: Carter Home and Livery ParkMap

Carter Home and Livery Stable by Kenneth A. Larson
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Allensworth's First Baptist Church

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The "Saving Allensworth" Video


Video Interviews

Walter Hoye on location with Joe Bailey, a volunteer patrol officer for the Tulare County Sheriff Department and one of the last residents of Allensworth and Steven M. Ptomey, M.A. RPA, California State Park Interpreter III and Park Manager at the Colonel Allensworth State Historical ParkTop

01: Published on Mar 01, 2015
02: Published on Mar 01, 2015
03: Published on Mar 01, 2015
Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park



California's Only Black American Town

Some three hundred (300) families did relocate to California's Central Valley between 1908 and 1918 to establish Allensworth, a town Black Americans could call their own.



Imagine you were a young Black man, the son of slaves, living in a Northern city around 1910, struggling to build a better life for your family. Or maybe you lived in the South and were still at work in the fields that your parents worked as slaves. You might have been surprised to hear of a new town in California founded by former slaves and their descendants, led by a retired 10th Cavalry officer, Colonel Allen Allensworth. Would you hesitate to move to this place? Nah, I didn't think you would. You would have been among some three hundred families making the save move. Challenged by a variety of circumstances and doomed when a water company failed to come through on its promises, the town nonetheless still stands, now as Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. More than twenty (20) buildings in the downtown area have been or are being restored to resemble the town as it was from 1908 to 1918. California's Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park is a destination every Black American should visit, support and call their own. Click here to learn how the town of Allensworth became a California State Historical Park. Click here to learn more and how you can join the Friends of Allensworth (FOA). Top


Allensworth Historical Cemetery

Black pioneers And Buffalo Soldiers Are Buried In This Cemetery



Allensworth Historical Cemetery Grave Stones

Ann Pierson Tomb Stone!In the shadow of the state park here that has seen its share of attention this year sits a historic cemetery that languishes in neglect. Some of Allensworth's founders are buried in it, but many of the graves are unmarked. Allensworth Cemetery Sign!The cemetery sits 1.5 miles south of the park and the present community of Allensworth, whose founder, Colonel Allen Allensworth, in 1908 created the state's only town to be governed and supported by blacks. Black pioneers and Buffalo soldiers are buried in this cemetery, exactly how many is unknown. No paved roads lead to this cemetery — just a dusty, dirt path. No walls mark the perimeter of this cemetery — just a handful of metal poles that once supported a chain-link fence. No manicured lawn comforts visitors to this cemetery — just weeds and hard earth. There are headstones that include wooden crosses and more modern concrete grave markers — some of which are well-weathered and unreadable, while others appear to have been cracked under the tires of a tractor. The deterioration can be traced to the cemetery's remote location and the ambiguity over who is responsible for its upkeep. For the whole story, click here.Top


Meet The Friends Of Allensworth

The Friends of Allensworth Chapters promote Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park statewide.

Amanda Moore and Tropper Emmett and Emaily Harden Amanda Moore Tropper Emmett and Emaily Harden Image HTML map generator
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Buffalo Soldiers At Allensworth State Park

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July 28th ❘ Buffalo Soldiers Day




FOA Friends

The Issues4Life Foundation is a
LifeTime Sponsor of the Friends of Allensworth (FOA).

The Friends of Allensworth (FOA) is a non-profit cooperating association that works in partnership with the State of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation. The mission of the Friends of Allensworth is to support, promote and advance the educational and interpretive activities of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. To read our letter from the Friends of Allensworth click here.Top


Learn More About The Town of Allensworth

Here is your chance to tour California's only all Black American town from the Friends of Allensworth.



There is still a dream to believe in. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is a state park unit of California, United States, preserving Allensworth, the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans. The small farming community was founded in 1908 by Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, Professor William Payne, William Peck, a minister; John W. Palmer, a miner; and Harry A. Mitchell, a real estate agent, dedicated to improving the economic and social status of African Americans. Colonel Allensworth (1842-1914) had a friendship with Booker T. Washington and was inspired by the Tuskegee Institute and development in its neighboring town. Allensworth hoped to develop the "Tuskegee of the West". Uncontrollable circumstances, including a drop in the area's water table, resulted in the town's demise.




Allensworth is now an unincorporated area in Tulare County. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is also an Amtrak conditional-flag-stop train station on the San Joaquin trains. This video was produced by the Friends of Allensworth (FOA). To learn more about the park and how you can join the Friends of Allensworth (FOA) and their mission to to increase the public's awareness of Colonel Allen Allensworth click here. Top


Booker T. Washington and Colonel Allensworth

Learn Both The Story And The Values of Booker T. Washington



Allensworth was an admirer of the African-American educator Booker T. Washington, who was the founding president and longtime leader of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Allensworth dreamed that his new community could be self-sufficient and become known as the "Tuskegee of the West". So rather than spending his golden years in the California sunshine, Allensworth continued to promote the Black American race and promulgate the teachings of another individual who had come up from slavery, Booker T. Washington. The colonel, an ardent supporter of the Tuskegean, believed that if the race was to rise, blacks had to be willing to do for themselves, to rely on black self-help efforts, rather than on white philanthropy. The video above is courtsey of the Booker T. Washington Society. This brief video shares both the story and the values of Booker T. Washington. Top

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