Ex-Slave Was a Success in Early Independence

Biographical article with photo about Hiram Young (1815-1882), a wagon-maker and ex-slave in 19th century Independence, Missouri. Young is described as "one of the richest men in Jackson County" by 1860 and "one of the area's first successful businessmen." He also helped to start a school for black children in Independence and to bring the African Methodist Episcopal Church there. "Young School opened in 1874 under the direction of the Independence School District. It was replaced with a new building in 1934, and it remained a blacks-only school until the U.S. Supreme Court ordered schools to desegregate in 1954. It later housed special education classes but was closed in 1979 and now is a warehouse for the district's food service program."