Nicodemus, Kansas is a small community in north central Kansas, named after an escaped slave who bought his way to freedom. On April 18, 1877, six freed slaves and one white man, W.R. Hill, formed the town council. They would recruit over 350 ex-slaves who came by train and foot to start the town. With limited resources like timber to build adequate homes, the people lived in dugouts that caused major issues like infestation, ventilation and leaky roofs.
