St. Paul's new link to Black history
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Moses Dickson, 1824-1901. Photo via the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Finding Moses project
A Minnesota historian has discovered new records showing that prominent Black abolitionist Moses Dickson — who was heavily involved in the Underground Railroad — lived in St. Paul for several years in the 1850s.
Why it matters: Independent historian Karen Sieber's discovery raises the possibility that pre-statehood Minnesota may have been far more important to the anti-slavery movement than previously understood.
The intrigue: Multiple historical sources say Dickson was active in the Underground Railroad during the same period. However, Sieber has yet to find a record that clearly shows he helped Black people escape slavery during his time in Minnesota.
What they're saying: Evidence of Dickson's presence in St. Paul "feels to me like the tip of an iceberg," Lindenwood University professor emeritus Jeff Smith told Axios.
- He said the stunning find suggests the need for more research.
Catch up quick: Dickson is important to historians because of his eloquent anti-slavery writings and abolitionist work before the Civil War — and his philanthropy and political work afterward.
- Born free in 1824, Dickson founded two secret organizations in his early 20s that were "determined to organize the slaves throughout the South and … strike for freedom."
- Dickson said the groups organized 40,000 people toward a revolt; however, Sieber notes that this, like many of Dickson's claims, is hard to independently verify.
- The group later abandoned their plot. Dickson said he also met with abolitionist John Brown and urged him to call off his famous 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry after concluding that all-out civil war was inevitable.
Yes, but: For years, Smith said, historians weren't able to pin down exactly where Dickson lived during this key period in his life.
- That's where Sieber came in.
Tracking Moses down
Sieber already knew Dickson had lived in Galena, Illinois, in the late 1840s and 1850s through her past work as curator of Galena's historical society.
The big picture: Sieber began hunting for Dickson's relatives in records from other Northern states along the Mississippi River.
She finally located his wife, Mary — also remembered for her leadership in Reconstruction-era philanthropy — in Minnesota's territorial census.
- The discovery led Sieber to more sources detailing the Dicksons' life in St. Paul from roughly 1850 until perhaps as late as 1859 or 1860.
Zoom in: By 1852, the Dicksons were running one of the city's few restaurants, which Sieber notes would have brought them in contact with important white men in the fledgling territorial capital. (Dining out was a luxury at the time.)
- By 1856, Dickson was working as a barber.
Between the lines: Sieber has no direct evidence but notes that Dickson's restaurant would have been a perfect place for anti-slavery activists to meet and organize.
- Known Underground Railroad agents Joseph Farr and William Taylor also arrived in St. Paul from Galena in the early 1850s, although Farr never mentioned Dickson in his writings.
- Sieber's research suggests the Dicksons split time between St. Paul and Galena, which would've provided them more safe spaces from which to operate.
"Minnesota has never really been considered an active Underground Railroad location," Sieber said. "The fact that there's potentially multiple actors all living here in St. Paul at the same time is really interesting."
- So far, St. Paul's Pilgrim Baptist Church is Minnesota's only site with a documented connection to the Railroad — but for events that likely occurred after Dickson left the state.
Where the Dicksons went next
By 1860, Moses and Mary Dickson had moved to St. Louis, where both had ties.
After the Civil War, Dickson helped found the International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor — a philanthropy to assist formerly enslaved people navigate a post-slavery society.
- Smith likened it to an early version of the Urban League.
Dickson was also a preacher, active in Reconstruction-era politics, and co-founded Lincoln University of Missouri, a historically Black school still operating today.
But even in his Minnesota days, Dickson was known as a well-spoken advocate for slavery's abolition.
Flashback: After the U.S. Supreme Court issued its infamous ruling in the Dred Scott case denying citizenship to African Americans, Dickson penned an 1857 letter to the Minnesota Weekly Times:
"What kind of institution is a negro? Who am I? I am not an alien, for I was born on American soil. I am not a citizen, for you and your subordinates, the five slaveholders, say I am not. I am a thing. I live, breathe, eat, work, think, die, and if I have a soul — does it go before the eternal judge? Or does the Supreme Court take care of that, too?"
He signed his letter, "Yours, an Alien American, MOSES DICKSON."
What's next: Sieber continues to search for more records from Dickson's life and contribute to "a better understanding of the 19th-century Black experience before the war."
- Last month, the Minnesota Historical Society awarded Sieber a fellowship, the latest of several modest grants that will help her keep digging.
Go deeper: Sieber's full write-up on Dickson's life at the Finding Moses project