Among the County's First African Americans
Peter and Luke Phillips
written August 4, 2009
Submitted by Diane Hitchcock-Owens
The progenitor of the Phillips family is Peter Phillips, a freed slave from Edgecombe Co., NC, born in 1832. Peter had served in the Union Army during the Civil War. For his service Peter received land in Indiana. According to 1870 census records he was living in Edgecombe Co., NC, with his wife, Mahalla/Matilda, and three children.
According to family tradition, Peter and his son, Luke Phillips, Sr., walked from North Carolina to Owen County circa 1880. Peter had two other children, Lucinda and Bert. They went to either Virginia or Washington, DC.
1880 census records for Owen Co., IN, show a Peter Phillips, age 48, living in the same household as Abner Phillips, age 49. It is has been reported Abner and Peter were cousins.
Abner’s wife is listed as Susan, age 30. Peter is listed having a wife, Hannah, age 31. Hannah is most likely a 2nd wife. These men may be related to a Peter Phillips who died on March 26, 1893, at the age of 82 in Owen County, Indiana.
Family tradition tells the story of Phillips and Luke taking the train from Bloomington, Indiana, to Gosport, Indiana. From Gosport they walked until “their money ran out” and settled near Carp where Peter bought 50 acres of land. There he farmed the land which was said to have been basically swamp land but he apparently was able to farm it successfully.
Peter’s son, Luke Phillps, Sr., was born in Edgcombe Co., NC, in 1857. He was in his early twenties when he arrived in Owen Co., IN, with his father. There he worked various jobs.
Luke attended the Greencastle Methodist Church in Putnam Co., where he met Sarah Edmondson/Edmerson. Luke would walk the distance of about 20 miles to “court” Sarah. They were married in 1885.
Sarah Edmondson/Edmerson, daughter of Charity (Gray) and Adam Edmondson/Edmerson. was born on Oct. 15, 1868, in Edgecombe Co., NC.
Luke and Sarah had eleven children, nine of whom survived. Two sets of twins were among the children. Roy and Virgil did not survive. The other set of twins were George and Frances.
The family eventually m oved south of Hudson Hill Cemetery where they established their farm. This farm exists today on Phillips Rd.
Luke worked on the William Alverson and the Albert Milligan farms. He also worked at the Romona Stone Quarry. He would walk each day from his home at Hudson Hill to the Quarry.
It was at the Milligan farm Luke met Alice Milligan, sister of Albert and daughter of Rev. Thomas Milligan (Bethany Presbyterian Church) Alice taught Luke reading, writing, and math. Luke and Sarah’s children attended Alverson Elementary school. Over the years the family worked to acquire several acres of land that they farmed.
The following is a story that has been told when Luke Phillips hired some men to do some threshing on his farm. The custom was for the hired workers to have their noon meal with the farm family.
On this occasion, rather than going to the farm house for the noon meal, the workers had brought their lunches and started to eat on a nearby hill. The foreman, Otis Dunning, feeling this was rude, told his men they could either go to the farm house for the meal that had been prepared or not work for him. The workers then went to the farm house for a meal that had been elegantly prepared with linens and their best dishes. AND the food was the BEST they had eaten. From then on the Phillips farm was a favorite place to work.
Another story about Luke Phillips reflects the character of Luke Phillips, Sr. Owing Lillie Spangler-Truax 15 cents for pasture rental, Luke walked over two miles to her house to pay her. He told Lillie
"I'm probably going to hell after this life, but it won't be for cheating a widow".
Luke died in 1932. Sarah died in 1952. Both are buried in Hudson Hill Cemetery, Owen County Indiana