Decades ago, long before slavery was abolished, it was a thriving market in Kentucky. Several of our larger cities, including Lexington, had a very high-profit margin when it came to human trafficking. There is one spot in particular with a dark history in Kentucky, where people gather now to enjoy good times and music:
When the people of Lexington hear ...
...the name Cheapside Park, the first thing that comes to mind is the Thursday summertime concerts in the evening. However, this pleasant spot of summer fun has not always been about fun. It was one of the first public spaces in Lexington, and its purpose was one of sales… human sales.
Back in 1781, Cheapside was a a public square.
It was located between West Main, West Short, North Upper and North Mill, and the original purpose was a courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1782 on what is now Broadway, but was Main Street at the time. A public school house was also there, but it didn’t stay open long. Over a period of a few years, three different courthouses were built. Prior to that… it was a local gathering spot.
Why call it Cheapside?
The name was derived from Old English ceapan, and is said to mean "marketplace." It was known as a good place to purchase inexpensive goods of a variety. This worked out perfectly as Lexington was known as a trade town.
As a trade town, it didn’t take long for Lexington’s reputation to grow.
It quickly became the largest slave market in the south. Sales were quick and easy. Locals and travelers could find anything you’d need at the auction, including food, livestock, hemp and humans.
The auction was to the southeast, the whipping post to the northeast.
In 1826, a 10-foot tall, 1-foot diameter locust log was installed for the purpose of publically punishing slaves. A nearby poplar tree replaced the locust when it wore out in the 1840s.
Slaves outnumbered the slave owners.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Lexington was home to well over 10,000 slaves, and only 1,700 slave owners. Abe Lincoln’s own father in law, Robert Todd, even collected debts by slave trade, much to Lincoln’s dismay.
Slave trade laws were largely ignored.
The laws passed regarding slaves were considered non existent in Lexington and Louisville. Though some residents were dismayed over the human sales, the majority of the white citizens preferred to ignore the cruelty… unless a slave looked to white.
It took quite a while for the anti-slavery movement to take hold in Lexington, as some corrupt slave traders continued to do business long after laws were passed. Had the Civil War not occurred, likely people in pro-slave communities would still be content with having unpaid servants to do their bidding. Cheapside has a dark history in Kentucky, despite the pleasantries that occur there now. No all of Kentucky’s history of dark times pertains to slavery, the Great Depression took its toll as well. You can learn more about Kentucky’s struggles here.
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