The Chadakoin Valley Project looks to collect historical information to tell the stories of the Black community in the city of Jamestown. Submitted photo

The history of Jamestown’s Black community dates all the way back to when the city first began.

This history and the stories of the city’s Black community have often been under-documented and underexplored, and have also not often reflected the lived experiences of the community itself, something that the newly begun Chadakoin Valley Project has been created to change.

The mission of the Chadakoin Valley Project is to preserve and share Jamestown’s Black history through the voices of those who lived it. The project focuses on authentic perspectives, working to ensure this history is both remembered and honored. This is also shown through the name, Chadakoin Valley Project, paying tribute to both the Chadakoin Park, which has long served as a gathering place for the Black community, and to the Valley Striders, a track club founded by Black residents that later gave rise to the Chautauqua Striders.

Project lead, Patricia Graves, said the project originally came about when the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation board was looking to explore adding another historical district in the city. When they were working on this, she said they were told the current cultural resource survey was out of date, as it was last updated in 1993. The survey looks at both historic buildings and the history of different ethnic groups in the city, and Graves said she was brought in to look at the history of the Little Africa neighborhood and work on collecting information to help with the creation of a potential historic district.

Graves is working with the Fenton History Center as both the fiscal sponsor and for help collecting all of the information from members of the community. The Fenton History Center is also home to a scan lab so as documents and information are collected they will scan the documents to help create a digital archive that will be a collection spanning off of the Fenton’s website.

Graves noted that the African American community has been in the city since 1827 when it was created as a village, and before that, but she added none of their contributions have been seen as prevalent to the city’s history.

“We do not teach history to include their contributions and we want to educate people on this community and tell their story using their voices and not through the voices of others,” Graves said. “Our goal for this project is not only the digital library but to also showcase this history through museums or artscapes, to honor the history that we find as well.”

The Chadakoin Valley Project is one that is important for the city, she said, as it is important to tell these historical stories and to see them as a part of the whole city’s history as well.

“In a time when people are trying to erase history it is important for us to catch these actual stories,” Graves said. “The stories of the Black community in Jamestown are looked at as separate but they are a part of the whole city’s history and it is important that the whole story gets told.”

While the project focuses on the history of Jamestown’s Black community, Graves said people should know that the overall project is focusing on giving a voice to those who are often voiceless or told from another’s perspective. They are encouraging people to share their stories, not only of the Black community but also of the other communities that the Black community has worked with and recognizing those allies throughout history that have helped make those accomplishments possible.

Graves added that they are looking for help from the community as this project continues.

“We are looking for volunteers to help,” Graves said. “If you have information that you feel is relevant to the project we are happy to accept that as well.”

If interested in helping in any way or learning more about the project, email Graves at Janel.Graves@gmail.com.