Submitted
The Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum and the Shiloh Baptist Church and Cemetery Restoration Society celebrated a little known part of Saskatchewan history at an event Saturday, Aug. 3.
With the placement of a plaque at the site of Shiloh Baptist Church and Cemetery near Maidstone, the designation of the site as a heritage property was recognized.
Minister of Parks, Sport and Culture Gene Makowsky ordered the designation of the Shiloh Baptist Church and Cemetery as a Provincial Heritage Property after a public review period was concluded on Aug. 28, 2018.
He wrote “Provincial designation will formally recognize this property for its association with the history of African American settlement in Saskatchewan. As the only known surviving building from the first African American farming community in the province, the Shiloh Baptist Church and Cemetery illustrates the important role African American settlers played in shaping the identity and culture of Saskatchewan.”
From 1909 to 1910 Julius Caesar Lane and Baptist minister Joseph Mayes and wife Mattie Mayes, residents of Creek County, Okla., led a group of African American families to Saskatchewan. Canadian border entry records show at least 75 individuals representing 12 different families arrived, listing their destination as Maidstone. The church, Shiloh (first registered as Charlow) Baptist Church for people of African descent began use in 1916. The cemetery was used from 1913 to 1945 and holds what is believed to be 38 graves from the Shiloh community.
Photos by Averil Hall * Please note these photos carry the photographer's copyright and may not be reproduced from this gallery. For print requests, visit https://www.mphocus.com/
