Caroline Ferguson Harper
| Caroline Ferguson Harper | |
|---|---|
| Born: | December 25, 1835 |
| Died: | ~ 1900 |
| Siblings: | Julianne Ferguson
Fannie Ferguson Leah Ferguson Tom Ferguson |
| Spouse: | Louie Harper |
| Children: | Julianne Harper
Elizabeth Harper Lucinda Harper Floyd Harper David Harper Emmaline Harper Ophelia Harper Hattie Harper Henry Harper Florence Harper Louie Harper |
Early Life
Caroline Ferguson Harper was born into American slavery on December 25, 1835, in Henry County, Georgia, near what is now the city of McDonough. She and her siblings, Julianne, Fannie, Leah, and Tom, were given the surname Ferguson, of their slave master. Due to her very fair complexion and mulatto hair texture, Caroline was suspected to be the child of her slave master. This afforded her the opportunity to work as what was known as a house slave. At an early age, she met another slave by the name of Louie Harper. The pair married and bore eleven children: Julianne, Elizabeth, Lucinda, Floyd, David, Emmaline, Ophelia, Hattie, Henry, Florence, and Louie.
Gaining Freedom
As a slave, Caroline dreamed of freedom for herself and her family. Her desire was so strong that Caroline managed to escape the Ferguson plantation and evade capture. Caroline was unsatisfied with solely gaining her own freedom, so she continued to risk her life by routinely, under the cover of night, returning to the Ferguson plantation to care for her children. This went on until the master's wife declared that Caroline and her family were free. So, the reunited family made their way to the South River area, presently Georgia's Highway 54.
Though free, Caroline and Louie Harper found very limited options for their family's safe lodging, as slavery was still very much a legal institution. Even freed slaves lived in fear of lynchings and other terror that remained common for southern blacks during that time. In order to help provide for her family, Caroline found employment and lodging with a slave mistress by the name of Bella Lynch. Using the nominal wages she earned, Caroline worked to secure a yoke of oxen and then traveled to retrieve her family, which at that time consisted of seven children. The family returned with Caroline and established residency. Soon after, their family further expanded with the births of Hattie, Henry, Florence, and Louie.
Establishing a Legacy
Caroline worked long, tedious hours to earn a meager wage in order to help sustain her family. Though it was difficult, Caroline saved as much money as she could and eventually purchased several acres of land. She worked her land, plowing, tilling, and gathering crops, as well as raising chickens and cows to sell milk, eggs, and butter. The area was referred to as Harpertown. Economically, times remained hard. However, Caroline was determined to keep her children [and future descendants] from being dependent upon scraps from slave owners and strangers. She understood that her dream would only become a reality with the help of education, so Caroline instilled a thirst for knowledge in her children. She taught them what she had been able to learn. As well, Caroline sent the children to the nearest one-room schoolhouse for colored children, though it required them to walk several miles every day.
Over the years, the area where Caroline and her family owned property has grown to what is now known as Hapeville, GA, home of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Delta Airlines. The city's elementary school was named after Caroline Ferguson Harper in 1956. The school now remains open as Hapeville Elementary School, part of the Fulton County public school system.
One of Caroline's daughters, Hattie, married Thomas Coffee, grandson of Morehouse College founder William Jefferson White. Today, descendants of this union have continued a legacy of commitment to education, as many have pursued degrees in the field at Atlanta University Center schools, including Morehouse College.
References
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