Standing just inside the entrance to Evergreen Cemetery in Muskegon is a 10-foot monument with the carving of a single hand. Evergreen is the final resting place for many people who built Muskegon into “Lumber Queen” and the “Port City” more than a century ago.
But this monument stands as a testament to something far more important than remembering those who brought fortune to this small city on the Lake Michigan shore. This monument is the grave marker for Captain Jonathan Walker.
Capt. Walker was not from Muskegon. He was from Harwich, Mass., and his once famous story unfolded long before he and his wife settled in the Muskegon area. Capt. Walker is the Man with the Branded Hand.
In 1844. Walker attempted to ferry slaves from Florida to the British West Indies, which had abolished slavery. Unfortunately, Capt. Walker fell seriously ill during the voyage and his crew lacked navigation skills. They were all eventually rescued but Capt. Walker was imprisoned for stealing slaves and the slaves were likely sent back to their owners in Florida.
For his role in transporting the slaves, Capt. Walker’s hand was branded with SS to forever identify him as a Slave Stealer. For years afterward, Capt. Walker traveled the country as an abolitionist, lecturing about the sins of slavery. In 1860s, he and his wife move to the Muskegon area. Capt. Walker died in 1878.
My parents and I moved to Muskegon in 1974. I was 10 and, having been raised in Chicago, I was excited about the opportunity to explore this sleepy little city. Despite my age, I was no stranger to Muskegon. I visited my grandmothers a couple times each year, taking the C&O train each way. (I’ll save my tales of being a young train conductor for another blog post.)
My mom said we moved to Muskegon because I wanted to live there after Grandma Wickham died. I never doubted that rationale, though, I am sure a lot more thought went into the process of uprooting the family and moving across the lake.
Anyway, moving to Muskegon was a great opportunity to explore a new land, particularly the trio of cemeteries that existed beyond my bedroom window. Oakwood, the largest, was imposing in size and fun to explore. Its roads provided a safe haven for bike riding and its seemingly endless rows of weathered tombstones fueled my already Edgar Allen Poe-influenced imagination. (Yes, as a pre-teen, I loved listening to my dad read The Raven or my mom reciting The Bells).
Restlawn Cemetery was situated north of Oakwood. Its vast expanse of grass-level set tombstones was less inviting for youthful explorers. We - my neighborhood friends and I - would only venture through Restlawn if we needed a short cut to that part of town.
To the west of Oakwood was Evergreen. Evergreen was eerie with its stately mausoleums and ornate tombs. It was home - in a manner of speaking - to people who built Muskegon into a thriving lumber center and port city. It was also home to the mysterious monument marking Capt. Walker’s grave.
I don’t remember when I first saw the branded hand or when I asked my parents what it meant. I know I learned the story at an early age and, when my parents died in 2009, I found in their belongings a small, yellowed book that told Capt. Walker’s tale.
That book and what scant information exists online is all I know about Capt. Walker. And, for much of my life, that is all that really mattered. Growing up, I viewed Capt. Walker as a hero of sorts but, beyond that, paid little attention to the story.
In the wake of the recent debate about systemic racism, I started thinking about what I know about slavery. Beyond watching Roots when I was younger, I never really sought to understand slavery and its pivotal role in our country.
But in recent months, I have noticed more discussion taking place. In books: I am reading about the history of rum and its origin is deeply steeped in the slave trade and sugar. On podcasts: As a foodie, I listen to Milk Street and a number of guests have revealed tantalizing details about how blacks, namely slaves, were instrumental in guiding our food tastes.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency among white Americans to dismiss these stories. “Why does everything have to be about slavery?” we ask each time a story appears in the news.
Well, because - like it or not - the birth and growth of our country, our culture and our society are inextricably tied to slavery. Whites don’t like this because it dredges up the evil things our ancestors did from 1619 when the first slaves arrived in the New World and 1865 at the end of the Civil War.
Rationalizations are easy to come by, but acknowledgement that our country was built on the backs of slaves is difficult to stomach for many. After all, growing up, we were taught how honorable and upright the Founding Fathers were and how noble their cause was to break from Britain. The ugly side of our country’s birth has been whitewashed to a great extent and to a great disservice to all of us. Many of the Fathers we revere owned slaves.
So, how do we start to understand the impact slavery had and continues to have on our country? For starters, don’t be dismissive of history.
Side trips through history help connect the dots and provide context. I am increasingly applying the lesson I learned when training to be a reporter. Seek the truth.
Don’t take one person’s word as gospel. Talk to as many people, read as many books and listen to as many stories as you can to piece together the truest picture of the past and present.
Slavery is a shameful part of our history but it is not something we should try to purge from our memories. As much as we remember the likes of Capt. Walker, let’s seek out the stories of blacks who sacrificed even more to help forge this country of ours.
By understanding our history, we will come closer to understanding what changes we need to make to ensure equality for all in 2020 and beyond.
Postscript:
The abolitionist and poet John Greenleaf Whittier tried to balance his praise for those fighting slavery with impassioned pleas to view slaves as people not property. His poem, The Branded Hand, paid tribute to Capt. Walker’s efforts and how the SS symbolized the anti-slavery movement. Another poem, Our Countrymen in Chains stressed the hypocrisy of slavery in the United States.
Here are some links about Capt. Walker: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/ntf_member/ntf_member_details.htm?SPFID=4071195&SPFTerritory=NULL&SPFType=NULL&SPFKeywords=NULL
The following is a Google epub boom that was published a year after Walker's death.
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