06-02-2025
Black History Month — Highlighting Boe Bladen, the first African-American property owner in Erie region
We kick off our coverage for Black History Month Wednesday with a look back at the first African-American property owner in the Erie region.
What historians now know about Boe Bladen is on display at the Hagen History Center.
AHN Saint Vincent kicks off Black History Month with special celebration
According to their Story of Us exhibit, Bladen probably arrived here in 1795 as Captain John Grubb's slave.
But just a year later, Bladen was a free man who was somehow able to purchase his own plot of land in Millcreek Township.
It's believed that his wife remained a slave throughout her life. But his two sons inherited the farm and passed it down for two generations.
'Right off [the] Cherry Street Extension, there's a small windy road called Bladen Road. There's three street signs that have Bladen Road on it. It's right on the corner of the Glenwood neighborhood,' said Adam Macrino, director of programming at the Haggen History Center.
To learn more on Boe Bladen, tune in for our Black History Month special airing on February 18.
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