Huggart Settlement
Located near present day Potato Creek State Park, the Huggart Settlement is regarded as
the first rural Black settlement in Northern Indiana. This settlement was initially established in
1834 by Samuel and Andrew Huggart. Andrew Huggart arrived to the area in 1848. Over the course of the next 15 years, the brothers split ownership of the land Samuel had purchased between the two of them. They purchased an additional 80 acres, further expanding their business. Despite some family members being trained in other trades, Huggart Settlement made most of its income from farming and agriculture.
Families in the settlement shared the burden of farm work with one another and with their neighbors across Union Township, many of whom were anti-slavery Quakers. Over time, Andrew became a prominent figure in the local community. He served as superintendent of a Sunday school at a nearby church. In his obituary, he was recognized as “the first colored man to run for office” in St. Joseph County, though the position he ran for is unknown. According to local resident Charles Bowers, “… when the last of the Huggarts left Union Township, their friends and neighbors held a sad but festive farewell gathering in their honor, in character with the life they had shared as pioneers.”
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