Local History:
While her books are being released in conjunction with Black History Month, Salter Johnson sees more to them. “I actually don’t think of my work as a study of ‘Black History in Stephenson County,’” she says.
“Instead, I believe that the book is about the history of Stephenson County. I tell the stories of the freed men and women who migrated to Stephenson County over the hundred year period from 1830-1930. The 350-page book chronicles the lives of the early Black settlers and the impact of this migration on this small Midwestern County and its county seat, Freeport. The book documents some of the impact of this migration, on the county and on the newly-arrived families.”
