Ancestral Bridges

Gaylord Street, Amherst

Hope Church & Goodwin A.M.E. Zion Church
Hope Church and Goodwin A.M.E. Zion Church, the first and oldest Black churches in Amherst, share a history that roots from a home service that took place in 1825. In the center of this photo are members of the Thompson, Bateman, and Roberts families, some of the oldest African-American and Indigenous families of Amherst. Members of these families served in the all-Black Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Regiment and the all-Black Massachusetts 5th Volunteer Cavalry. The 5th Cavalry were among the soldiers to arrive in Texas on June 19, 1865 to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 that made slavery illegal in the Confederate states. Learn more about Goodwin A.M.E. Zion Church's history on their website. 

The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was the 1st African American regiment organized by the northern states. Black men were recruited by Fredrick Douglas and other prominent abolitionists from Massachusetts. The unit began in February 1863, commanded by Col. Robert G. Shaw who was killed in the battle at Fort Wagner, S. C. on July 18, 1863 along with over 100 soldiers of the 54th Regiment. For the next 2 years, the 54th Regiment was successful in sieging confederate operations in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. 

The 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment was the only Cavalry Regiment from Massachusetts composed exclusively of African American men, mustered into the Union Army by companies at dates ranging from January 1864 to May 1864. The total enrollment of the regiment consisted of 2 battalions, 61 officers, and 1325 men. The 5th Cavalry was ordered to Galveston Texas on June  19, 1865 to secure and establish the end of slavery with the last state holding out to do so.  The 5th Cavalry remained in Clarksville and Galveston, Texas until October 31, 1865 to ensure the freedom and safety of freed slaves. 

Due to the efforts of Dudley Bridges Sr., and his family, important aspects of Amherst’s history were brought to attention. Dudley worked to obtain National Historic Register status for the Westside District of Snell Street, Hazel Avenue, and Baker Street. This is one of several neighborhoods in Amherst with significant cultural history for Black and Indigenous people. 

The Civil War Tablets are now on display at the Bangs Community Center in downtown Amherst due to Dudley’s and his family’s persistence. The tablets were given to the town in 1893 by the Grand Army of the Republic to honor more than 300 Union soldiers and sailors from Amherst. Many of the names are familiar ones in Amherst: Dickinson, Cowls, Kellogg. Each man and his family made a difficult choice and great sacrifice to enlist. Perhaps none so much as the Black soldiers from the 54th Volunteer Regiment and 5th Cavalry who travelled through and to very  hostile territory to notify residents of Texas that the Civil War had ended and that the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 made slavery illegal in the confederate states. 

Dudley’s wife, Doris Roberts, was a descendant of Christopher Thompson. Christopher and his brother Charles Thompson were among the soldiers to arrive in Texas in 1865 and christen the now federal holiday of Juneteenth. Christopher died a pauper in Amherst on November 5, 1898, he was 79 years old. 

These Amherst men- the Thompsons, Josiah Hasbrouck, James Finnemore may not yet have streets after them, but should be remembered for advancing the belief that all are created equal. We remember their service and contributions that make Amherst an important place in the history of Juneteenth.