Preserving Black History in Minnesota

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A historic home once owned by Prince Albert Honeycutt, a pioneering figure in Minnesota history, is set to be restored and preserved.

Honeycutt, the state’s first Black professional baseball player, firefighter, and mayoral candidate, left an enduring legacy. An anonymous donor has stepped forward to secure the property.

A GoFundMe has been launched to raise funds for its restoration so the home can become a museum.

About Prince Albert Honeycutt Honeycutt

Prince Albert Honeycutt was born December 28, 1852 into slavery in Tennessee. When Union troops under General William Sherman marched in town, Honeycutt got permission from his mother, Sophia Gardner, to march with them. Too young to enlist in the military, Honeycutt served as a camp helper for a white officer named Captain James Compton of the 52nd Illinois Infantry. He remained with Compton throughout the war as one of the many enslaved people known as “contrabands” who actively pursued their own freedom by assisting the Union Army.

When the war ended, Honeycutt joined Compton’s family when they relocated to the newly organized Minnesota town of Fergus Falls in 1872.

Pillar of the community

After he arrived, Honeycutt immediately became a pillar of the community. Local newspapers reported him in every facet. He organized the first baseball team in Fergus Falls, called the North Star Club, in 1873, and is recognized as the first professional Black baseball player in Minnesota history.

Honeycutt volunteered with the local fire department in 1874. As one of the first Black firefighters in the state, he was in charge of ringing the fire bell to sound the alarm for other firefighters. He was elected fire department steward and represented Fergus Falls at a statewide firemen’s convention held in Ashby in 1890.

Honeycutt learned how to barber from a fellow Civil War veteran and then opened his own shop in downtown Fergus Falls in 1884.

In 1878, Honeycutt married a white woman named Lena Marston, which caused a statewide controversy. Citizens wrote letters to newspapers threatening violence. Allies, such as Honeycutt’s friend James Compton, who served as a witness at the wedding ceremony, stood by the couple. They had two children together before Lena died in 1882. One year later, Honeycutt got remarried to a woman named Nancy Brown. The couple had two daughters, Rose and Inez.

Prince Albert Honeycutt home

The Honeycutt home became a busy place and staple within the community. The Honeycutt family would host parties, weddings, and when Black visitors came to town, they boarded with the Honeycutt’s.

Prince Honeycutt died in 1924 and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Fergus Falls, next to his family members.

GoFundMe

If you are interested in donating to the restoration of the home, visit the GoFundMe.