This interesting article is from the "Special Historical Supplement" of the Crittenden Press, December 7, 1972
As has been previously noted, a large number of free black people were citizens of Marion. This was largely due to the fact that most of the County's early landowners did not condone slavery as it was practiced in the deep south, but as sort of an indenture servitude or apprenticeship.
After the death of their personal masters many of the former slaves were freed by provisions of their wills as is witnessed by the fact many of the local black people have the same family names as many of the early Crittenden County settlers.
Joined by many others from Virginia and Tennessee after the end of the Civil War, the black people moved into Marion and settled in the undeveloped section of the town nearest the places of employment of the trades in which they had become quite expert during slavery. These trades were the handling of tobacco, mineral mill work, garden farming and all types of domestic service.
About 1890, Herrod Travis organized the men who had experience in air-cured brickmaking into a company which produced most of the "soft" brick used in Marion construction before 1911.
Travis' ownership of a large part of what is now the north-western corner of Marion plus the nearness of Walker & Wilson Company's tobacco factory caused the formation of the North Marion black neighborhood.
The alleyway where the Kiln was located later widened into a street and was named Travis Street in his honor.
(Somehow someone thought to make a picture of the Travis kiln, or it may be his home, I'm not sure which, before it was torn down, this means a lot in helping preserve our past history.)
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Herrod Travis is buried in the Old Black Cemetery, located at the very end of N. Weldon St. in the wooded area. His tombstone reads King Herod Travis.
