As Black History Month comes to a close, it is only fitting that we share a bit of Meeker County’s Black history. If you know some of the local history, the name Albert Van Spence might be familiar to you. He was born into slavery, escaped, fought for the Union Army in the Civil War, and later moved to Litchfield where he became a part of the G.A.R. and the community as a whole. But what became of his children?
Records indicate that Albert and his wife Missouri had nine children, although we only know the names of seven. The three eldest children were born in Wisconsin. The younger children were born in Meeker County after the family came here in 1880. The oldest daughters, Eva (1872-1884) and Sola (1873-1884), both died within a week of each other from diphtheria. Daughters Orah (1880-1881) and Jennie (1884-c.1885) didn’t see their second birthdays. Son Frank Daggett Henry (1887-1904) died from tuberculosis at the age of seventeen. Only two of the Van Spence children reached adulthood, Ada (1876-1960) and Archie (1881-1927).
The last surviving Van Spence son was most commonly called Archie, but also went by Van Artis, Arthur, and Archibald, to name a few. Archie was a member of Litchfield’s winning football team in 1899 and 1900. Like the rest of his family, he moved to Minneapolis sometime after 1900. It was here that he became a member of Minneapolis Fire Station # 24, the first all-black fire station. The fire station still stands on Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. Archie was briefly married to Cora Loving. They had two children who died young. Archie died in 1927 at the age of 45.
In Litchfield and beyond, Albert Van Spence was well known for his musical talents, something he passed along to his children, especially to his daughter Ada. In fact, music played a vital role her entire life. Ada and her first husband,a Alex McKenzie, were part of traveling musical groups and Ada was often praised for her piano playing and vocal talents. The couple had one daughter who died young and was buried in the Litchfield Cemetery. By 1904, Ada’s husband disappeared from the records and she continued performing while living in Minneapolis.
Around 1915, Ada moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where she taught voice and piano. In the advertisements for her lessons, Ada listed her many certificates and diplomas as she taught music in a “modern way.” She was also a longtime member of the Christ Temple Church and married Elder William Airhart, a minister at the church. Ada was the church’s music director and played piano for countless weddings and funerals. During the 1920s, Indianapolis saw a rampant rise in the Ku Klux Klan and segregation. Undoubtedly, the church and Airharts faced untold challenges, but the congregation survived and is still in existence today.
Ada died in Indianapolis in 1960 at the age of 84. She was the last surviving member of the Van Spence family.
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