20th century , they took part in a little-known national movement for racial justice . Later , they were both witnesses and participants as racial barriers came down . First and foremost , they were an extended family determined to give their children a better future , one generation at a time .
I Have Started for Canaan tells the story of the Sugarland families through their very own words . In entries from a handwritten 19thcentury church ledger , the voices of elders ring bright and clear , while oral histories recorded in the 20th and 21st centuries preserve tender memories of daily life .
“ These rich sources allowed us to write individuals , families , and the entire town back into the history of Montgomery County , a history that ’ s incomplete without the African American experience ,” says
Completed in 1894 , the Sugarland church was the work of many hands , including a white carpenter from Poolesville and an African American carpenter from nearby Jerusalem . Photo by Jeff Sypeck .
FOOD PREPARATION
Excerpted from Chapter 4 of I Have Started for Canaan
Survival was everyone ’ s business . Mary Beckwith Crenshaw , born at Sugarland in 1907 , recalled in her nineties that the whole town performed seasonal tasks so that no one had to go without :
At certain times of the year , certain things were done , like for instance , fruit gathering time … everything was a community effort , from the youngest to the elders . We all helped each other . Fruit time meant it was time to pick and preserve fruit for the winter months , say for instance apples . The women would bring jars of all shapes and sizes , the children would be given sacks , bags , or whatever kind of container to hold the apples , and they were responsible for picking the fruit .
Children started picking fruit early in the morning , returning home only to be sent back out again with empty sacks , over and over until sunset . The women peeled and sliced the apples day and night , while the men took over cooking duties for the family . Crenshaw recalled that her father prepared breakfast , with “ the smell of fried potatoes , country ham and eggs with cornbread filling the air .” Work resumed at sunrise :
The following morning , outside , fires were made under big cast-iron kettles and the prepared apples were put into the kettle . The children then had to take turns stirring the apples to insure that they did not stick to the kettle or burn .
The women of Sugarland canned applesauce , apple butter , and apple jelly made from crabapples . When berries , peaches , or vegetables were ripe , whole families prepared delicacies such as ketchup , hot sauces , pickles , and relish in the same communal way . “ It did not matter how many or how small the amount of jars one person would bring to the project ,” Beckwith explained . “ Everyone received the same amount of the finished product .”
Jeff . “ Descendants of Sugarland will find ample reason for pride , and we believe that readers of all backgrounds will be impressed and inspired too . We ’ re also including a bibliography , detailed notes , and an index to make the book a resource for future researchers who wish to explore some of the historical mysteries that remain .”
Quite a few African American communities prospered in the upper , western portion of Montgomery County after emancipation . Six generations later , some descendants still live on or near the land their ancestors secured for them . These towns and settlements overlapped and interacted , but each one had its own distinctive way of doing things .
“ Sugarland can ’ t speak for all of these communities , but we hope that I Have Started for Canaan will inspire greater interest in the heritage they represent ,” says Gwen . “ The wisdom we need for the future was among us all along . As our research has shown us time and time again , the way forward is often the way back .”
For more information about I Have Started for Canaan , write to info @ sugarlandproject . org .
16 plenty I autumn harvest 2020