Luvina “Vina” and John Simon Sleet, formerly enslaved but Free before the Civil War, are buried at Beaverlick Baptist Cemetery. Their family’s history, preserved through descendants and our records, highlights leadership in African American and integrated churches, landownership before Emancipation, early Black education and Civil War military service. An 1856 bill of sale documents Simon’s transfer to his wife, Vina, a “Free Black woman”. Earlier records show her and her daughter’s manumission in 1847, making them among Boone County’s earliest Free African Americans.
Sleet family descendants are experienced researchers who often visit the Archive and History Center to conduct research independently and with staff assistance, offering a powerful example of what can be discovered in African American genealogy.
Discover Local History with The Archive and History Center
The Archive and History Center at BCPL’s Main Library is recognized by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom as a research center for African American and Underground Railroad history.
We offer extensive physical and digital collections, along with expert staff specializing in African American genealogy to help guide visitors through this difficult research. Descendants of enslaved people from Boone County’s early communities have collaborated with us to share their family histories and discover more within our records. Visit bcpl.org for more information.
