Morgan Evans
5th
5/8/06
Immigration Project

Kennedy Township was founded by William Penn and James Speer in 1787. During this time, James Speer obtained a patent for land from William Penn, building the first brick house in the area known as Kennedy Township, or otherwise known as Kenmawr (The Scottish term meaning “more knowledge”). Distinguished Kennedy settlers contain the Clever family who migrated from Carlisle in 1825 by covered wagon. Around 1889, oil was drilled from the Clever farm. Later on in the 1920s, coal mining began; it was thought to be the most valuable source in the world. But with the newfound source of energy, an infamous strike began. Later on in 1947, the municipal building was dedicated at it present site, and the police department was officially organized. The first settlers of Kennedy Township were from European countries such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Hungry, and etc. Others came from Canada and others parts of the U.S. The population of Kennedy, since the last census (2000), was 7,504 residents.

My family traces back to the middle of nowhere in Alabama (Linden, AL to be exact). I could only trace back as far as my great-grandpa, who is 91-years-old and still very active, but I know from what my parents and grandparents have told me, I’m part Native American (Cherokee), African-American (Black), and White. My great-grandmother was half Cherokee, and my great-great-great-grandfather was African. I could not find any evidence of any of my ancestors that participated in the Civil War. Part of my ancestry were natives of North America, and I was unable to trace back to my African roots to find out what country and city they deported from and my ancestors were brought here around the 1600-1700s.

The name Evans is an Old Welsh name, going back to those ancients Celts known as the Britons. It derives from the Welsh personal name Evan which is a cognate of the personal name John. It can be spelled various ways: Evans, Evance, Evands, Evanson, Evason, Evens, Evenson, and many more. Some of the first settlers with this name (or some of its variants) were Stephen Evan who settled in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. The last names King and Evans are very common; they can be found in every state in the U.S.

In 1962, my grandmother witnessed a boycott set up by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama while she was studying to be a nurse. He staged a sit-in at a local diner that her cousin worked in, protesting (peacefully) against the restaurants that wouldn’t serve people of color. They sat at the booths and in the seats that usually only white customers were allowed to sit in. Later on, the police came and assaulted the protesters by using attack dogs, water hoses, metal pipes, bats, and etc. Many were injured, arrested, and taken to the hospital.

America is known for being a huge melting pot, but with the mixing of different races and cultures, it’s kind of difficult to keep track of your roots and your family’s history, especially if it isn’t recorded. Hopefully this small project has given you all some idea of what I am, who I am, and where I came from.