Descendent of Buffalo Soldier works to preserve heirloom history in Eden
EDEN, Md. – A direct descendent of a Buffalo Soldier is working to educate Wicomico County about his storied service. Deborah Scott, Thomas E. Polk, Sr.’s granddaughter, is working to bring a living history site to an heirloom property.
Honorable History in a Changing Community
In 1892, Polk Sr. found a home on now-South Upper Ferry Road in Eden. He built a two-story homestead, complete with all the necessities of 19th-century life.
“The hog pen, the chicken pen, the smokehouse. All of that,” Scott said.
Polk Sr. and wife Hattie brought bounty and beauty to the property until their respective deaths in 1940 and 1949. The land was handed down to Scott’s mother. Scott remembers the quiet stretch of road as a once-thriving Black community.
“Everybody knew everybody’s business … Every Sunday people would go to church, and they would be catching up on the latest gossip as if they hadn’t seen each other for months when they had just seen each other the day before. It was a very close-knit community,” Scott said.
Over the years, that community has changed. Scott said many former residents have died or relocated, while some remaining structures have fallen into disrepair amid the gentrification of the area.
A Buffalo Soldier’s Ties to Eden
But the root of all those memories begins in 1866. It was then that the Army Reorganization Act allowed the enlistment of all-Black regiments, like the Buffalo Soldiers.
The men were hugely responsible for advancing westward expansion and cementing an important chapter in American history but were not considered U.S. citizens. The 14th Amendment, which enshrined citizenship for formerly enslaved people, would not pass until 1868.
“But they served because they wanted to get away from the squalor that most of their lives amounted to. And, we can sit in judgment now, but back then, what were your options?” Scott said.
Polk Sr. would serve two five-year contracts as a Buffalo Soldier. For him, enlisting meant reliable pay, clothing, medical treatment, a horse, and a legal weapon. And, maybe most crucial of all: education.
“I have copies of both of his enlistment contracts. The first one? He signed an x because he couldn’t read or write. But, when he re-enlisted as many Buffalo Soldiers did, he could write his name,” Scott said.
Preservation With Pride
Now, Scott is working with the Maryland Historical and Chesapeake Bay Trusts to preserve that honorable history. In 2023, her organization the Buffalo Soldier Living History Site, purchased the property. It now includes Hattie’s Trail, dedicated to Scott’s grandmother’s memory.
Today, the homestead site is reduced to rubble. But Scott envisions a museum in Polk Sr.’s memory and pavilion, to be named after her mother and youngest uncle, Celestine, and Everett. In the future, Scott hopes the Buffalo Soldier Living History Site will serve as a space to display rotating exhibits and reenactments.
“We already have a collection of some artifacts from the 19th century that some Buffalo Soldiers may have used in the western territories,” Scott said, adding the items are currently being kept in climate-controlled storage.
Model Display at Library
That dream is currently on display at the Sarbanes branch of the Wicomico County Public Library in downtown Salisbury.
“When we have this display, it makes patrons ask questions, and also it informs patrons on something they maybe did not know … You live right here in Wicomico County and you don’t know that you’re touching history,” said Bernadette Cannday, Sarbanes branch manager.
Cannady added the library will keep the display up through the end of February. She said the library system has other plans to help Scott highlight local history.
“We are going to continue partnering with (Scott) on a project where she’s trying to (reach) Wicomico natives who have pictures of veterans. She’s putting together a storybook which will be displayed at the outpost once it’s done,” Cannady said.
Until then, “Anybody who wants to, please come by and see our display,” Cannday added.
Looking Ahead
As for Scott, she said she is carrying her grandparents’ memory along every step of the effort.
“I just think they would be in total disbelief because of the era in which they grew up … We’re taking our time, and we’re taking deliberate steps to ensure we present the most credible presentation of Buffalo Soldier history as we can,” Scott said.
The plan is to break ground on the site in May. Scott sees a bright future beyond that.
“We hope that people, whether they knew about Buffalo Soldier history or not, they will have an appreciation for who those men were, and what they went through, and what they sacrificed,” Scott said.
To learn more about the Polk Outpost project, email Scott at PolkOutpost@gmail.com.
