OAKLEY PLANTATION AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, 1865-1942

This Ranger-led program will focus on the years after the Civil War on Oakley Plantation, and into the twentieth century. With the emancipation of the enslaved workers on Oakley, what strategies did the Matthews family deploy to sustain Oakley as a functioning agricultural entity? What new labor systems evolved to put the land back into cultivation, and the freedmen back to work? What new crops or new agricultural methods did the owners of Oakley employ to remain solvent? Were they successful? This tour will illuminate these questions, and may raise others besides.
This will be a walking tour. A hat, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.