In late September, 11 students and two administrators journeyed with Professor Tim Lake to complete a story and a Wabash College connection 168 years in the making.
The group traveled to Xenia, Ohio, that day to celebrate the legacy of John R. Blackburn [H1861], meet with members of the Blackburn family, and to place a headstone at Blackburn’s gravesite at Cherry Grove Cemetery.
“For these students, they can connect to this legacy more fully,” said Lake, an associate professor of English and Black studies. “When they think about the College, Blackburn will be a memory for them, too. It’s a link to the Blackburn legacy. I don’t think they’ll ever forget this.”
Blackburn was the first Black student admitted to Wabash in January of 1851. Though his time on campus only lasted two weeks, he went on to a long career in education, mostly in the state of Ohio. In 1861, he took the position of principal of Colored education in Xenia, beginning a career as a teacher, professor, and administrator that spanned more than six decades.
In addition to time at the cemetery, students visited Zion Baptist Church (where Blackburn was a member) and spent time at the Greene County Historical Society to get a better sense of the man and where he elected to make his impacts.
“It’s been a pleasure to learn more about Mr. Blackburn and how successful he was,” said Solomon Masella ’29. “Just to know that he went to the same college that I am at right now is pretty incredible.”
Providing a touchstone to Lake and his students was Jeanne Blackburn Burch, the 105-year-old granddaughter of John Blackburn and the matriarch of the family.
“It’s really overwhelming in this moment to be here with Grandma Jeanne, her family, and the legacy that is so embedded in this place,” said Lake, who not only identified Blackburn, but established the relationship between the family and the College. “For her to be a part of this moment, it reminds me that history exists not just on paper or in museums, but through the lives we live.”
Experiencing Xenia with Blackburn as a reference point made for a memorable experience.
“It was a very meaningful experience, because Wabash is a place I love and value and its ability to recognize its past in an honest light is very important to me,” said Evan Bone ‘26. “That Wabash has done so in a truthful manner for a lifelong educator means a lot to me.”
Late in the day, Lake took time to think of the impacts the day delivered and how one former Wabash student’s story was brough to life for these current students.
“This takes history, a legacy, to a different place than simply doing research in dusty archives or reading stories on paper,” Lake said. “To see it actually come alive is just overwhelming.”
