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Near Thirty-third and Market Streets in Denver is a threeroom, weather beaten shack, the roof of which has stood the storms of many years, windows stuffed with rags and the doors just hang on seemingly by magic. This is the home of Kate Little, better known as Aunt Kate, and her blind son. Putting it in her words she was nine years old at "surrender" that was the close of the Civil War when the Negro slave was given her freedom.
Born on a plantation near what is now Atlanta, Georgia, she knows of the curse and damnableness of that institution, held so sacred and honored so highly - because of the profit in it, by early so-called Christians of the south land.
No records were kept of births by the master, Don Davis, yet he did keep an accurate record of his blooded horses stock. However, she thinks it was sometime in November 1854 when she first saw the light of day. Marcy Davis, as she called him, was a mean man, fed his slaves very poorly, believed in using his black snake whip for any minor infraction of his orders. His by-word was to make a bad "nigger a good nigger" was to beat him within an inch of his life. He would never sell a slave because he specialized in breeding a certain stock and didn't care for his breed to be carried to other plantations.
Surrender was declared in January 1863 but he kept his slaves in ignorance of their freedom until they had put in the spring crop. Asked if any remained there after they were set free, she said "Man's alive no, they were too glad to get away from that Devil."
She came to Denver in 1880, married George Little and raised a large family. Denver transportation at that time was the horse car and the turn table was at Thirty-eight at Larimer Street.
The Chinese did most of the washing at that time and it was not until the later '90s when they had made many of the Chinamen leave town because of their Alliance with white women that the colored women were able to get much washing to do.
Her recollection of Denver's early history is very clear for a woman of her age and limited education. Although the opportunity to secure an education was hers, she stated she preferred to raise children instead of going to school.
Like most of her kind, Religion is a part of her life and so when a girl she united with "Foot Wash Baptist Church." This sect contend that unless you wash feet that you can't go to Heaven. The Bible position on this question is quite clear, yet, because they were taught a religion of fear in those dark days it is rather hard to get them away [from] a slave idea of God and Religion.
The Antioch Church near Twenty-seventh and Arapahoe Streets, known as the "Foot Washing Church" was organized by Elder Shepard of Georgia in 1878. Its membership, at the present time, is made up with old people, the younger people preferring the more modern churches.
It is a wish on her part to die very soon, saying the Lord is not pleased with the folks and soon he is going to rain down fire and brinestone on them and she don't want to be here when God rides through on his "Black Horse of Death."
