BUILDING EMPIRE // High Plains. Blue Skies. High Winds. Black Homesteading in Eastern Wyoming.

Charles Speese and his new bride Rosetta founded Empire in 1908, staking claim on land they would homestead. Three of Charles’ brothers —John, Joseph and Radford — came with their families and built the core of the new Wyoming community. Shortly thereafter, two branches of the Taylor family, headed by Otis and Basemen, joined the community. And, in 1911, the venerable Reverend Russell Taylor moved to Empire with his wife, ten children and mother-in-law. The community had expanded and was thriving.

Coming from Nebraska, with connection to the Dewitty community in the Sandhill region, the Speeses sought to build a politically autonomous Black community in what was known as the equality state. In a sagebrush sea of whiteness, a mere 65 of 10,915 farms in the state were owned by non-white farmers.

The Speeses and Taylors made Empire home. They were ultimately forced out of their homestead through violent racist action. You can still see remnants of Empire on the landscape with the iron arches of the Sheep Creek Cemetery that once served Empire.

Recommended reading and listening::

Listen to Wyoming’s Black Community that Disappeared
Learn about Dewitty Nebraska
Read about Black homesteading on the Great Plains