Junius G. Groves broke from the shackles of slavery to become one of the wealthiest African Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries. He grew potatoes and was dubbed the ‘King of Potatoes’, distributing the farm produce across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For his work and achievements, he received recognition from different entities. We review his life and times.
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Junius G. Groves’ Early Life
Junius George Groves was born to Martin Anderson and Mary Anderson on 12 April 1859 in Green County, Kentucky. They were enslaved but former United States President Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation on 1 January 1863, freed them.
Groves didn’t receive much education. He did public schooling for a few months but taught himself how to read and write. After gaining his freedom, Groves moved to Kansas during the Exodus of 1879.
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Beginning of Farming
In Kansas, Groves worked in Armourdale, packing meat and later as a sharecropper. He acquired his land and also practised sharecropping with Jake Williamson. They grew sweet and Irish potatoes, earning 40 cents per day and, after three months, that grew to 75 cents per day. By the end of the first year, he made $125 and geared that toward investments.
The following year, Groves purchased more land, 100 acres, and also got a sawmill and farms. His total land ownership was 760 acres. Alongside his potato farms, Junius G. Groves also grew apples, peaches, vineyards and a pair of orchards.
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Junius G. Groves’s Assets
Junius Groves scaled his farming business significantly and became the main distributor of farm crops in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. In 1895, the Kansas State Agricultural Census indicated that he had 400 acres of potatoes, 170 acres of apple trees, 50 acres of cherry trees and 160 acres of corn.
He had 24 hogs, 21 cows, and 9 horses. Groves built a 22-room mansion, with two telephones in each room, electric lights, cold and hot water, amenities that were rare at the time.
Other things he owned include:
- Cross Road Grocery Store in Edwardsville
- Mines in Indian Territory, Oklahoma and Mexico
- Kansas City Casket and Embalming Company
- Co-founded the State Negro Business League
Other developments Junius G. Groves made include:
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- Built a golf course.
- Founded Franklin Cemetry.
- The Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Society.
- Founded the Kansas State Negro Business League.
- Founding the community of Groves Center near Edwardsville.
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Recognition
In 1902, Junius G. Groves received the title of the “Potato King of the World”. In a single year, he produced 721,500 bushels of potatoes. Booker T. Washington hailed him as one of the best business minds of his time. In 1904, Groves was estimated to be worth $80,000. By 1915, that grew to $300,000.
Financial Problems
At the peak of his success, Junius G. Groves was wealthier than most white people. However, in the 1920s, he began to face financial problems. He lost $90,000 in a failed cattle venture. In 1968, his mansions burned down.
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Family
Junius G. Groves married Matilda Emily Stewart, with whom he had 14 children but only 12 lived. They worked on the farms with him. On August 17, 1925, Junius died from a heart attack. His funeral in Edwardsville was reportedly one of the largest, with over 3,000 people in attendance.
Junius was buried in Franklin Cemetery, Kansas. His wife Matilda died on the 28 August 1930. The Votow Colony Museum honored him as part of its Exodusters. He’s an inductee of the Bruce W. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center Hall of Fame.
Junius G. Groves showed that African Americans could achieve business success. He pioneered the way for the community to climb the social ranks and become economically prosperous. His life fits the classical rags-to-riches story.
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