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Hiram Young

Biography

United States

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Biography

Hiram Young (c. 1812—January 22, 1882) was an African-American freed slave from Tennessee who became one of the leading manufacturers of wagons for the Oregon Trail. In the mid-19th century, his business was located at the eastern origin of the trail in Independence, Missouri, serving westward pioneers including the Forty-niners. He was called the "only colored man in the manufacturing business" and Kansas City's first "Colored Man of Means".

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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