Black history in California has many tales to tell of slavery and freedom. Here is just one, the story of a girl named Lucy, who proved her freedom in spite of an attempt to re-enslave her.

In the same issue of the Placer Herald, an item explained that Lucy had been set free in 1851 by James Brown Sr., but that the son hoped to “catch the girl without her freedom papers” and take her back to Missouri as a slave. Fortunately for Lucy, she had friends, included lawyer P.W. Thomas.