Lynching of William Keemer (Side 2)
Lynching of William Keemer (Side 1)
ID: IN1875062401
Name(s) of People Lynched: William Keemer
Number of People Lynched: 1
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Lynching Date(s): 1875-06-24
Year Marker Erected: 2024
Erected by: Indiana Historical Bureau, Keemer Marker Community Coalition, Ninestar Connect, Hancock Regional Hospital, Beech Settlement Pioneers and Keemer Family Descendants
City: Greenfield
County: Hancock
State: Indiana
Marker Text: William Keemer (born ca. 1852) of Carthage was a Black carpenter with ties to the nearby free Black community of Beech Settlement (begun ca. 1828). In 1875, white Hancock County farmer William Vaughn accused Keemer of raping his wife. Keemer was arrested and jailed at Greenfield. He maintained his innocence, a claim supported by Beech and Greenfield residents. A mob of 160 white men broke into the jail, beat Keemer, and lynched him at the Hancock County fairgrounds. While many spectators witnessed the murder, no perpetrators were identified or prosecuted. This lynching and denial of due process, along with others in Indiana from the mid-1800s to 1930, intentionally terrorized Black communities and enforced white supremacy.
Sources: https://events.in.gov