LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — "Most people will be familiar with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, a lot of the founding fathers. And then a lot of military people will get into all the details in particular, the Revolutionary War, battles and you know, reenactors, and all of that stuff. And I think the same thing, but for me, Charles Young always comes up,” says the director of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Dr. Charles Wash.
Brigadier General Charles Young is best known for his extensive military career. He was the third African American to graduate from West Point, he served as the first Black U.S. military attaché and became the highest-ranking African American in the U.S. armed forces between 1894 and 1922. Dr. Wash describes him as a "force" in American military history.
He explains, "We're talking about his influence on future generals, future military leaders. Future leaders even at West Point taking ques from Charles Young."
Colonel Young was known around the globe, but his legacy all started in Mays Lick, Kentucky, in a small cabin.
Former Mason County Judge Executive James Gallenstein says, "Charles Young’s mother, three sisters, and two brothers lived in this cabin in the 1800s…and then after he was born here, he lived here about…some say two years, some say three, some say he didn't live here at all but the actual truth in there is he probably stayed here two years, and then moved to Ripley, Ohio."
The cabin in Mason County was built in the 1790s. Gallenstein worked with community organizations to restore it in 2013. Now, it's a two-story piece of history and a reminder of a legacy that began in Mason County.
Gallenstein says, "We're hoping that this can be a teaching tool for future generations to know that Charles Young born here in this cabin rose to the rank of the highest Black military officer, served out west in the Buffalo Soliders, went to the Philippines, went back to Africa and built roads and engineered stuff and that was something that started right here in this cabin."
Now, Mason County's current judge-executive, Owen McNeill, is working to make the site a national monument so future generations can continue to learn about Young.
McnNeill says, "We describe it to individuals as almost a time capsule. The ability to go back in time and understand what society was like back then, what living was like back then – which also underscores how impactful this man's career was, understanding where they came from."
Young was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General around 100 years after his death. It's something Dr. Wash says many groups wanted to see happen sooner. Despite the time in which Young lived and racial tensions, Wash says he always put service to his country before anything else. He calls Young an example of the American dream.
Dr. Wash says, "The true American dream isn’t a selfish, 'I just want to succeed, I want to be good, I want to be great,' it's along the way, who else can I help? Who else can I serve? And that's always been Charles Young. That's why I say, to me, he's the epitome of the American dream because he garnered so much success, but every step of the way he's looking for new and inventive ways to be of service, to be of help, to all those around him, not just one group, or this group but all groups."
