Datcher Family Farm: ‘They Do It to Keep the History Alive’

An Alabama farm originally worked by enslaved people tells a story of resilience and family

Words by

Sophia Moten and Trey Barrineau; Interviews and Visuals by Caroline Gutman,

AARP

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Published June 24, 2026

Pete Datcher, 75, has served for years as his family’s documentarian, investigating and preserving a remarkable history with deep roots in the Alabama soil.

The Datcher Family Farm in Harpersville, Alabama, tells a uniquely American story: Land once worked by enslaved people is now owned and preserved by their descendants.

Pete Datcher, 75, the family’s historian, traced the story to its very beginning, revealing an inspiring tale of perseverance and prosperity amid unimaginable circumstances.

(From left) Brigette Datcher, Earl Datcher, Pete Datcher, Elton Datcher, Marvin Datcher and Kim Datcher-Wilson, along with Kim’s children Samantha Wilson and PJ Wilson (front center), gather at the Datcher Family Farm in Harpersville, Alabama. Several members of the family work on the farm today.

The Datcher Family Farm covers about 400 acres in Harpersville, Alabama, roughly 30 miles southeast of Birmingham.

What is known today as the Datcher Family Farm was founded as a cotton plantation around 1820 by a man named John Singleton, and enslaved people did most of the labor. Albert Baker, who was born into slavery there, became close friends with Singleton’s son, W.R. Singleton, as a young boy. It was a relationship that would be important in later years.

Marvin Datcher, 56, says working on the family farm “kept you busy ... and you didn’t realize you were taking care of yourself.”

After John Singleton died, his assets, including the farm’s enslaved population, were divvied up among his children. Ownership of Baker was transferred to Singleton’s daughter, so he grew up on a neighboring plantation.

While he was held there, Baker met his future wife, Lucy, who lived on yet another farm. They quickly fell in love and saw each other in secret, a violation of Alabama’s laws, until slavery was abolished after the end of the Civil War in 1865. They had their first child a year later.

The walls of Datcher farm homestead, now known as Datcher History House, are covered with old photos and other memorabilia.

Earl Datcher clasps a wheat chaff at the Datcher Family Farm in Alabama, which through the decades has also grown cotton, soybeans and other crops.

In 1879, Baker’s old friend W.R. Singleton sold him the first 100 acres of what would become the Datcher Family Farm for $500. The family grew alongside the land, raising cotton, soybeans and other crops.

One of the Datcher daughters, Rachel, took after her mother and became a midwife. Rachel married Frank Datcher and gave birth to several children, including Albert (“Red”), who was Pete’s father.

Red worked hard to honor the Datcher family name in memory of his ancestors. According to Pete, he was known around town as one of the highest-paying farm owners, helping his community by offering hot meals to anyone in need and hosting secret parties in a dance hall during Prohibition.

a farmer standing on heavy farm equipment

Elton Datcher knows his way around heavy farm equipment.

Pete says he was about 6 years old when two older white women knocked on their door in 1956. They identified themselves as W.R. Singleton’s granddaughters and said they had promised their grandfather on his deathbed that they would find the Datcher farm and ensure that it had remained in that family.

As the sun goes down, Elton Datcher makes another pass with a tractor at the Datcher Family Farm.

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Cotton seedlings spring from the ground at the Datcher Family Farm. The family's enslaved ancestors harvested cotton before the Civil War. Later, their descendants grew it as well.

Pete’s mother, Ruth, asked the women why Singleton told them to do that. They smiled and said their grandfather had sold Albert Baker the land because “he was the best man he ever knew.”

Today, the duties at the farm are shared among family members, while Pete manages their home, Datcher History House, where historians and visitors can comb through their impressive collection of family records and photographs.

Pete’s younger relatives grew to love the farm as much as he did. “It kept you out of trouble,” his nephew, Marvin, 56, says. “[It] kept you busy working, and you didn’t realize you were taking care of yourself.”

photos documents and other things hang on the walls

Photographs, documents and other items line the walls inside the Datcher History House, a museum celebrating the Datcher family and their important role in the local community.

Pete says his family’s property may be the only Black-owned row crop farm for 100 miles in any direction. And after a drastic decline from 900,000 Black-owned farms in 1920 to fewer than 30,000 in 2022, protecting the Datchers’ land and legacy feels more important than ever.

Earl Datcher climbs a grain silo at the Datcher Family Farm — a vivid reminder of the many dangers inherent in agricultural work.

Earl Datcher has years of experience working on his family's farm.

E.J. Datcher is one of the younger members of the multigenerational Datcher family.

Much like their parents and ancestors, the sixth generation of Datcher farmers “don’t do it for the money … they do it to keep the history alive,” Pete says, “It’s in their DNA.”

Although many of the Datchers now hold other jobs, they all come together to maintain the family farm, preserving a part of history with heartfelt labor and deep love for their family.