It’s Black History Month, and in Vincennes, the Vincennes State Historic Sites are inviting the public to explore the city’s early history through guided tours focused on February’s theme.

The sites are open Wednesday through Sunday, with tours offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can tour historic buildings and learn how slavery and freedom were addressed in Indiana’s early years.

In a recent social media post, the Historic Sites shared an image of an original 1804 legal document involving a woman named Pheby. The record was filed in Knox County during the Indiana Territory period.

According to the document, Pheby was a 16-year-old enslaved woman brought to Vincennes from Kentucky by Elisha Stout. Although slavery was restricted under territorial law, the document shows Pheby was bound to serve Stout under a long-term indenture agreement lasting 60 years.

The agreement states that Stout was responsible for providing food, clothing, lodging, and care during that term. It also required him to post a bond to ensure Pheby would not become a financial responsibility of the county once the term ended.

The record illustrates how slavery continued in Indiana through legal contracts, even as laws formally prohibited it. Historians say documents like this show how early Indiana struggled with the issue of slavery during the territorial period.

More information about tours and programs at the Vincennes State Historic Sites is available at their location on West Harrison Street or online.