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Contribution #267 of 365
Peter Farley Fossett
Caterer and Cincinnati Entrepreneur
1850s–1870s
The contribution
How this work helped shape America
Born enslaved in Virginia, Peter Farley Fossett endured family separation and sale following Thomas Jefferson's death before obtaining his freedom in 1850. After relocating to Cincinnati, Fossett developed a successful catering career serving prominent customers in the city. His transition from enslavement to independent skilled service work and entrepreneurship contributed to the economic life of Cincinnati's growing Black American community while providing an economic foundation for his broader religious and civic leadership.