A Pullman porter turned homesteader turned novelist and pioneer filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux lived a storied life.

One of the many chapters of his life happened here, in Gregory, SD. Micheaux was the only African American to purchase a relinquishment claim on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in 1904.

He fictionalized his experience in his best-selling novel The Homesteader, which later became the first film written, directed and produced by an African American (The Homesteader, released 1918). The film was shot in and around Gregory, SD. Micheaux went on to contribute to 44 films.

Today, the Oscar Micheaux center holds a semi-annual Oscar Micheaux Film and Book Festival to celebrate his work.

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