Just five years after the Civil War’s end, enumerators set out on foot and horseback to record the 1870 census. They would count 5073 black men, women and children in Wilson County that year, the overwhelming majority newly emancipated. How had these new citizens fared in the early days of freedom? Who had managed to gain a toehold?

A review of the 1870 census of Wilson County discloses 48 African-American men and two women (just under 1% of the total black population) who reported owning real property (land). Most also reported owning personal property, represented by the second dollar amount below. Only six men — London Woodard, Jarman Farmer, Amos Bynum, Lawrence Ward, Jesse Ward, Rufus Renfrow — held assets worth more than $1000 — barely one-tenth of 1%.

1. Elijah Cox, 66, shoemaker, $150, Cross Roads
2. George Thomson, 51, farm laborer, $300, $200, Cross Roads
3. London Woodard, 79, farmer, $1000, $400, Gardner’s
4. Charles Bynum, 45, farmer, $300, $200, Gardner’s
5. Burdon Armstrong, 45, farm laborer, $400, $300, Gardner’s
6. Edwin Dowdy, 30, farm laborer, $400, $100, Gardner’s
7. Benj’n [Benjamin] Artis, 46, farm laborer, $100, $125, Gardner’s
8. Jordan Thomas, 52, farm laborer, $175, $100, Gardner’s
9. Elbert Parker, 27, farmer, $200, Joyner’s
10. Jarman Farmer, 34, farm laborer, $2000, $1000, Joyner’s
11. Willie Short, 40, farmer, $200, Joyner’s
12. Hardy Farmer, 55, farmer, $200, Joyner’s
13. Preston Williams, 46, farmer, $300, $125, Joyner’s
14. Amos Bynum, 30, farmer, $1500, $100, Joyner’s
15. Willis Jones, 70, farmer, $350, $100, Oldfields
16. Jacob Jones, 43, “at steam saw mill,” $500, $100, Oldfields
17. Patrick Williamson, 45, farm laborer, $175, $300, Oldfields
18. Dempsey Powell, 40, farm laborer, $225, Oldfields
19. Howel Moore, 50, farmer, $400, $200, Saratoga
20. Larrence Ward, 25, farmer, $1000, $250, Saratoga
21. Jesse Ward, 27, farmer, $1000, $225, Saratoga
22. William Hawley, 28, farmer, $400, $250, Springhill
23. Rufous Renfrow, 32, farmer, $1000, $500, Springhill
24. Ellen Williamson, 33, farmer, $175, $100, Springhill
25. Albert Adams, 50, farmer, $500, $125, Springhill
26. Moses Hegans [Hagans], 70, farmer, $100, Taylor
27. Nelson Eatmon, 53, farmer, $450, $250, Taylor
28. Delus [Zealous] Howard, 35, farmer, $300, $100, Taylor
29. Ivey Evans, 37, farmer, $175, Taylor
30. Hilliard Ellis, farmer, 43, $500, $300, Taylor
31. Stephen Lipscomb, 49, carpenter, $100, Taylor
32. George Rountree, 70, farmer, $400, $250, Taylor
33. Moses Adams, 36, farm laborer, $200, Taylor
34. Thomas Brantley, 57, farm laborer, $150, $200, Taylor
35. Ezekeal Wiggins, 27, farm laborer, $500, Taylor
36. Adeline Price, 35, farm laborer, $150, Taylor
37. James Mitchell, 33, farm laborer, $150, Taylor
38. Henry Forbes, 48, domestic servant, $100, $200, Wilson
39. Edwin Barnes, 34, domestic servant, $75, Wilson
40. David Bullock, 52, farm laborer, $125, Wilson
41. Bitha Moye, 32, keeping house, $75, Wilson
42. Jerry Washington, 42, blacksmith, $250, Wilson
43. Green Lassiter, 46, farm laborer, $500, $125, Wilson
44. Amos Taylor, 59, farm laborer, $800, $150, Wilson
45. Everett Due [Dew], 58, farm laborer, $135, Wilson
46. Alford Jackson, 40, farm laborer, $150, Wilson
47. Samuel Simms, 43, farm laborer, $500, Wilson
48. Peter Rountree, 46, shoemaker, $250, Town of Wilson
49. Henry Jones, 55, shoemaker, $300, $100, Town of Wilson
50. Lemon Taber [Taborn], 28, barber, $500, $200, Town of Wilson

An additional 53 African-American men (just over 1%) reported owning personal property of value. As with landowners, these individuals lived in all nine of Wilson County’s townships.

1. Haywood Barden, 36, farm laborer, $100, Black Creek
2. Howell Darden, 47, farm laborer, $125, Black Creek
3. Samuel Barden, 41, farm laborer, $100, Town of Black Creek
4. Charles Bynum, 38, farm laborer, $150, Gardner’s
5. Isaac Bullock, 44, farm laborer, $100, Gardner’s
6. Allen Bynum, 50, farm laborer, $100, Gardner’s
7. Isaac Bynum, 19, farm laborer, $300, Gardner’s
8. Jolly Bynum, 60, farm laborer, $100, Gardner’s
9. Ellis Barron, 50, farm laborer, $100, Gardner’s
10. Sherod Barnes, 67, farm laborer, $100, Gardner’s
11. Liberty Thomas, 74, farm laborer, $175, Gardner’s
12. Jerry Bullock, 50, carpenter, $200, Joyner’s
13. Jesse Dancy, 49, farmer, $125, Joyner’s
14. James Whitehead, 35, farmer, $100, Joyner’s
15. Nathan Weaver, 35, farm laborer, $125, Joyner’s
16. Guilford Robinson, 35, farm laborer, $250, Oldfields
17. Benj’n [Benjamin] Harrison, 30, farm laborer, $100, Oldfields
18. Isaac Daniel, 44, farm laborer, $100, Saratoga
19. Mason Barnes, 52, farm laborer, $125, Saratoga
20. Redick Barnes, 61, farm laborer, $200, Saratoga
21. Henry Applewhite, 30, farm laborer, $125, Saratoga
22. Aaron Ward, 46, farm laborer, $400, Saratoga
23. Samuel Barnes, 29, farm laborer, $100, Saratoga
24. Mecoms Mitchel, 42, farm laborer, $150, Saratoga
25. Richard Rogers, 59, farm laborer, $175, Saratoga
26. William Scarborough, 66, farm laborer, $125, Saratoga
27. Ruffin Raper, 20, farmer, $200, Springhill
28. John Pettyfoot [Pettiford], 40, farm laborer, $100, Springhill
29. Gray Hinnant, 17, farm laborer, $200, Springhill
30. Benjamin Hoketts [Hocutt], 70, farm laborer, Springhill
31. Ishmael Wilder, 41, farm laborer, Springhill
32. Treal Williamson, 65, farm laborer, $125, Springhill
33. Hardy Atkinson, 50, farm laborer, $300, Springhill
34. Hardy Barnes, 50, farmer, $125, Stantonsburg
35. Redmond Barnes, 34, farm laborer, $100, Stantonsburg
36. Cooper Woodard, 56, farm laborer, $225, Stantonsburg
37. Virgil Randol, 32, farm laborer, $150, Stantonsburg
38. Jackson Anderson, 47, farm laborer, $150, Stantonsburg
39. Amos Ellis, 47, farm laborer, $200, Stantonsburg
40. Solomon Woodard, 30, farmer, $500, Stantonsburg
41. Ellic Peacock, 51, farm laborer, $160, Stantonsburg
42. Allen Sauls, 38, farm laborer, $200, Stantonsburg
43. Frank Simms, 44, farm laborer, $100, Stantonsburg
44. Arnord Peel, 39, farm laborer, $150, Taylor
45. David Parker, 50, farm laborer, $100 Taylor
46. Isaac Thorne, 50, blacksmith, $100, Wilson
47. Albert Gay, 21, brick molder, $125, Wilson
48. Samuel Darden, 40, carpenter, $125, Wilson
49. Aaron Skinner, 37, carpenter, $100, Wilson
50. Mike Barefoot, 28, farm laborer, $130, Wilson
51. George Smith, 25, farmer, $350, Wilson
52. Arthur Young, 37, blacksmith, $125, Wilson
53. Alford Due [Dew], 26, farm laborer, $200, Wilson