Month: October 2020

Principal’s report: Elm City Colored School, 1941.

High school principals were required to file annual reports with the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. In 1941, Robert A. Johnson filed this report for Elm City Colored School for the preceding school year.

The school year was only 120 days and ran from 10 February 1941 to 28 June 1941. Seven teachers taught at Elm City — two men and five women. They taught 164 children — 48 boys and 116 girls. Elm City Colored School housed all grades in one building. It had no restrooms, lunchroom or auditorium. It had no librarian, but it did have a library room.

The high school offered classes in English, general mathematics, geometry, algebra, citizenship, American history, world history, sociology, general science, biology, home economics, and French.

Classes met at 8:45, 9:35, 10:30, 11:30, 1:00 and 2:00. Odelle Whitehead Barnes taught English and French; Clara G. Cooke taught history and English; Mabel Brewington taught home economics and history; Earl C. Burnett taught science and math; and Robert A. Johnson taught math and tended the library on Fridays.

All the teachers were college graduates. Barnes had the most tenure at Elm City, with 8 years; Brewington and Burnett were newcomers.

The school had no laboratories or maps. It published a newspaper, The Elm City Journal; had both girls’ and boys’ glee clubs; a 4-H Club; and an English Club. Elm City Colored School graduated fourteen in the Class of 1941 — William Bynum, Volious Harris, Willie R. Mitchell, Mary Armstrong, Minnie E. Armstrong, Nelia Brown, Essie Bynum, Alice Ellis, Bessie Lancaster, Clara Lancaster, Eva Lindsey, Ada B. McKinnon, Georgia Toliver, and Marie Wynn.

High School Principals’ Annual Reports, 1940-1941, Wayne County to Wilson County, North Carolina Digital Collection, digital.ncdcr.gov.

Rev. Woodard’s brother.

The Bystander (Des Moines, Iowa), 5 December 1913.

We have met Rev. Franklin Brown Woodard, a native of Wilson County. Who was “his brother of Omaha”? Romulus L. Woodard, who migrated first to Omaha, Nebraska, and then to Saint Louis, Missouri.

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In the 1880 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farmer Frank Woodard, 37; wife Appie, 32; and children Frank, 11, and Romulus, 9.

Per city directories, Romulus Woodard was in Omaha as early as 1904.

Omaha, Nebraska, City Directory (1910).

In the 1910 census of South Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska: barber Romulus L. Woodard, 43, and roomers James Johnson, 55, packing company laborer; John Boyston, 58, hod carrier; and Cap Harris, 58, janitor.

In the 1920 census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska: barber in own shop Romulus Woodard, 48, and roomers Milage Lambert, 50, and Fred Ilworth, 35, both packhouse laborers.

In December 1921, Romulus L. Woodard applied for a license to marry Mrs. Sarah F. Mitchell in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Saint Louis Dispatch, 15 December 1921.

In the 1930 census of Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri: at 4353 Cozens Avenue or Alley, dry goods store porter Romulus Woodard, 51, and wife Frankie, 45, hairdresser.

Per Findagrave.com, Romulus Woodard died 2 April 1938. He was buried in Washington Park Cemetery, Berkeley, Missouri, and his headstone noted his birthdate as 21 March 1887. [In fact, he was born about 1870.]

Corporal Artis arrives at hospital.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 September 1944.

Columbus Esdella Artis registered for the World War II draft in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1940. Per his draft registration card, he was born 9 June 1918 in Black Creek, North Carolina; lived at 859 Landing Street, Norfolk (updated to Rt. 2 Box 335, Stantonsburg, N.C., then 1423 R Street N.W., Washington, D.C.); his contact was mother Laurine Artis, Stantonsburg; and he worked for Mr. Ferbee, Dependable Company, 617 Boush Street, Norfolk.

[SIdenote: Artis was named for his paternal uncle, undertaker Columbus E. Artis.]

The Reid-Whitehead wedding.

Baltimore Afro-American, 18 May 1935.