Month: December 2021

The apprenticeship of Charity Sanders (1904).

On 19 May 1904, a Wilson County Superior Court judge ordered 12 year-old Charity Sanders bound as an apprentice to Julius Hagans until she reached 18 years of age.

Charity was the daughter of Mary Sanders and Edmund (or Edward) Sanders (or Wrenn?) and was likely an orphan at the time of her apprenticeship. Julius Hagans had recently married Charity’s aunt, Martha Sanders.

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In the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: teamster Edman Sanders, 39; wife Winne, 32; son Andrew, 12, day laborer, and daughter Charty, 9; sisters Martha, 19, and Bettie Sanders, 20; and boarders Willie Sanders, 21, day laborer, Preston Bryant, 24, day laborer, and Chrischana Sanders, 18.

On 2 January 1901, Julius Hagan, 36, of Wilson County, son of Richard and Allie Hagan, married Martha Sanders, 22, of Wilson County, daughter of Lovett and Charity Sanders, at Ed Sanders’ residence in Wilson County.

On 6 December 1906, James Tate, 27, of Wilson, son of Isaac and Emily Tate, married Charity Sanders, 17, of Wilson, whose parents were dead and whose guardians were Julius Hagans and wife. Missionary Baptist minister William Baker performed the ceremony at Julius Hagans’ residence in the presence of Martha Hagans, Jason Farmer, and Bettie Boykin. [Charity Sanders, in fact, was only about 15 years old.]

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Raleigh Road, James Tate, 27; wife Charity, 18; step-son Henry Sanders, 3; son Hollie Tate, 2; and lodger John Pleasant, 39. All the adults were farm laborers. [On nearby Finch Mill Road, Charity Sanders Tate’s brother Andrew Sanders, 21, was living with Julius and Martha Hagans as a hired man.]

On 9 February 1914, Charity Sanders, 22, married Cordy Tillery, 22, in Wilson. A.M.E. Zion minister B.P. Coward performed the ceremony in the presence of Allen Nelson, Edward Hill, and Lacy Sloane.

In 1917, Cordy Tillery registered for the World War I draft. Per his registration card, he was born 9 August 1889 in Manchester, Virginia; lived at Spring Street, Wilson; was a convict of the County of Wilson (for “misdemeanants”); and had a wife and one child to support.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Park Avenue, tobacco factory worker Cordy Tillery, 28, and wife Charity, 27.

In the 1920 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Tillery Charity dom h ft [foot of] Daniel; Tillery Cordy lab h 510 Railroad; Tillery Lorena dom h ft Daniel

Charity Tillery died 18 May 1920 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 25 years old; was born in Smithfield, N.C., to Edward Wrin of Raleigh, N.C., and Mary Saunders of Smithfield, N.C.; was married to Cordy Tillery; worked as a tenant farmer; and lived on Daniel Street. William Smith was informant.

United States Indenture and Manumission Records, 1780-1939, database at https://familysearch.org.

The death of Jacob C. Speight, Odd Fellow.

Wilson Daily Times, 16 December 1916.

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On 24 February 1887, Jacob Speight, 26, of Greene County, son of Adeline Joyner of Wilson County, married Ida Ward, 18, of Wilson County, daughter of Jesse and Caroline Ward, at Sarah Ward‘s in Saratoga township.

In the 1900 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County, N.C.: ditcher Jacob Speight, 38, widower, and children Arbelia, 12, Elva, 9, Furnis, 7, and Joseph, 5.

On 4 March 1903, J.C. Speights, 38, a Greene County resident, son of Adeline Speights, married Rebecca Roberts [Robbins], 24, of Wilson County, daughter of Jacob and Matilda Roberts in Wilson. A.M.E. Zion minister H.C. Phillips performed the ceremony at “the Residence of Jacob Roberts on 546 Nash St. Town of Wilson” in the presence of Lucy Thomson, P.V. Woodard, and F.A. Ward.

In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Speights Jacob C carp 645 e Green

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Jake Speights, 45; wife Rebecca, 30; and children Eva, 14, Tennie(?), 12, Joseph, 10, Ida, 5, Bessie, 3, and Addie, 1.

In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Speights Jacob C grocer 649 e Green h 645 e Green

Jacob C. Speights died 15 December 1916 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 55 years old; was a carpenter; was born in Greene County to Adeline Speights. R.C. Speights was informant. [Speight’s place of burial is described only as “Wilson, N.C.” It seems certain that he was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery, but we have not found his grave marker.]

Louisa Speights died 7 March 1917 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 1 December 1916 in Wilson to Jacob Speights and Rebecca Robbins. R.C. Speights was informant.

Eva Janet Coley died 7 October 1941 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 9 June 1899 in Greene County to Jacob Speights and Ida Ward; was married to David H. Coley; worked as a teacher; and lived at 901 East Green Street.

Save Vick Elementary.

Though Wilson County’s population is larger than ever, its elementary schools operate at only 60% capacity. Consultants hired by the Wilson County Board of Education have proposed school closures and consolidations to address long-range system needs. One proposal includes the closure of Samuel H. Vick Elementary.

The original Vick Elementary opened in 1936 at 801 East Reid Street, but for several decades has occupied buildings at the former site of Charles H. Darden High School.

At a recent school board meetings, Vick Elementary’s supporters were especially vocal. As reported in the Times on December 20: “I see the Vick Elementary community as a true community where neighbors look out for each other, and the presence of the school has so much to do with that,” [Seeds of Hope Wilson community garden coordinator Julia Newton] said. “Rather than closing this school, it should be celebrated and supported. Its special place in Wilson history should be common knowledge. If we are indeed ‘One Wilson,’ let’s come together to keep Vick Elementary alive and thriving.”

Priscilla Morello of Winstead United Methodist Church’s Hand in Hand Partnership, which has provided volunteer support to Vick for two decades, said, “If you close Vick Elementary School, then a substantial, daily lifeline to the east Wilson community will be cut, and the families and students and the community will run the risk of falling into deeper community neglect. … Closing Vick Elementary will deprive an already marginalized community of the daily light and sense of purpose brought by this school to this neighborhood.”

Photographs by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2021.

Lane Street Project: yucca.

Spiky clumps of yucca dot Odd Fellows cemetery as further reminders that this patch of woods was once a curated (if not manicured) space. Though widely found in cemeteries across the country, in African-American tradition specifically, yucca binds restless spirits to their graves. Easily transplanted and nearly ever-lasting, yucca was sometimes planted near the head of a grave in lieu of an expensive stone marker.

Odd Fellows’ daffodils, which typically bloom around February, were also planted by mourning families, and it’s likely that the wisteria that has taken over the site was introduced as a grave planting.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2021.

The revitalization of the former Happy Hill neighborhood.

Happy Hill is undergoing another transformation. As we saw here, the city cleared the neighborhood in the 1950s and later erected the western section of the Whitfield Homes public housing project in its footprint. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew heavily damaged sections of Whitfield Homes, which was already largely uninhabited, and most of the units were razed. 

This year, however, the Housing Authority began constructing handsome townhouses at the site.

The new Eatmon Townhouses viewed through a gap in the 1960s-era Whitfield Homes.

Townhouses on Banks Street.

Walnut Street.

Santa, I am sitting here thinking of no one but you.

Wilson Daily Times, 23 December 1936.

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In the 1930 census of Ormonds township, Greene County, N.C.:  farmer Clearance Murphy, 32; wife Mittie, 25; and children Mamie, 6, Laura M., 4, Clearance Jr., 3, and Walter, 1.

On 23 September 1955, Laura Mae Murphy, 30, of Wilson, daughter of Clarence Murphy and Mittie Wilks Murphy, married John H. Wm. Baker, 48, son of Haywood Baker and Ora Harper Baker, in Wilson.

On 1 December 1988, the Wilson Daily Times ran an obituary for Laura Mae Murphy Baker of Wilmington, formerly of Wilson. The notice noted that she was survived by husband Rev. John H. Baker; daughters Brenda James and Ora Jean Willoughby of Durham, N.C., and Joann Baker of Raleigh, N.C.; sons Carl and Peter Baker of Durham and Reginald Baker of Bolivia, N.C.; sisters Addie L. Murphy of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Mamie Tyson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and brothers, Clarence Paul Murphy Jr. of Los Angeles, California, Charlie Murphy of Wilson, and Walter Murphy of Long Island, N.Y.; plus six grandchildren.

Lane Street Project: James “Sunny” Simms.

Sunny Simms‘ grave marker bears the three links symbolizing Odd Fellows membership. 

In the 1900 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Ceasar Simms, 61; wife Adline, 41; and children Elizthesbeth, 16, James, 14, Mack, 12, and Tamar, 4.

On 28 January 1908, James Simms, 21, of Taylors township, son of C. and Adline Simms, married Victoria Joyner, 18, of Wilson, daughter of Reubin and Millie Joyner, at “the old Simms [illegible].” Missionary Baptist minister Jeremiah Scarborough performed the ceremony in the presence of Orlando Williams, Schaird [Sherrod] Ellis, and Mary Jane Simms.

In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Simms Sonnie factory hd h Stantonsburg rd extd

Sunnie Simms registered for the World War I draft in 1918. Per his registration card, he was born 3 June 1885; lived at Route 4, Wilson; worked as a farmer on Fred Washington’s farm; and his nearest relative was Adeline Simms Barnes. As a disqualification, the registrar noted: “Left Foot been cut very near off.”

In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Sunny Simms, 34; wife Victoria, 29; and children Fannie B., 9, James C., 7, Willie A., 5, Mary G., 3.

James Sims died 18 August 1924 at the Colored Hospital in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 14 August 1905 in Wilson County to Sonny Sims and Mariah Harris; worked as a farmer for John Drones; and Rhodie Strickland was informant. Sims was stabbed in the shoulder in a homicide.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: public service laborer Sunny Simms, 58; wife Victoria, 50; and children Matthew, 19, tobacco factory laborer, Annie and Nannie, 17, and William, 13. 

William Harold David Simms registered for the World War II draft in 1945. Per his registration card, he was born 9 July 1927 in Wilson County, N.C.; lived at 1015 Stantonsburg Street, Wilson; was unemployed; and his contact was Sonny Simms, 1015 Stantonsburg.

Pfc. William Simms, son of Sunny and Victoria Simms. Wilson Daily Times, 23 March 1953.

Victoria Simms died 23 September 1947 at her home at Stantonsburg Street, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 9 June 1893 in Edgecombe County, N.C., to Ruebin Joyner; was married to Sonnie Simms; and was buried to Rountree [Odd Fellows?] Cemetery. [Her grave marker has not been found.]

Wilson Daily Times, 27 September 1947.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2021.