In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: John Norfleet, 41, farm laborer, and wife Cora, 27, private cook; and widow Nancy Tillery, 58, laundress, and son Cordy, 18, railroad laborer. Nancy Tillery reported that only two of her 18 children were living.
In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Tillery Cardey (c) houseman h 208 W Lee
On 9 February 1914, Cordy Tillery, 22, of Wilson, married Charity Sanders, 22, of Wilson, in Wilson. A.M.E.Z. minister B.P. Coward performed the ceremony in the presence of Allen Wilson, Lacy Slome, and Edward Hill.
In 1917, Cordy Tillery registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 9 August 1889 in Manchester, Virginia; was a convict with the County of Wilson; and was married with one child. Tillery signed his own name.
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Park Avenue, Cordy Tillery, 28, and wife Charity, 27; also Will Smith, 38, and wife Rachel, 24. Both men were tobacco factory workers.
In the 1920 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Tillery Cordy (c) lab h 510 Railroad
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 and Mary Saunders; was married to Cordy Tillery; worked as a tenant farmer; and lived on Daniel Street.
North Carolina World War I Service Cards 1917-1919, Ancestry.com.
The one hundred-fifty-ninth in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “#304 [sic]; ca. 1930; 1 story; two-room house with bungalow traits; late example of this traditional type.” The original house number was 207.
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In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: King Thomas (c; Henrietta) lab h 207 (302) Lane
Henrietta King died 11 February 1946 at 302 Lane Street. Per her death certificate, she was born 22 May 1897 in Edgecombe County, N.C, to Charles and Sophie Hines; was married to Thomas King; and was buried in Rountree [likely Vick] Cemetery.
Wilson Daily Times, 14 February 1946.
In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: King Thos (c) lab h 302 Lane
We read here several accounts of the fatal shooting of Phillip Worth by Wilson police chief Wiggs in April 1916. Below, the newspaper report of the coroner’s inquest into the matter.
And yet. Despite the Cemetery Commission’s recommendation to the contrary, the city now admits it has already budgeted for the $125,000 repair of the 100 year-old archway at the entrance of Maplewood Cemetery. As the Daily Times reported it: “Funding to replace the arch was included in the 2020-21 budget in a maintenance account, not as a specific project designated specifically for the arch,” said Rebecca Agner, the city of Wilson’s communications and marketing director. “While this method is acceptable from a budget perspective, it led to some miscommunication between departments about the project. As you can imagine with the number of facilities the city operates, there is a long list of maintenance projects each year, so the total maintenance budget was managed for the year without the cemetery arch being completed.”
What in the lack of transparency is this????
I am rarely in Wilson when Council meets, but yesterday I was, so:
And I go busting down to City Hall ready to sign up for public comment. But this:
And thus, Wilson City Council was spared a piece of my mind about its prioritization of the repair of a decorative structure at Maplewood — a cemetery whose operations, by the way, for years have depended heavily on income derived from historically Black Rest Haven Cemetery, because for better or worse Black folk in Wilson bury, rather than cremate, their dead at a rate much higher than white people and overwhelmingly choose a public cemetery as the place for those burials — over the repair of the breaches of trust created by decades of damage and disrespect to actual graves at Vick.
For your consideration:
“Picture on right shows to entrance to Maplewood with Confederate memorial in background.” Wilson Daily Times, 14 August 1959. This is the arch that the city is spending $125,000 (in 2020 dollars, which might be double that now given inflation and supply chain woes) to fix. The background is still there, too.
The precious arch at Maplewood bears this inscription:
In this garden of shrubs, flowers and grass lie the quiet ashes of our departed loved ones, in dreamless, protected peaceful sleep.
Never mind that Vick Cemetery never had a grand gateway and was never a garden. (Nor Rest Haven, for that matter.) What devastates is that the sleep of East Wilson’s departed loved ones is neither peaceful nor protected.
How long will the City of Wilson continue to deprioritize and disrespect our dead?
The one hundred-fifty-eighth in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “ca. 1908; 1 story; extensively modified triple-A cottage; Masonite veneer.”
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On 20 July 1903, Sam Barnes and wife Ida Barnes borrowed $400 from Wilson Home and Loan Association, mortgaging a one-quarter acre lot on the south side of Viola Street adjoining Ann Bynum, William Hargrove, and Elder Phillips. The note was paid off and cancelled 27 May 1909. Deed Book 32, page 209.
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Samuel Barnes, 50, public drayman; sister Fannie, 27, cook; wife Ida, 45; and daughter Lurean, 21, school teacher.
Nunnie Barnesdied 26 August 1921 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 8 June 1885 in Wilson to Alexander Barnes and Frances Stevens; lived at 604 Viola; and worked for Roscoe G. Briggs. Sarah Joyner was informant.
In the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Barnes Saml (c) drayman 604 Viola
In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Barnes Saml (c; Ida) expmn h 604 Viola
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Barnes Saml (c; Ida) drayman 604 Viola h do [home ditto]
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 604 Viola, owned and valued at $3000, Sam Barnes, 56, public drayman; wife Ida, 52; and daughter Lorine, 29, teacher.
Samuel Barnes died 13 November 1933 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was about 65 years old; was born in Wilson to Alexander Barnes and Frances Stephens; was married to Ida Barnes; lived at 604 Viola; and worked in draying. Lurean Barnes, 604 Viola, was informant.
The 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory lists Ida Barnes, Earl Zachary, laborer; J. Nollie Zachary, barber at Walter S Hines, and Louise Zachary; and Lurean Zachary, teacher at Sallie Barbour School, at 604 Viola. [Louise appears to be a mistype for Lurean, whose husband was J. Knolly Zachary.]
Wilson Daily Times, 22 July 1946.
The 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory lists Ida Barnes, widow of Samuel Barnes; Joe K. Zachary, barber at Cherry Hotel, and Nolley Zachary, barber at Cherry Hotel, and wife Lurean Zachary at 604 Viola. [Joe K. Zachary was Joe Knolly (not Nolley) Zachary.]
Wilson Daily Times, 27 April 1953.
Ida Barnes died 26 April 1953 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 20 March 1874 in Wilson County to John Hinton and Margaret Matthew; was a widow; lived at 602 [sic] Viola. Daughter Lurean Zackery, 604 Viola, was informant. She was buried in Masonic Cemetery.
The one hundred-fifty-seventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “ca. 1908; 1 story; two-room, central-hall house with turned post porch.”
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In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Jackson William H Rev h 613 Viola
The 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map shows that the original house number was 613.
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White James (c) hostler h 613 Viola
In 1918, George Lane registered for the World War I draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 1 June 1879; lived at 613 Viola Street; worked as a brick laborer for John M. Barnes, Green Street, Wilson; and his nearest relative was Mamie Lane, 613 Viola. He signed his card with an X.
In the 1920 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Lane George (c) col h 613 Viola
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: renting at 613 Viola, George Lane, 43, tobacco factory laborer; wife Mamie, 30, washing and ironing; and children John, 11, Clyde, 7, George Jr., 6, and Louise, 1.
On 21 November 1920, an unnamed infant girl was born dead at 613 Viola to George Lane and Mamie Washington Lane. Her mother was informant for her death certificate.
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 602 Viola Street, Samuel Sweny, 53, painter, and children Neoma, 17, Laney, 15, Easter, 13, Gracy, 12, John H., 10, and George P., 7.
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Swinney Saml (c) pntr h 602 Viola; also, Swinney Naomi (c) student h 602 Viola
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 602 Viola Street, Samuel Swinney, 76, painter, daughters Ester, 22, a tobacco stemmer, and Gracie, 22, superintendent at NYA project, and sons Johnnie R., 18, “in CCC camp,” and George, 17.
Samuel W. Swinney died 24 December 1940 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 59 years old; born in Roberson County to Richard Swinney and Fannie Manning, both of Dillon, South Carolina; and a widower. Grace Swinney of 602 Viola Street was informant.
The 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory lists Elizabeth Swinney, maid; George Swinney, tobacco worker; Grace Swinney, teacher; and John Swinney, grocer, at 602 Viola. John Swinney’s grocery store was at 612 Viola.
In 1942, Johnnie Richard Swinney registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 13 May 1921 in Wilson; lived at 602 East Viola Street, Wilson; his contact was Lonnie Thompson, 602 East Viola, Wilson; and he worked in “business (store).”
In 1942, George Cleo Swinney registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 April 1923 in Wilson; lived at 602 East Viola Street, Wilson; his contact was Naomi Hunter, 11 1/2 North Pender Street, Wilson; and he worked for Thurston Motor Line, Wilson.
In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Swinney Geo (c) student h 602 Viola; also, Thompson Lanie S (c) cook ACC h 602 Viola
