Wilson Daily Times, 13 December 1945.
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Wilson Daily Times, 19 November 1935.
In the 1930 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Sidney Harris, 50, wife Hattie, 40, and children Emma, 17, Oliver, 16, Nathan, 13, Novella, 11, Volious, 8, Hattie M., 6, Beatrice, 3, and Clarence, 1.
In the 1940 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Sidney Harris, 59, wife Hattie, 50, and children Novella, 22, Volious, 17, Hattie Magarette, 15, Beatrice, 13, and Clearance, 12, and granddaughter Deloris McMillian, 6.
In 1942, Volious Lee Harris registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 17 June 1921 in Wilson County; lived at Route 2, Elm City; his contact was Sydney Harris; and was a student at A.&T. College, Greensboro, N.C.
On 21 July 1945, Volious Harris, 24, of Elm City, son of Sidney and Hattie Harris, married Helen Underwood, 25, of Goldsboro, N.C., daughter of William and Nellie Underwood, in Goldsboro, Wayne County, N.C.
Volious Harris died 28 February 1989 in Goldsboro, N.C.
Wilson Daily Times, 19 December 1949.
1947 Sparkle Plenty doll. “The World’s Most Famous Baby from the Popular ‘Dick Tracy’ Comic Strip.”
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Barbara J. Foster and Daniel W. Jones were the daughter and nephew of Carter and Estelle Duncan Foster.
Photo courtesy of antiquesnavigator.com.
On 26 December 1864, a court-appointed committee divided the enslaved people held by Council Applewhite, deceased, into roughly equal parts by value. (Applewhite was the elder brother of Henry Applewhite.)
William P. Applewhite drew the first lot, valued at $12,250 and consisting of Adison, Gray, George, Delia and her child Renna, Ada, Eliza, and Bedy.
Samuel H. Applewhite drew the second lot, valued at $13,200 and consisting of Dock, Hyman, Warren, Della, Clary, Sary, McKoy, and Larrence.
The estate of Joseph J. Applewhite drew the third lot, valued at $11,600 and consisting of Luke, Rufus, John, Zany, Osker, Martha, Rose, and Abraham. This group was further divided among Joseph Applewhite’s heirs, with Sarah H. Applewhite receiving Rufus and Abraham ($2300); Isaac C. Applewhite receiving Osker and Rose ($1200); William P. Applewhite receiving Luke ($1800); and Samuel H. Applewhite receiving John ($2100).
William R. Peacock, husband of Mary Applewhite Peacock, received Martha ($2600), and Thomas J. Applewhite, Zany ($1600). Various amounts of cash exchanged hands to even out the numbers.
Four months later, all were free.
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The 24 people Council Applewhite enslaved likely consisted of one or more mothers with children, young and/or adult; perhaps nuclear families with both parents present; men whose families lived elsewhere; and unattached adults. Obedience “Bedie” Applewhite was the mother of Doc Applewhite (ca. 1831), Addison Applewhite (ca. 1835), George Applewhite (ca. 1840), and Adelia Bynum (ca. 1841). Adelia Bynum, whose husband Lewis Bynum was enslaved elsewhere, was the mother of George and Ada Bynum. Della Applewhite (ca. 1836) was the mother of Sarah and Clara Applewhite.
On 15 August 1866, Addison Applewhite and Jane Ellis formalized their marriage by registering their two-year cohabitation with a Wayne County, N.C., justice of the peace.
In the 1870 census of Burnt Swamp township, Robeson County, N.C.: turpentine laborer Addison Appelwhite, 33; wife Jane, 24; and children Eustus, 9, Delia, 2 months, and John, 15.
In the 1880 census of Goldsboro, Wayne County, N.C.: huckster Addison Applewhite, 46; wife Jane, 34; and children Eustace, 20, huckster, Delia, 10, Mary, 7, Hattie, 5, and Minnie, 4 months; plus mother Obedience, 75.
On 5 May 1881, the Goldsboro Messenger reported that Addison Applewhite had been elected to represent Goldsboro’s First Ward as city alderman.
In the 1900 census of Astor township, Lake County, Florida: Adison Applewhite, 65, turpentine dipper; granddaughter Mary Vanstory, 11; and boarder William Ford, 33, railroad section hand.
In the 1870 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: Gray Applewhite, 19, farm laborer, is listed in the household of Nancy Newsom, 62.
On 25 October 1872, Gray Applewhite, 22, married Cary A. Parker, 23, in Wilson. J.P. Clark, Levi Melton, and Fanny Moody were witnesses.
A George Applewhite enslaved by Council Applewhite went on to achieve national notoriety and will be featured in a future post.
In 1866, Lewis Bynum and Delia Bynum registered their cohabitation with a Wilson County justice of the peace.
In the 1870 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Lewis Bynum, 30, farm laborer; wife Adelia, 29; children George, 10, Ada, 9, Scott, 7, Penny, 6, Pet, 4, Isabella, 2, and Charles, 8 months; and Obedience Applewhite, 63.
I have not found Renna.
Probably, Ada Bynum, born about 1861, listed in Lewis and Adelia Bynum’s household in 1870, above.
Is this Eliza Ellis, born about 1856, daughter of Zana Applewhite Ellis, below?
See the 1870 household of Lewis and Adelia Bynum, above.
See the 1880 household of Addison Applewhite, above.
However: in August 1866, Beady Applewhite and Wilson Hagan registered their 19-year cohabitation with a Wilson County justice of the peace.
In 1866, Dock Applewhite and Clara Barnes registered their cohabitation with a Wilson County justice of the peace.
In the 1870 census of Nahunta township, Wayne County, N.C.: farm laborer Dock Applewhite, 35, and wife Claricy, 30.
On 9 April 1872, Doc Applewhite, son of Nathan Hooks and Beedie Applewhite, married Mervona Barnes, daughter of M[illegible] Barnes, in Wayne County.
In the 1880 census of Bullhead township, Greene County: Dock Applewhite, 46, laborer; wife Malvina, 35; and children Missouri, 15, Emma, 8, Henrietta, 6, Bud, 4, and Martha, 2.
Perhaps Hyman Bynum, born about 1849, listed below in Della Applewhite’s 1870 household.
On 22 October 1873, Warren Applewhite, 21, married Delsey Bynum, 20, at Elbert Felton’s in Wilson County.
In the 1880 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farm laborer Warren Applewhite, 23; wife Delpha, 22; children Lillie, 3, and Marcellus, 2; and Sallie Ruffin, 6.
In the 1870 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Della Applewhite, 34, domestic servant; Haywood, 19, farm laborer, Sarah, 14, domestic servant, Alice and Anna, 2, and Clara Applewhite, 7; Hyman Bynum, 21; Blount Best, 21; Abraham Bynum, 17; Moses Bynum, 20; and William Pittman, 21, all farm laborers.
In the 1880 census of Bullhead township, Greene County, N.C.: Della Applewhite, 40, domestic servant; daughters An, 14, nurse, Lora, 8, and Ora, 4; and son Oscar, 3 months.
See Clara Applewhite, born about 1863, in the 1870 household of Della Applewhite, above.
See Sarah Applewhite, born about 1856, in the 1870 household of Della Applewhite, above.
On 29 July 1872, Blount Best, 24, married Sarah Applewhite, 18, at Elbert Felton’s in Wilson County.
In the 1880 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Blunt J. Bess, 32, laborer; wife Sarah, 23; children William L., 9, Nellie J., 6, Joseph H., 4, and Ivory, 8 months; plus sister-in-law Annie Barnes, 11.
In the 1900 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: farmer Blount Best, 53; wife Sarah, 44; and children Joe H., 27, John I., 20, Minnie, 18, Blount, 16, Ida, 14, Annie, 13, Mariah, 10, Ella, 8, Albert, 4, Sack, 2, and Joshua, 1.
Is this Macordia Ellis, born about 1860, daughter of Zana Applewhite Ellis, below?
This is likely Luke Applewhite “Jr.,” son of Luke Applewhite (ca. 1815-bef. 1900) and Malinda [maiden name unknown].
Luke Applewhite, 22, son of Luke Applewhite and Malinda Bridgers, married Henrietta Bridgers, 20, daughter of Liberty Bridgers, on 16 October 1879, at Ben Sauls’ plantation in Nahunta, Wayne County.
In the 1880 census of Nahunta township, Wayne County: farmer Eliza Bridgers, 45; daughter Emily, 11; son[-in-law] Luke Applewhite, 22, farm laborer; daughter Henry E., 20; [granddaughter] Charity B., 8 months; and Victoria, 8.
In the 1900 census of Nahunta township, Wayne County: farmer Luke Applewhite, 45; wife Henrietta, 44; and children Frances, 18, Edward, 16, Liberty, 15, Bennie, 10, Lindie, 7, Willie, 4, Dancy, 2, and James, 3.
In the 1910 census of Nahunta township, Wayne County: farmer Luke Applewhite, 52; wife Henrietta, 47; children Frances, 27, Ben, 20, Malinda, 14, Willie, 12, Frank D., 10, and Anna, 7; and grandchildren  James, 11, Nancy, 6, and Roosavelt, 4.
In the 1920 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Luke Applewhite, 69; wife Henrietta, 63; children Malindia, 23, Willie, 22, Frank, 19, Annie, 16, Nancy, 15, James, 20, Rosevelt, 14, and Stella, 8; and grandchildren Eva, 5, Edgar, 4, and Henrietta, 3.
Luke Applewhite died 13 June 1923 in Cross Roads township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1855 in Nahunta township, Wayne County, to Luke Applewhite, Nahunta, and Malindia [last name unknown], Nahunta; was a farmer; and was “Husbane of Henry Etta.” Informant, B.F. Applewhite.
In the 1870 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: James Ellis, 48, farm laborer; wife Zana, 38; and children Eliza, 14, James, 5 months, Cora, 13, Macord, 10, Oscar, 6, and Anna, 1.
In the 1880 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: James Ellis, 59, farm laborer; wife Zany, 49; and children Mccoid, 18, Oscar, 17, Anna, 11, James, 10, Johnathan C., 8, and Benjamin S., 5.
In the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farmer Johnathan Ellis, 27; mother Zaney Ellis, 68, widow, sister Mccarda, 35, and brother James Applewhite, 29 [who appears to be the same James as James Ellis above in 1870 and 1880.]
Jonathan Ellis died 12 February 1944 in Toisnot township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 14 October 1875 in Saratoga to James Ellis and Zannie Applewhite; was married to Annie Ellis; was a farmer.
Perhaps Abraham Bynum, born about 1853, listed above in Della Applewhite’s 1870 household.
Estate File of Council Applewhite, Wilson County, North Carolina Wills and Estates, 1665-1998 [database on-line], http://www.ancestry.com.
“Here is how we lose these rural Black cemeteries:
1. We ignore the fact that it was illegal for enslaved people to read and write, so they weren’t going to mark their graves with people’s names. Instead, we use a lack of name-marked graves as evidence the site isn’t important.
2. We don’t recognize that enslaved and newly emancipated people had different ways of marking their graves than what was the fashion of rich white people, and instead, we call the plants and trees that were used to decorate graves ‘overgrowth.’
3. We make it impossible for people to access the cemetery, and we call it abandoned.
4. We develop over it.”
Two writers recently joined the chorus of voices bearing witness to the disrespect paid historic African-American cemeteries across the eastern and southern United States.
The passage above, from Betsy Phillips’ “The Steady Erasure of Black Cemeteries,” published at nashvillescene.com on 12 December 2022, anchors a gut-wrenching piece about African-American cemeteries in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. She writes, “People and their descendants had their lives stolen from them by slavery, and now they’ve got their deaths stolen by development.”
The second piece, Seth Freed Wessler’s “Developers Found Graves in the Virginia Woods. Authorities Then Helped Erase the Historic Black Cemetery,” published 16 December 2022 by ProPublica, recounts in painful detail the connivance of local government, private archaeology firms, and Microsoft Corporation to clear out a African-American family cemetery standing in the way of a datacenter expansion.
Wilson Daily Times, 25 November 1941.
Little Arthur Lee Sharpe lost his fight and passed away 8 December 1941.
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In the 1940 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Larry Sharpe, 62; wife Bessie, 42; and children Edward, 17, Marie, 16, Lucinda, 13, Larry Jr., 12, Wilbert, 9, Aurthur Lee, 8, Juanita, 3, and James E. Sharpe, 1, and Debbie Barnes, 19.
Arthur Lee Sharpe died 8 December 1941 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 16 March 1932 in Wilson County to Larry Sharpe of Wilson and Bettie Guest of Spartanburg, S.C.; was a student; lived at Route 4, Wilson; and was buried in Simon Barnes cemetery. Cause of death: “extensive burns entire body — fell in hot grease [due to] accident.”
Wilson Daily Times, 18 December 1945.
Wilson Daily Times, 17 December 1930.
Four years later, Mary Barnes’ younger sister wrote Santa:
Wilson Daily Times, 22 December 1934.
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In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1020 [Wainwright], William Barnes, 58, cotton mill engineer; wife Julia, 55; children Evylene, 25, beautician in beauty parlor, Mary, 19, and William, 17, shoeshine boy in shoe shop; and “adopted daughter” Nebraska, 11.
Wilson Daily Times, 5 December 1944.
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On 27 February 1895, Willie A. Earp, 23, of Oldfields, son of G. and Mariah Earp, married Lucy A. Bailey, 18, of Oldfields, daughter of Allen and H. Bailey, at the residence of R.T. Boykin. Witnesses were Rosker Hinnant, Joe Boykin, and Mary Boykin.
In the 1900 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer William Earp, 29; wife Lucy, 22; and children Bunyan, 6, Eddie, 3, and Alvester, 2.
In the 1910 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: William H. Earp, 39; wife Lucy, 33; and children Earnest B., 15, Edmond G., 13, Alvestus, 11, Leila M., 8, and Nona, 7; plus mother Harrett Earp, 50.
In the 1920 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Willie G. Earp, 48; wife Lucy, 41; and daughter Nonnie, 17.
Lelia Bunn died 11 July 1929 at Saint Agnes Hospital, Raleigh. Per her death certificate, she was 29 years old; was born in Wilson to Will Earp and Lucy A. [unknown]; lived in Zebulon, Wake County, N.C.; was married to John Bunn; and was engaged in farming.
In the 1930 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Will E. Earp, 59; wife Lucy, 51; daughter Nonah, 27; and [Lelia Earp Bunn’s children] Bondena, 6, Willie, 4, and Lucy Bunn, 1.
The one hundred eighty-sixth 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 house is: “ca. 1940; 1 story; bungalow with gable roof and shed-roofed porch with standard tapered posts on brick piers.”Â
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 408 Reid, rented for $14/month, taxi driver Essie Smith, 28, born in Red Springs, N.C.; wife Alice, 26, maid at Woodard-Herring; and daughter Aggie Nora, 2; plus Annie McCohan, 50, widow, also from Red Springs. [The Smiths may have been in house next door, which was later numbered 410.]
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory, two entries: Smith Essie (c; Alice; 1) taxi driver h 408(2) N Reid; and Woodard Oscar (c; Katie J) janitor Branch Banking & Tr Co h 408 (407) N Reid
On 28 April 1947, the Wilson Daily Times published a memorial to Jennette Barnes submitted by her daughter Alice Barnes Smith of 410 North Reid.Â
Essie Smith died 25 March 1962 at his home at 410 North Reid. Per his death certificate, he was born 23 December 1896 in Robeson County, North Carolina; was married to Alice Smith; and was a self-employed taxi driver.Â
Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2022.