1900s

A visit to Wilson.

On 3 September 1908, the New York Age’s society page announced that Martha Farmer of Portsmouth, Virginia, was spending the week visiting family and friends in Wilson. Martha was the daughter of Benjamin and Mollie Barnes Farmer, who migrated to Portsmouth about 1893.

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New York Age, 3 September 1908.

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Robert Barnes, son of Tony  Flowers and Hannah Bass, married Harriett Barnes, daughter of Sampson Farmer and Ann Barnes, on 20 July 1867 in Wilson County.

In the 1870 census of California township, Pitt County, North Carolina: Robert Barnes, 40; wife Harriet, 30; and children Robt., 12, Nathan, 11, Amos, 7, John, 8, William, 6, Mary, 3, and Alfred, 8 months.

In the 1880 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: blacksmith Robert Barnes, 70; wife Harrett, 40; and children Robert, 21, Nathan, 13, Amos, 17, John, 14, William, 12, Mary, 9, Alford, 8, and Lillie, 7.

Benjamin Farmer, 26, of Wilson County, married Mollie Barnes, 18, of Wilson County, daughter of Robert and Harriett Barnes, on 1 February 1888 in Saratoga, Saratoga township. Crummell Bullock applied for the license, and minister Thomas J. Moore performed the ceremony in the presence of D.H. Calhoun and A.J. Tyson.

In the 1910 census of Portsmouth, Virginia: at 308 Chestnut Street, Benjamin Farmer, 44, insurance agent; wife Mollie, 38; and children Martha, 19, Charles, 18, and Lee, 16; plus niece Cora Barnes, 17, and aunt Phebe Pope, 67, widow.

In the 1920 census of Portsmouth, Virginia: at 308 Chestnut Street, Benjamin Farmer, 48, insurance collector; wife Mollie, 49; and daughter Martha, 27, public school teacher; plus aunt-in-law Phoebe Pope, 81, widow.

Phoebie Pope died 22 October 1922 in Portsmouth. Per her death certificate, she was about 88 years old; lived at 308 Chestnut; was born in Wilson, N.C., to Cherry Rodgers; and was “retired many years” from domestic work. J.W. Barnes was informant.

In the 1930 census of Portsmouth, Virginia: at 308 Chestnut Street, owned and valued at $1800, Ben T. Farmer, 56, insurance agent; wife Mollie, 55; and daughter Martha Boyd, 38; plus roomer Peter Solomon, 52, navy yard laborer.

On 16 March 1948, Benjamin Farmer died at his home at 308 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth. Per his death certificate, he was born 2 September 1868 in Wilson County to Joshua and Martha Farmer; had lived in Portsmouth 55 years; was married to Mollie Farmer; and worked in insurance. Martha F. Boyd was informant.

Mollie Farmer died 9 January 1962 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Per her death certificate, she was about 92 years old; was born in Wilson, N.C., to Robert Barnes and Harriet (no maiden name); and lived at 436 Chestnut Street. Martha Boyd was informant.

Martha F. Boyd died 8 April 1973 in Portsmouth. Per her death certificate, she was about 82 years old; was born in North Carolina to Benjamin and Mollie Farmer; lived at 436 Chestnut; and was a retired teacher.

Minerva Louise Ward Artis Biggins Hanks.

After he left Wilson, Joseph H. Ward‘s close family members migrated to Washington, D.C. Once he was established in Indianapolis, Indiana, however, his mother Mittie Ward Vaughn and younger half-sister Minerva Vaughn, also known as Minerva Ward, joined him in the Midwest.

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In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Sarah Darden, 57, son-in-law Algia Vaughn, 23, daughter Mittie, 22, and grandchildren Joseph, 8, Sarah, 6, and Macinda Vaughn, 5 months. [Joseph “Vaughn” was actually Joseph Ward, listed with his stepfather’s surname.]

In the 1900 census of Washington, D.C: William Moody, 27, wife Sarah S., 24, and children Augustus, 5, and Crist Moody, 4, plus sister-in-law Minerva Vaughn, 10, mother-in-law Mittie Vaughn, 46, and mother Fannie Harris, 55, all born in North Carolina.

Indianapolis News, 12 December 1903.

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Indianapolis News, 2 January 1909.

On 11 June 1910, Minerva Ward married S. Dillard Artis, of Marion, Indiana, son of Thomas and Esther Hall Artis (who were migrants to Indiana from Wayne County, North Carolina.) Per Grant County Indiana Biographies, www.genealogytrails.com, Artis “began as janitor of the court house located in Marion, Indiana in 1900. He later accepted private contracts trimming trees, laying sod and making lawns. This work led to contracts for digging cellars, sewer and cement work, street building, and finally municipal contracting. Dillard had a cement contract connected with the $100,000 residence of J. W. Wilson, with the First Baptist Church and numerous others as well as finishing contracts on tar via roads amounting to $840,000 in 1914.” (Artis’ first wife, Asenath Peters Artis, died in December 1909.)

Indianapolis News, 18 June 1910.

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Indianapolis Star, 26 June 1910.

In 1911, Dr. Ward and his young son, Joseph Jr., visited his sister and mother in Marion.

Indianapolis News, 19 August 1911.

Per Google Street View, the house at 920 South Boots Street, Marion, Indiana, today.

Dillard and Minerva Artis’ social life was occasionally noted in Indiana newspapers. For example, in 1915, they were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Beverly Lafoon of Kokomo, Indiana.

Kokomo Daily Tribune, 10 April 1915.

And in 1916 they joined the J.H. Weavers of Weaver, Indiana, for dinner.

Indianapolis Recorder, 4 November 1916.

But just a few weeks later:

Indianapolis Recorder, 25 November 1916.

In the 1920 census of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois: at 486 South Wabash, Diller Artis, 44; wife Minerva, 41; mother-in-law Mittie Ward, 56; and three lodgers, John Smith, 30, and William, 49, and Anna Brown, 46. Artis was working as a railroad poster. [What happened?] Minerva claimed that she and her father were born in Indiana. [In fact, both were born in North Carolina.]

The couple apparently divorced between 1920 and 1923.  On 1 January 1923, Minerva Ward married Jonas B. Biggins in Denver, Colorado. (Dillard Artis died in 1947 in Evanston, Illinois.)

The 1935 Denver, Colorado, city directory lists Jonas B. Biggins as a Pullman porter and Minerva Biggins as a charwoman at the Custom House.

However, per Findagrave.com, Jonas B. Biggins died in 1935 and was buried in Denver. On 15 July 1936, Minerva Louise Biggins married John Q. Hanks in Greeley, Colorado. The couple is listed in the 1936 Denver directory living in the home Minerva had shared with her previous husband.

In the 1940 census of Denver, Colorado: at 1433 East 25th, owned and valued at $4000, John Q. Hanks, 49, butler; wife Minerva, 37; and son Roy, 7. [Roy was born in Illinois. Whose son was he — John’s or Minerva’s?]

In 1942, John Q. Hanks registered for the World War II draft in Denver. Per his registration card, he lived at 1433 – 25th Avenue, Denver; was born 5 February 1889 in Osage, Kansas; his contact was wife Louise Hanks; and he worked for Laurence C. Phipps, 3400 Belcaro Drive, Denver.

John Hanks died in May 1966 in Denver. I have not found a death date for Minerva Ward Artis Biggins Hanks.

The colored firemen’s convention.

The Red Hot Hose Company of Wilson hosted the 1904 convention and tournament of North Carolina Volunteer Firemen’s Association (Colored). Southern Railway ran this notice of special round-trip rates for firemen and brass bands making the trip from various points across the state.

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The Morning Post (Raleigh, N.C.), 28 July 1904.

Colored insurance organization sued.

Samuel Vick‘s Lincoln Benefit Society did business well beyond Wilson. In 1909, Annie Graham, executrix of the estate of Fred Graham of Wilmington, North Carolina, sued Lincoln for a $500 benefit the company refused to pay out, claiming the Grahams paid the final premium to an unauthorized person.

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Wilmington Morning Star, 16 July 1909.

Jackson buys from the Vicks.

In 1902, Samuel H. and Annie M. Vick sold Joseph S. Jackson a narrow strip of land lying between Jackson’s lot at 618 East Green Street and the Vicks’ lot.

The Jacksons’ two-story house at 618 East Green Street, shown here on the 1922 Sanborn map of Wilson, no longer stands.

It was replaced relatively recently by this small gable-front house:

Book 68, page 551, Register of Deeds Office, Wilson County Courthouse.

Report of vaccinations, pt. 5.

In the winter of 1902, doctors in Wilson County commenced a vaccination campaign to counter the spread of smallpox across North Carolina. Physicians in the county were paid ten cents per resident inoculated and sent in lists of patients to justify their fees. Dr. T.L. Brooks, who operated Brooks & Whitley, Druggists, with W.R. Whitley, practiced in Black Creek and surrounds. In February 1902, the County paid him $13.70 for fees and expenses related to 136 vaccinations.

The following list of African-American patients is abstracted from the roll Dr. Brooks submitted to the County:

Earnest Parker, 17

Fred Dawson, 19

Francis Farmer, 22

Nettie Atkinson, 22

Nellie Atkinson, 19

Julia Fields, 18

Naomy Atkinson, 15

Sallie Jordan, 16

Lucy Atkinson, 14

Jane Jordan, 13

Cresy Whitaker, 12

Charity Fields, 8

Rosa Jordan, 13

Nettie Newsome, 10

Lewis H. Newsome, 7

Alford Jordan, 9

George Jordan, 11

Patsy Whitaker, 19

Mary Jordan, 9

Matthew Whitley, 16

Clara Crumidee, 13

Orangy Barnes, 23

Geo. Dew, 26

Bud Crawford, 26

Frank Tomlin, 30

Bud Tomlin, 18

John Whitley, 56

Richard Whitley, 19

 

Report of vaccinations, no. 4.

In the winter of 1902, doctors in Wilson County commenced a vaccination campaign to counter the spread of smallpox across North Carolina. Physicians in the county were paid ten cents per resident inoculated and sent in lists of patients to justify their fees. Dr. Edwin G. Moore practiced in Elm City and surrounds. On 3 February 1902, the County paid him $52.70 for fees and expenses related to 164 vaccinations (including ten pounds of sulphur used to treat three houses.)

The following list of African-American patients is abstracted from the roll Dr. Moore submitted to the County:

Sidney Harriss, 8 January 1902, age 18

Clarence Drake, 8 January 1902, age 14

Fred Gaston, “, age 12

Ivy Barnes, “, age 15

Nellie Ellis, “, age 17

Blanche Barnes, “, age 12

Haywood Ellis, “, age 13

Martha Ellis, 9 January 1902, age 20

Haywood Ellis, “, age 10

Lily Hall, “, age 18

Cora Gaston, “, age 16

Violet Bullock, “, age 16

Lena Armstrong, “, age 18

Wm. Armstrong, “, age 7

Ricks Whitaker, “, age 14

Ben Whitehead, 10 January 1902, age 19

Jennie Bunn, “, age 16

Ivrah Farmer, “, age 23

Almeta Williams, “, age 14

Mag Bullock, “, age 12

Elmer Gaston, 11 January 1902, age 9

Alma Gaston, “, age 7

Tom Coggins, “, age 16

Mag Armstrong, “, age 14

Etta Kelly, “, age 14

Pearly Mitchell, “, age 11

Viola Kelly, “, age 8

Flossie Gaston, “, age 7

Ada Gaston, “, age 15

Georgia Gaston, “, age 17

Serena Hunter, “, age 12

Julius Mitchell, 13 January 1902, age 10

Nina Gaston, “, age 13

Walter Locus, “, age 11

James Rosser, “, age 9

Maggie Ricks, “, age 16

Mancy Gaston, “, 9

Gus Gaston, “, 7

Malvina Johnson, 14 January 1902, age 16

Arie Williams, “, age 15

Catherine Hall, “, age 6

Anna Belle Hall, 15 January 1902, age 12

Minerva Anderson, 16 January 1902, age 15

James Anderson, “, age 9

Jno. Red Barnes, “, age 18

Redmond Barnes, “, age 66

Kinny Ellis, ” , age 17

Will Barnes, 17 January 1902, age 26

Scilla Parker, “, age 40

Nathan Williams, 18 January 1902, age 60

Alice Williams, “, age 40

Emma Williams, “, age 14

Melvina Whitehead, “, age 42

Wily Bynum, “, age 38

John Ellis Sr., “, age 46

Ed Barnes, “, age 27

Caroline Reid, 20 January 1902, age 21

Farro Sanders, 21 January 1902, age 13

George Sanders, “, age 13

Wily Barnes, 30 January 1902, age 30

Jno. Ellis Jr., “, age 19

Nan Williams, “, age 13

Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.