Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 1 October 1932.
For more about Alfred Boisey Robinson, see here and here and here.
Education
Professor Suggs addresses the teachers’ institute.
Widow Eva M. Bland educated five children.
Sanford (N.C.) Herald, 17 February 1971.
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In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Fred M. Davis, 33, paper hanger; wife Diannon, 31; children Eva M., 6, Bertha E., 5, and Fred M., 17 months; plus mother Judith Davis, 50, laundress.
In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Fred M. Davis, 42, Baptist church minister; wife Dianah, 42; children Eva M., 16, Bertha, 15, Fred, 11, Ruth, 13, Addie L., 8, and William B., 5; and mother Jud., 60.
On 26 July 1917, D.L. Bland, 26, of Lee County, N.C., son of George and Eliza Bland, married Eva Davis, 23, of Wilson, daughter of Fred and Diana Davis, in Wilson. Missionary Baptist minister A.L.E. Weeks performed the ceremony in the presence of C.L. Darden, C.L. Jones [Charles T. Jones?], W.H. Phillips, and J.W. Bland.
In the 1920 census of Sanford, Lee County: pharmacist David Bland, 28; wife Eva, 22; and daughter Alice, 10 months.
In the 1930 census of Sanford, Lee County: drugstore pharmacist David L. Bland, 38; wife Eva M., 35; and children Addie A., 10, Miriam L., 8, Carmel, 6, David L Jr., 3, and Gladys T., 1.
In the 1940 census of Sanford, Lee County: druggist D.L. Bland, 47; wife Eva M., 42; and children Addie A., 20, Miriam, 18, Eva Carmel, 16, David L Jr., 12, and Gladys, 10.
David Leandius [Leonardus] Bland died 14 November 1940 in Sanford, Lee County, N.C. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1892 in Sanford to George Washington Bland and Eliza McGilbery; was married to Eva M. Bland; lived at 505 Wall Street; worked as a druggist; and was buried in Poplar Spring [A.M.E. Church] Cemetery.
In 1944, David Leonardus Bland Jr. registered for the World War II draft in Lee County. Per his registration card, he was born 7 July 1926 in Lee County; lived at 505 Wall Street; and his contact was his mother Eva Bland.
In the 1950 census of Sanford, Lee County: public school teacher Eva M. Bland, 54, and daughters Addie A. Bland, 28, drugstore manager, and Carmel B. Clouser, 24, drugstore clerk.
Sanford, N.C., city directory (1952).
I.P. Thorne’s time with Sherwood’s Youth Band.
When Isaiah Prophet Thorne wrote to the Daily Times in 1941 asking for information about his family, he mentioned that he “was placed, when a small child, in Sherwood’s [Orphans] Schools, and later traveled with a school band.”
Preston and Edna Thorne and their elder children are listed in the 1880 census of Wilson County, and Isaiah was born about 1885. Both parents were reported living in 1890 when their daughter Hattie Thorne married, but may have died soon after, when Isaiah was still a young boy.
By 1893, Isaiah Thorne was the drum major of Sherwood’s band. Contemporary newspaper accounts, even when peppered with the casually cutting racism of the era, single out Thorne’s talent. In May, the band was in New England:
Morning Journal-Courier (New Haven, Conn.), 26 May 1893.
In August 1894, they entertained in the streets of Buffalo, New York:
Buffalo (N.Y.) Commercial, 7 August 1894.
Buffalo (N.Y.) Weekly Express, 9 August 1894.
County teachers meet.
Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 30 January 1937.
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- E.M. Barnes, “supervisor” — Edward M. Barnes.
- J.D. Reid, “principal of the Stantonsburg Street School” — here we find the surprising return of J.D. Reid to the principalship of the Graded School. I don’t think the stint lasted long.
- Mr. Lee
- Mrs. Whitehead, “fifth grade teacher of Wilson High School” — Mamie Ethel Key Whitehead.
- M.D. Williams, “principal of the new S.H. Vick graded school” — Malcolm D. Williams.
- Stanley Gilliam, “principal of the Williamson school”
Jerry Bullock, the first black elected official in Wilson County.
Wilmington (N.C.) Journal, 17 August 1871.
Cheers for Jerry Bullock!
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In the 1870 census of Joyners township, Wilson County: farmer Jerry Bullock, 56; wife Martha, 32; and children John, 15, Ichabode, 13, Anna, 11, Ross, 8, Doc, 2, and Grant, 5 months.
Jerry Bullock died in 1877.
In the 1880 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: widow Martha A. Bullock, 34, and children Ichabud, 20, Ross, 18, David C., 12, Ella, 7, Emma S., 5, and Bettie, 3.
Edmond Bullock died 14 October 1920 in Wilson, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was 63 years old; was born in Wilson County to Jerry Bullock and Martha Bullock; was married to Anna Bullock; worked as a brickmason; and was buried in Wilson County [possibly, Vick Cemetery.]
Dr. Moore’s funeral.
Salisbury Post, 22 October 1927.
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As principal of Wilson Academy, Dr. Edward E. Moore influenced a generation of boys to attend Lincoln University, including Samuel H. Vick, his brother William H. Vick and cousin Frank O. Blount; Daniel C. Suggs; and Braswell R. Winstead. A professor of Greek and Latin, Dr. Moore had been a professor and administrator at Livingstone College. His widow, Serena Suggs Moore, was D.C. Suggs’ sister.
Signal Boost: The Importance of Telling African American Stories through Genealogy and DNA
What if the missing pieces of your family’s story are already waiting in an undiscovered document or your DNA?
In this upcoming episode of the African American Untold Stories Podcast, our Center for Family History (CFH) team sits down with acclaimed authors Melvin Collier, Michael Willis, Kathy Marshall, and Orice Jenkins. They will discuss how genealogy and DNA testing transform family research into powerful published narratives—from books and stage plays to documentaries and digital media.
If you value reclaiming family legacies and bringing hidden history to light, this will be a essential space to join in on the conversation. Tune in online Saturday, August 15, for the CFH podcast episode “The Importance of Telling African American Stories Through Genealogy and DNA.”
In this episode, you’ll learn:
– How to use DNA testing to uncover African American ancestry
– Ways to turn genealogical research into compelling stories
– Tools for writing or digitally publishing your family history
– Why reclaiming Black stories is essential for future generations
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This is an ONLINE podcast episode, as part of CFH’s African American Untold Stories Podcast.
🔗 [Link to Untold African American Stories CFH Podcast Playlist]
W.P.A. to build replacement school in Elm City.
Wilson Daily Times, 6 March 1940.
Elm City’s first black high school was damaged beyond saving in a fire in early 1940. County school authorities quickly made plans to replace the building using Works Progress Administration funds. As to the question of the 334 “schoolless” students, no decision was ever made, and children whose families could not arrange to transfer them elsewhere sat out until the new facility — Frederick Douglass High School — opened in 1941.
Report on the condition of schools.
Among other things, a committee formed to inspect county property reported on the condition of schools. Most were found to be in good condition, but, unsurprisingly, schools serving black students had more serious deficits.
The most common problems were lack of heat shields under heaters, broken window panes, leaky roofs, crumbling pillars, and “bad” toilets. Saratoga School was in good condition, and Penders was very good. On the other hand, Wilson High School was crowded and, at Lover’s Lane, the “building [was] about to fall down” and had “no water, no toilet.”
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Wilson Daily Times, 11 February 1933.
The article went on to report the condition of the school system’s 41 buses, which delivered students to and from ten schools across the county — all serving white students. Black children walked to school in rain, snow, and blazing heat — often to the jeers and curses of their counterparts riding past.