Photographs

Lane Street Project: trespass.

Yeah. That’s exactly what you think it is. A car … all the way at the back fence of Vick Cemetery. This kind of trespass — and disrespect — continues to happen, though every vehicle that enters has to pass at least one granite pillar emblazoned with the cemetery’s name and climb a curb out of the paved parking lot. 

Vick Cemetery is a sacred space. Lane Street Project — and now the City’s Vick Cemetery Advisory Committee — are working hard to restore dignity to this place and raise awareness of its significance and history. We need the community’s help.

Pvt. Roosevelt Batts recovers in the South Pacific.

Wilson Daily Times, 19 May 1945.

——

In the 1930 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Amos Batts, 29; wife Elizabeth, 29; and children Arlettie, 10, James, 8, Roosevelt, 7, and Amos Lee, 5.

In the 1940 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: widow Elizabeth Batts, 42, farmer, and sons James H., 19, Rosevelt, 16, and Leander, 12. [Amos Leander Batts died while in service.]

Roosevelt Batts registered for the draft in 1940.

In the 1950 census of New York, New York County, New York: Roosevelt Batts, 25, and wife Hattie Margaret, 25, secretary, roomers in 331 Quincy Street.

Roosevelt Batts died 17 September 1986 and was buried in Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, New York.

Studio shots, no. 271: Annie Bell Jacobs Gay.

Annie Bell Jacobs Gay (1896-1981), circa 1940s.

The back of the photo is stamped GGG Photo Studio, 272 Lenox Avenue, New York. (Gasp!) That was James Van Der Zee‘s studio!

Van Der Zee’s photograph of his studio in the 1940s, around the time Annie Bell Gay sat for her portrait.

——

In the 1900 census of Dudley, Brogden township, Wayne County: farmer Jessey Jacobs, 42; wife Sarah D., 28; and children Aner S., 17, Redis J., 15, Carie, 13, Docter, 8, Hatie, 6, and Anie B., 3. [Sarah D. Henderson Jacobs was Jesse Jacobs’ second wife and stepmother to his children James Daniel, Anna, Reddick, Carrie, Doctor, and Annie Bell. Their mother, Sallie Bridges Jacobs died shortly after Annie Bell was born. Hattie was Sarah’s child by a previous relationship.]

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Jesse Jacob,  53, deliveryman for stable; wife Sarah, 35; daughter Annie Belle, 15; and boarders Jesse Henderson, 17, Herbert Jones, 23, both stable laborers, and Nina Fasin, 32, a housemaid.

On 20 February 1913, Albert S. Gay, 23, of Wilson, son of Samuel and Alice Gay, married Annie B. Jacobs, 18, of Wilson, daughter of Jesse and Sarah Jacobs, in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. Rev. N.D. King performed the ceremony at his residence at 38 Bunnell Avenue, Elizabeth City. Witnesses included Albert’s sister, Mrs. Mamie R. King.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: widow Alice Gay, 45; daughter Beatrice, 26; grandson Jerome Wood, 11; granddaughter Gereddine, 10; son Albert, 30; daughter-in-law Anabell, 24; grandsons Albert Jr., 4, and Jesse, 2; son-in-law Fredrick Bolling, 35; daughter Lillie, 23; and grandchildren Delma, 4, and Fredrick, 2.

Wilson N.C., city directory, 1928.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 623 Green, Annie B. Gay, 30, a laundress; husband Albert, 40, a bellboy; mother-in-law Alic, 73; and children Albert Jr., 14, Jessie, 11, Hal, 8, Samual, 6, Mirrian, 4, and Ralph, 2. The house was valued at $8000.

Albert Gay Sr. died 4 October 1932 at Moore-Herring Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 29 August 1889 in Wilson to Samuel Gay and Louisa Bryant; was married to Annie Bell Gay; worked for 25 years as a hotel bellman at Cherry Hotel; and was buried in Wilson [probably, Vick Cemetery.] Beatrice Holden was informant.

In 1940, Albert Sylvester Gay registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 5 December 1915 in Wilson; lived at 623 East Green; his contact was Annie Bell Gay, same address; and he worked for J.W. Thomas, Thomas-Yelverton.

Wilson Daily Times, 27 March 1981.

Photo courtesy of Nina McCoy Hawkins. Thank you!

Snaps, no. 122: Timothy Bowden.

Timothy Bowden (1902-1945).

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Texas-born laborer John Sanchas, 49, wife Mary, 39, and children Hattie, 21, Willie, 19, Timothy, 17, Herbert, 14, and John Jr., 11; all described as black. [Hattie, Willie, Timothy, and Herbert were Hattie’s children and carried the surname Bowden.]

On 26 March 1925, Timothy Bowden, 22, of Wilson, married Annie May Pitt, 19, of Wilson. Sam Allen, “minister of A.M.E. Zion connection,” performed the ceremony at his home on Robeson Street in the presence of Georgia Ward, Fannie Allen, and Cardain Allen.

In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Bowden Timothy (c; Annie M) hlpr h 305 Finch

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 307 Finch Street, Timothy Battle [Bowden], 27, chauffeur; wife Annie, 24; children William, 7, Timothy Jr., 5, Mary E., 4, Hurbert, 3, and Charlie, 1; mother-in-law Sallie White, 38, widow.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 528 East Nash, Grover Black, 50, dairy bottle washer; wife Lucinda, 36, laundress; children Harry, 19, grocery delivery boy Grover Jr., 11, and Pearline, 5; Oscar Dixon, 37, house cleaner, and wife Turthina, 35; Timothy Bowden, 37, servant; Jack Best, 32, servant; and John Roberson, 32, street department laborer.

Timothy Bowden registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County in 1942. Per his registration card, he was born 14 June 1902 in Wilson; lived at 539 East Nash Street; his contact was Willie Rufus Bowden of the same address; and he worked for W.W. Harrell, 202 West Nash.

Timothy Bowden died 18 March 1945 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 14 June 1902 to Mary Ellen Adams of Wilson County; was married to Annie Mae Bowden; lived at 413 East Green; and worked as a chauffeur.

Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com user Mildred Lawton Bowden.

A grave mystery.

For at least a decade, this headstone has lain between the sidewalk and a wall of Jackson Chapel First Baptist Church on the Pender Street side. There’s no grave here. In fact, Esther Vivian Griffin Baldwin, who was black, is buried under an identical headstone in Durham’s Beechwood Cemetery. Baldwin spent most of her life in Durham and has no obvious links to Jackson Chapel or Wilson.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, September 2026.

Libby McDonald McPhatter, as imagined.

I am ambivalent about using artificial intelligence to restore photographs. Or, more specifically, I’m concerned about manipulated photographs supplanting original images and further blurring the line between reality and misinformation. However, the allure of AI-enhanced images is strong, as I often contend with blurry, poorly lit photographs in unnatural sepia or black-and-white tones. Photographs whose condition sometimes exacerbates the distance between us and our ancestors.

I have been experimenting with ChatGPT lately, feeding it queries and images to be restored and colorized. The results are somewhat haphazard, with many images weird and off-putting. Other times, the images are breathtakingly sharp and … alive. Black Wide-Awake exists to resurrect forgotten lives, and I believe these images are valuable to help us connect with the men and women we read about in these posts. From time to time, I’ll share the better ones here, clearly marked as AI-generated.

——

Libby McDonald McPhatter (1905-1981), restaurateuse and hotel owner.

Daughters of Elks celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1973.

Ark of Covenant Temple No. 214, Daughters of Elks, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1973. Among the honorees at their anniversary banquet was Fannie Chester, the last surviving charter member.

Wilson Daily Times, 23 November 1973.

——

In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Eliza Faison, 30, and children Willie, 12, Fannie, 7, and Joe, 3.

On 29 March 1911, Arthur Chestnut [sic], 20, married Fannie Faison, 19, in Wilson.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 206 Vick Street, house carpenter James Boykin, 49; wife Eliza, 47, tobacco factory worker; children Albert, 15, and Ruth, 9; son-in-law Arthur Chester, 28, transfer car driver; daughter Fannie, 28; and grandchildren Arthur Jr., 7, Joseph, 5, Irvin, 3, and Charlie, 1.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 204 Vick Street, Fannie Chester, 49, tobacco factory laborer.

In 1940, Ervin Chester registered for the World War II draft in New York, New York. Per his registration card, he was born 7 December 1917 in Wilson; lived at 237 – 135th Street, #3A, New York City; his contact was mother Fannie Chester, 204 Vick; and he worked for Small, 2446 – 7th Avenue.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Fannie Chester, 59, and son Ervin, 33.

Fannie Faison Chester died 9 April 1976 in Wilson.

Lane Street Project: Old Eastview Cemetery, Rome, Georgia.

Though I will always be of Wilson, I have lived in Atlanta nearly all of my adult life. It is very much “home” for me, too, and is a bottomless well of African-American culture and history that often informs the way I process research and work related to Black Wide-Awake and Lane Street Project.

I’ve begun visiting metro Atlanta’s historic African-American burial grounds. How have they weathered exploding population growth, shifting demographics, outmigration, land loss, and other pressures? The tenth in a series — Old Eastview Cemetery in Rome, Georgia.

——

Old Eastview Cemetery lies southeast of downtown Rome. Dating to at least 1919, the 16-acre privately owned cemetery holds more than 750 graves and is sporadically maintained with volunteer efforts.

A small sign at the intersection of Callier Springs Road and Lincoln Street signal Old Eastview’s location.

Monuments to the cemetery’s many veterans cluster near the front section.

Japanese stiltgrass is rampant and English ivy chokes nearly every tree.

Several of the headstones were locally made. I didn’t see any Eldren Bailey-made markers, but I didn’t venture deep into the cemetery.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, August 2026.

 

1001 Washington Street.

The two hundred-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: “ca. 1930; 2 stories; gable-end apartment house with engaged porch; built by Barney Reid particularly to house teachers.”

However, in 1928, Bessie Wingate Matthews and her children lived in the house:

Wilson, N.C., city directory (1928).

And on 22 July 1930, the Daily Times listed Eddie Wingate as delinquent for 1929 property taxes on the house:

In the 1930 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Matthews Bessie (c) lndrs 1001 Washington

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1001 Washington, widow Bessie Matthews, 38, laundress; daughter Lula McNair, 23, and grandson Alton McNair, 7; daughter Edith Brooks, 18, and grandchildren Lucile, 9, Johnny, 5, and James Brooks, 2; and lodgers James, 26, oil mill laborer, and Harvey Craddle, 32, tobacco factory packer; James Floyd, 19, building painter; Walter Thomas, 32, barber; Essie Brooks, 29, tobacco factory stemmer; and Eddie McNair, 25, tobacco factory packer.

In the 1947 Wilson, N.C., city directory: James Herman (c; Mildred K) lab Hackney Wagon h 1001 Washington

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1001 Washington, downstairs, Herman James, 43, shop foreman at body company; wife Mildred, 41; children Willie, 20, Herman Jr., 19, Delores, 16, Alma, 12, Hilton, 11, Waddell, 10, Clyde, 8, and Mildred, infant; and mother Lucy Knight, 69, widow; and upstairs, Tom Speight, 37, making tobacco barrels, and wife Emma, 26, cook.

In 1968, N.E. Darden applied for permits to make repairs to 1001 Washington and 300 North Vick (Barney Reid’s former home).

Wilson Daily Times, 27 September 1968.

Wilson Daily Times, 21 February 1981.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, August 2026.

621 East Green Street.

The two hundred-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.

In the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, described as: “ca. 1913. 1 story. Frederick Davis house; double-pile, hip-roofed cottage with decorative millwork in porch gables; asphalt-sided; Davis was a minister with the Jackson Chapel Baptist Church. [Demolished 2/95.]”

On 1 August 1893, for $100, Samuel and Annie Vick sold F.M. Davis a lot next to Charles Thomas. The deed was registered 28 March 1896 in Deed Book 41, page 433.

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 1908 Wilson, N.C., city directory — Davis Frederick M, h 618 e Green

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.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Fred M. Davis, 50, church preacher; [second] wife Minnie, 39; children Fred Jr., 20, Berthia, 22, school teacher; Addie, 18, and William B., 16; and mother Judie, 76.

Wilson, N.C., city directory (1928).

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 621 East Green, owned and valued at $11,000, Baptist minister Fred M. Davis, 60; wife Minie, 49; daughter Addie Butterfield, 25, public school teacher; and son-in-law George Butterfield, 27, dentist.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 621 East Green Street, Rev. Fred M. Davis, 73, minister; wife Minnie J., 59; [son-in-law] Dr. G.K. Butterfield, 35, dentist; [daughter] Addie L. Butterfield, 34; son William B. Davis, 32, high school teacher; daughter-in-law Hazel M. Davis, 30, teacher; grandson William B. Davis, 4 months; and son Fred M. Davis, 40, home interior decorator.

Wilson Daily Times, 10 February 1942.

Fred M. Davis Jr. died 7 February 1949 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate he was born 15 October 1900 in Wilson to Fred M. Davis Sr. and Diana Dunston; was single; lived at 621 East Green Street; worked as an interior decorator/wallpaper hanger; was a veteran; and was buried in Rest haven Cemetery.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Fred M. Davis, 82; wife Minnie J., 69; son W.N.B., 40 “school teacher, principal city high school”; wife Hazel M., 35 “school teacher (junior hi), county school”; and grandchildren W.M.B., Jr, 10, Dianna M., 8, and Gloria J., 4.

N.87-12-338-341, Reverend Frederick Davis House, 621 East Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.