Vocation

Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque keeps bringing flowers.

Ryan Mitchell got off a flight from Lagos to this news:

During a roadtrip to New Orleans in summer 2021, I stopped by to see my cousin Zella Palmer. The pandemic was still cutting up, so we sat on her porch and chatted, mostly about family, food, and history. At one point, Zella mentioned that she’d received an email feeling out her interest in co-writing a book about North Carolina barbecue. Specifically, about Ed Mitchell and his family. “Girl, call them,” I urged. “Mr. Mitchell is a legend — and my dad’s good buddy!”

The rest … well, is a James Beard nomination!!

(You don’t have a copy of Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque?? What you waiting for??)

Image courtesy of Ryan Mitchell.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 12: Lemon Taborn’s barbershop.

The 500 block of East Nash Street is justly remembered as the 20th century epicenter of Wilson’s African-American-owned businesses. However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Black entrepreneurs and tradespeople also operated across the tracks. As Wilson’s downtown experiences a resurgence, let’s rediscover and celebrate these pioneering men and women.

Check in each Sunday for the latest in the Historic Black Business Series!

Lemon Taborn (later spelled Tabron) was born free about 1834 in Nash County, North Carolina, to Celia Taborn. He moved to the town of Wilson before 1860 and soon established a barbershop — the earliest known Black-owned business in Wilson.

E.B. Mayo noted Taborn’s shop into his 1872 map of Wilson on Tarboro Street just north of Vance Street. Taborn owned a large parcel of land in this block. (The house above was built after the family sold the lot.)

The Wilson Advance, 24 September 1880.

His barbershop also is drawn into the 1882 map of the city.

Taborn died in 1893, and his wife Edmonia Barnes Taborn and daughter Carrie Taborn continued his business until his sons Joshua, Jacob Astor, and Thomas Henry Taborn established Tabron Brothers Barbershop.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2024.

People I want to know more about.

City directories offer endless possibilities. Who were these intriguing folk?

1916

Allen C. Wooten sold (made?) patent medicines.

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What kinds of baskets did Samuel W. White make?

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We’ve met Hood Vick before. I assume he played baseball professionally, but for whom?

1920

Toilet preparations? What exactly was Oscar C. Gordon cooking up on East Nash Street?

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The Eat More? How charming! But where was Preston McCadden‘s business? Two of the four corners at this intersection were houses, the third was Calvary Presbyterian. The fourth was the site of a white-owned grocery store for nearly all of the 20th century. (Sidenote: McCadden also worked as a chauffeur and lived at 201 West Nash.) [Update: a quick look at the 1922 Sanborn map informed me. The northwest corner contained not the house facing Green with which I am familiar, but a small grocery facing Pender. This was likely McCadden’s Eat More. My grandmother was 12 years old and lived a block away and surely was a patron!]

1922

What did W. Clyde Crawford‘s Wilson Building & Construction Company build? Who transacted with its loan division? The company’s offices were at 563 East Nash,

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Evander Eddy was a confectioner. What kind of candy did he make?

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I thought at first John Robertson and John W. Best were bottlers of soft drinks, but now believe they operated soft drink shops. What, exactly, did they sell? Who were their customers?

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But here is a bottler. Did Edward Hunter work for the local Coca-Cola bottler? Or did he have his own business?

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What did William H. Brown print?

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William Picot was both a cabinet maker and repairer of furniture. Was the studio on East Vance a house or commercial business? The 1922 Sanborn shows a small wooden building at the location.

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For which dairy did Luther Hall work?

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Though she lived over in Elm City, Sarah Lucas was Amos Batts‘ private secretary. There were several Amos Battses, but this was likely the undertaker.

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Beyond her interesting first name, Sister McMillan is one of very few, and the only woman, mill worker, I’ve spotted. What kind of mill did she work in?

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Lena Woody lived at the rear of 301 East Nash? A commercial building?

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Ice puller?

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George Martin is the earliest African-American electrician I’ve found in Wilson.

Etta Plummer, doctor woman.

This occupation description in the 1930 census of Wilson caught my eye:

“Doctor woman”?

The full entry: at 1104 Wainwright Avenue, owned and valued at $1000, widow Etta Plumer, 60, doctor woman, and son Samie, 40, oil mill laborer; Lee Palmer, 25, guano plant laborer, and wife Mary, 24, cook.

Other records show that Plummer was a midwife, but this label suggests a broader medical expertise.

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In the 1900 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer William Plummer, 53; wife Etta, 34; and children William Ann, 18, and Samuel, 14.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: city laborer William Plummer, 69, and wife Etta, 50.

In the 1922 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Plummer Etta (c) midwife h 1104 Wainwright Av

William Henry Plummer died 23 February 1925 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 70 years old; was born in Warren County, N.C., to Mary Plummer; was married to Etta Plummer; worked as a common laborer; and lived at 1104 Wainwright. He was buried in “Rountrees Cemetery,” which could have been Rountree or Vick Cemetery.

In the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Plummer Etta midwife h 1104 Wainwright Av

Etta Plummer died 6 September 1939 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 74 years old; was born in Nash County, N.C., to Sam and Pennie Hilliard; was the widow of William Plummer; lived at 1104 Wainwright; and worked as a midwife. Samuel Plummer was informant. She was buried in Wilson, most likely in Vick Cemetery.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 6: Willie Reid’s and William Hines’ barbershops.

The 500 block of East Nash Street is justly remembered as the 20th century epicenter of Wilson’s African-American-owned businesses. However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Black entrepreneurs and tradespeople also operated across the tracks. As Wilson’s downtown experiences a resurgence, let’s rediscover and celebrate these pioneering men and women.

Check in each Sunday for the latest in the Historic Black Business Series!

I was tickled to find Willie C. Reid‘s Wilson Barber Shop and William Hines Barbershop included in this directory of former businesses at 130 South Goldsboro Street. Kudos to this building owner!

In 1933, Hines announced a barbershop merger with Reid at this location, as well as the opening of a beauty salon. Both Reid and Hines operated earlier barbershops in downtown Wilson catering to white customers. More about those locations later.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2023.

Physician’s house bombed.

In January 1952, in the midst of the N.A.A.C.P.’s push to integrate Cairo, Illinois, schools, the home of Dr. Urbane F. Bass; his wife, Wilson native Mary Della Wilkins Bass; and their four children was rocked by a dynamite blast. No one was injured, but the rear of the house was heavily damaged. The bombing followed burning crosses set as a warning to Black parents seeking to transfer their children to all-white Cairo schools.

Clinton Daily Journal and Public Record, 30 January 1952.

Within days, the police arrested and charged five white men with the crime. A year later, used car salesman Robert Hogan pleaded guilty and received a one-year suspended sentence. Charges against the rest were dismissed.

George Farmer, barbecue.

This intriguing entry appears in the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory:

Did George Farmer own his own barbecue restaurant? (If so, where was it?) Was he a pit master?

In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County, we find farm laborer George Farmer, 28; wife Bettie, 25; and children Annie, 7, George, 3, and Mena, 8 months.

In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: teamster George Farmer, 51; wife Bettie, 46; and children George N., 21, Miner, 19, Aulander, 18, Willie, 17, Johney, 15, and Emma, 12.

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Finch’s Rd, George Farmer, 78, livery laborer; wife Bettie, 62; and children John, 18, and Emma, 16. [There’s a 27-year discrepancy in George Farmer’s age over this ten-year period, and 16 years for Bettie Farmer. I’d wager their actual ages were closer to the 1900 designation. Finch’s Road, by the way, was described in the 1912 directory as the “continuation of Kenan at junction of Bynum.”  Today, this would be Kenan past Raleigh Road Parkway. More about this African-American neighborhood here.]

George Farmer appears to have died before 1920.

We salute George Farmer and honor his place in the pantheon of barbecue masters whose tradition Ed and Ryan Mitchell carry on!

Undertaker.

Page 31, 1922 Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson, N.C.

Which undertaker operated this business at the corner of Nash and Carroll Streets shown in the 1922 Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson?

Almost certainly, this was the establishment of one of the undertaking businesses with which Amos Batts was associated. Batts lived next door at 1113 East Nash Street and was in business around this time with Columbus E. Artis. In an era in which the deceased were generally laid out at home, the building likely was used for embalming and preparation, but not actually funerals.

Music teachers.

The 1912 Wilson city directory identified three African-American music teachers in town:

  • Theodosie Askew

  • Elba Vick

In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: postmaster Samuel H. Vick, 37; wife Annie M., 28; and children Elba L., 17, and Daniel L., 3; plus cousin Bessie Parker, 15.

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: dealer in real estate Samuel Vick, 47; wife Annie, 38; and children Elma, 17, Daniel L., 13, Samuel E., 10, George, 7, Anna, 5, and Robert, 2.

In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Vick Elba (c) tchr h 623 E Green

On 26 December 1921, Carlos Valle, 28, of Durham, N.C., son of Celedonio and Leticia Valle, married Elba Vick, 27, of Edgecombe County, N.C., in Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County. Methodist minister A.P. Pearce performed the ceremony.

But also: on 12 July 1922, Carlos C. Valle, 29, of Wilson, married Elba L. Vick, 25, of Wilson, in Wilson. Presbyterian minister Arthur H. George performed the ceremony in the presence of Georgia M. Burke, A.B. Bowser, and James H. Battle.

In the 1930 census of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee: at 572 Stephens, lodge secretary Carlos Valle, 37, born in “Porto Rico”; wife Elba, 33; and children Melba G., 6, born in New York, and Carlos Jr., 4, born in New Jersey.

In the 1940 census of New York, New York: at 111th Street, Colas Valle, 42, automobile trailer chauffeur; wife Elva, 40; and daughter Melba, 16. Carlos and Elba were described as white and born in Puerto Rico.

Elba Vick Valle died 28 December 1980 in Brooklyn, New York.

In memoriam: Christine Barnes Richie.

Wilson’s “hidden figure,” Christine Barnes Richie, passed peacefully late last month and was funeralized yesterday in Newport News, Virginia.

“Christine B. Richie was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt, church member, and friend. On January 26, 1932, she began her earthly journey as the second of six daughters born to McKinley Barnes and Hagar Hagans Barnes. Christine B. Richie, or “Babe” as she was affectionally called by family and friends was educated in the public schools of Wilson County North Carolina. She attended Barnes Elementary-Middle School, and in 1950 she graduated from Frederick Douglas High School in Elm City North Carolina as the valedictorian of her class. Christine was a dedicated and hardworking student. She was always working to get 100% and was never satisfied with 99.5%. Christine continued her education graduating with honors from North Carolina Central University in Durham with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Science.

“Christine B. Richie started her professional career after graduating from North Carolina Central University and moving to Newport News, Virginia, where she was hired as a math teacher at Huntington High School. She worked there for only one year before learning that NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) was looking for mathematicians. She applied and took the qualifying exam and was hired as one of the “Human Computers” working in the West Wing section of Langley Field. A few years  later NACA became NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) as a result of the Space Act. Christine B. Richie continued working at NASA as a mathematician for thirty-two years before she retired in 1987.

“While working at NASA Christine co-authored and contributed to several research projects including the Application of phase-change technique to thin sections with heating on both surfaces (National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 1973), the Fail-safe system for actively cooled supersonic and hypersonic aircraft (National Aeronautics and Space Administration;1975), the Aerodynamic characteristics at Mach 6 of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 ̊ swept delta wing (National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 1977), and in 2017 Christine B. Richie received the group achievement award from NASA for being one of the “Human Computers” depicted in the movie Hidden Figures, who helped put the first man on the moon.

“Christine was not only an accomplished mathematician, but she was a faithful member of Trinity Baptist church for more than 60 years. As a faithful member she served as the treasurer for the Women’s Club. She was also a “Life Time Member” of the Missionary Society, and was a recipient of the Trinity Baptist Church Rosa Parks Award. After retirement, Christine served her community delivering meals on wheels for 25 years. She was a quiet humble person whose Christian faith was lived out in the loving way she patiently sacrificed her time, talents and treasure for her family, friends, and those who were dear to her.

“Christine B. Richie was preceded in death by one sister, Emma Dean Barnes; her loving husband, Walter E. Richie Sr.; her son, Walter E. Richie Jr.; and son-in- law, Timothy A. Chandler Jr. She leaves behind 1 daughter, Rev. Dr. Faye Richie-Chandler; 2 grandchildren, Timothy A. Chandler III and Morgan Faye Chandler; 1 granddaughter-in-law, Lorion Chandler; 2 great grandchildren, Rielyn Chandler and Reign Timara Faye Chandler; 4 sisters, Catherine B. Slade, Ruby B. Spoons, Romaine B. Harris, and Mavis B. Harris; 3 first cousins, Verona B. True, Jeraldene B. Massey and Alice B. Freeman; nieces and nephews, Julia S. McCullough, Theresa S. Moore, Katherine Slade, James Slade, Solita Spoons, Sybil Spoons, Sanchia Spoons, Joydana Harris, Willie Harris, Monica Harris, Rev. Dr. Willis T. Richie Jr., Gloria Boston, Harry C. Richie Jr., Willistine Betts, Georgene Thweatt, Bishop Carroll Richie, Randolph Richie and a host of great nieces, great nephews and cousins. All will remember and cherish the memory of Christine B. Richie for the sweetness of her character. She was truly a “Babe,” and her life speaks for itself; a job well done.

“A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, January 6, 2023, at Trinity Baptist Church, Newport News.  Viewing will be from 3-6 p.m., Friday, January 5, 2023, at the funeral home.  O. H. Smith & Son Funeral Home is honored to serve the family.”

My thanks to Leroy Barnes for alerting me to Mrs. Richie’s passing.