Women

Snaps, no. 121: the Sharpe sisters.

Sisters Annie Sharpe Batts (1911-1961), Sarah Sharpe Williams (1895-1985), Effie Sharpe Ruffin (1902-1980).

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In the 1900 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer James Sharp, 28; wife Bettie, 25; and children Sarah, 7, Minnie, 4, Lonnie, 2, and Yetta, 7 months.

In the 1910 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on the Plank Road, farmer Jim Sharp, 38; wife Bettie, 35; and children Sarah, 15, Sunny, 13, Etta, 12, Mary, 10, Mahala, 9, Jimmie, 7, Della, 5, Bettie, 3, and Annie, 2.

In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on the Tarboro Road, farmer James Sharp, 47; wife Bettie, 40; and children Sonnie, 21, Effie, 18, Mahaly, 17, Jimmie, 15, Dolena, 14, Annie, 13, Bettie, 12, and Willie, 7.

Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com user GeraldNelson31.

A tribute to Ammie McRae Jenkins.

The March 2026 issue of Our State magazine introduced me to Ammie McRae Jenkins, a community historian after my own heart. Mrs. Jenkins founded Sandhills Family Heritage Association in 2001 when she was 60 years old, creating a multi-pronged legacy in preservation. She passed unexpectedly last fall, and I join those who lift her name and memory in praise.

Read the Our State magazine story here.

[N.B.: Many black Wilson County families have roots in the Sandhills, arriving from Cumberland, Robeson, and other counties in the 1920s and ’30s. (If you’re a Mc- or Mac- anything, this might be you.)]

An account of the estate of John H. Aiken, livery operator.

John H. Aiken died 20 July 1914 in Wilson. He operated a livery stable at 125 South Goldsboro Street. Livery stables were the essential equivalent of parking lots and car rental offices, offering boarding, feeding, and care of privately owned horses and rental of horses, carriages, and buggies. Aiken’s wife Georgia Crockett Aiken served as administrator of his estate before resigning on 27 August 1914 and joining Aiken’s heirs — children Quince Aiken, William Aiken, Samuel Aiken, Nannie Eperson, John McDaniel, Gollie Aiken, Levi Aiken, Lizzie Aiken, and Alice Aiken — to request the appointment of W.R. Bryan.

Georgia Aiken’s inventory and final account, filed 29 August 1914, offers a detailed look at a successful black-owned business in pre-World War I Wilson. The inventory reveals a large, though heavily mortgaged, stock in trade — 13 horses, 14 buggies, 5 closed carriages, 2 single surries, and 4 wagons of various types. (There’s also a fifty-dollar debt to Aiken owed by veterinarian Elijah L. Reid.)

Receipts show that Aiken did a healthy business renting out his conveyances. In the last 15 days of July, Georgia Aiken collected almost $190.00 “for teams and buggies,” averaging $12.65 a day [$413.38 in today’s dollars].

Georgia Aiken also took in payments from Briggs Hotel and Wilson Hardware Company, both white-owned businesses, for boarding the companies’ horses.

Most of Aiken’s disbursements were wage payments to laborers William Best, Henry Best, Edward Mooring, William Selby, George Lane, and Dave McPhail. J.Y. Buchanan received four payments for shoeing horses; Hackney Brothers and C. Mack Wells were paid for hack repairs; A.J. Ford was paid for repairing a harness; and Thomas & Barnes for an unspecified repair.

Aiken paid bills from Carolina Telephone Company, Barnes-Graves Grocery Company, and J. & D. Oettinger. She paid two feed bills from C. Woodard Company and made seven payments to Quinn-McGowan Furniture Company, likely for the costs of her husband’s funeral. She also paid stable rent to S.M. Richardson and unspecified rent to S.H. Vick, as well as miscellaneous fees related to probate. Interestingly, Georgia Aiken paid $79.39 — quite a large sum — to T.S. Beatty of the Knights of Gideon lodge. What was this for?

Wilson [County, North Carolina] Property Settlement Records 1905-1923, http://www.familysearch.org.

Liquor raid nets 4.

Wilson Daily Times, 17 December 1938.

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  • Charlie Lowe
  • “Moon” Jones — Luther Jones.
  • Ed and Esther Dupree — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 402 South Lodge Street, Egar Dupree, 35, bottling plant laborer; wife Bettie, 31; children Wilder, 11, Esther, 9, Mary E., 7, and Edgar Jr., 5; and lodger Cornelia Hicks, 22, tobacco factory laborer.

W.C.G.S.’ 2026 Black History Month program.

Tuesday evening, my father’s classmate L. Paul Sherrod Jr. will present and discuss family papers passed down from his great-grandparents Jack Sherrod (who served in the United States Colored Troops) and Cassie Exum Sherrod at a program sponsored by Wilson County Genealogical Society. I’ve had a sneak peek at some of the documents and am amazed by the family’s legacy!

The obituary of Annie Mariah Artis Darden of Mount Vernon, New York.

Mount Vernon (N.Y.) Argus, 7 June 1971.

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  • John D. Artis and Sarah Ward Artis

In the 1870 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farm laborer Nathan Ward, 46; wife Mariah, 26; and children Sarah, 15, Scott, 13, Waltin, 10, Larrence, 5, and Ida, 2; plus Lydia Moye, 58.

In the 1880 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farmer Nathan Ward, 56; wife Maria, 47; children Sarah, 24, Austin, 18, Laurena, 14, Ida, 12, Maria, 9, Ora, 7, Douglas, 5, Columbus, 4, and Elijah, 1; and mother-in-law Liddia Moye, 66.

On 17 July 1890, John D. Artis, 28, of Stantonsburg, son of Joseph and Mary Ann Artis, married Sarah Ward, 34, of Stantonsburg, daughter of Nathan and Mariah Ward, at Sarah Ward’s. Methodist minister Rev. A.T. Dove performed the ceremony in the presence of George N. Applewhite, Mary J. Ward, and W.E. Ward.

In the 1900 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County, N.C.: farmer John Artis, 35; wife Sarah, 35; and daughters Ida, 17, Mariah, 11, and Ora, 8.

John Artis died 16 September 1927 in Wilson, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was 65 years old; was born in Wayne County, N.C., to Joe Artis; was married to John Artis; was a farmer; and was buried in Wilson County. James Ward was informant.

In the 1920 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County, N.C.: farmer John Artis, 56; wife Sarah, 60; and grandson John, 14.

Ora Speights died 15 April 1939 in Speights Bridge township, Greene County, N.C. Per her death certificate, she was born 10 January 1893 in Greene County, N.C., in John Artis and Sarah Ward; was married to Charlie Speights; and was buried in Greene County.

  • Annie Mariah Artis Darden

In the 1900 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County, N.C.: farmer John Artis, 35; wife Sarah, 35; and daughters Ida, 17, Mariah, 11, and Ora, 8.

On 2 May 1909, Jim Hagans, 22, of Saratoga, son of Dred and Mamie Hagans, married Maria Artis, 19, of Saratoga, daughter of John and Sarah Artis, at John Artis’ residence in Saratoga township, Wilson County. A.M.E. Zion minister G.A. Wood performed the ceremony.

On 16 December 1911, Jesse Darden and Maria Hagans were married in Greene County.

In the 1920 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County: farm Jeffie Darden, 25; wife Mariah, 28; children Ada Belle, 6, Effie, 4, and Lawrence, 6 months; and cousin Tom Ward, 20.

In the 1930 census of Speights Bridge township, Greene County: Jessie Darden, 35; wife Maria, 38; and children Ada B., 16, Effie, 14, Lawrence, 10, Charlie, 8, Nathan, 6, Sarah, 5, and Annie, 3.