On 4 August 1931, siblings Mary and Willie Mincey were struck by lightning and killed instantly in Wilson.
Willie Mincey’s death certificate is identical to his sister’s except for his name and age — 7. I have found no details of their deaths in available local newspapers.
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In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 507 Stantonsburg Street, James Mincey, 26, fertilizer plant laborer; wife Lucinda, 22, tobacco factory stemmer; and children Mary N., 8, Willie, 7, and James Jr., 6.
On 15 July 1897, Charles and Leah Hargrove Battle sold Jerusha Peace Woodard a lot in Wilson for fifty dollars. The transaction piqued my interest because sales of East Wilson property from African-Americans to white people were unusual during that time. By the 1890s, the east side of the tracks, south of Crowell Street, was developing into a solidly Black residential area as white landowners divided up farms and other large parcels and moved to west of downtown. (See, for example, Anthony Nadal’s estate, Rountree place, and the Singletary subdivision.)
Deed book 45, page 125, Wilson County Register of Deeds, Wilson.
I do not know the precise location of this irregularly-shaped lot, but, for what they’re worth, the metes and bounds offer context clues:
In 1897, Pender Street did not extend south of Nash Street. (Below Nash, it was Stantonsburg Street, then Road.) The Masonic lodge is at the corner of Smith and Pender Streets. At the time, it shared a property line with the lot on which Charles H. Darden’s house stood. This would seem to establish one lot line.
In 1908, Clarissa Taylor Kearney lived a block away from the Masonic lodge at 531 Church Street, but it’s not clear where she was in 1897. Similarly, in 1908, John Boykin lived on Viola Street, near Vick, and Henry Rountree lived on Stantonsburg Road near the city limits, i.e. on the other side of Nash. None of this is very helpful. Sanborn maps do not cover Pender Street until 1908, so no aid from that corner.
Slaveowners needing additional labor sometimes looked beyond the borders of Wilson County for supply. J.J. Williams, William M. Gay, B.G. Albritton, and C.L. Vines, agreed to pay T.T. Clifton $675 for twelve months’ hire, beginning on or before 1 January 1861, of enslaved men Wesley, Ned, and William. The men were to be returned to Clifton in Louisburg, Franklin County, the following Christmas Day 1861, barring “unavoidable accident.”
A cryptic post script at the bottom of the note appears to read: “hire of 1 boy off say $225”
What was going on with these leases? Only one of the slaveholders can be placed in Wilson County — what kind of work was this cabal engaged in?
Slave Hire-1861, Records of Slaves and Free People of Color, Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
SUB-ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER’S (OR AGENT’S) MONTHLY REPORT
on Education of Freedmen & Refugees in Sub-District, State of North Carolina, charge of Austin W. Fuller, for the Month of April 1868, [in accordance with order contained in Circular No. 5, Bureau R., F., & A.L.]
Records of Superintendent of Education, Freedmen’s Bureau Records 1865-1878, http://www.ancestry.com.
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!
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Jacob Tucker‘s grocery was among the cluster of groceries and cafes on the west side of the 400 block of South Spring [now Douglas] Street. Soon, the footprints of all will lie beneath the baseball stadium that just broke ground in downtown Wilson.
1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory.
Tucker ran into a spot of trouble at his store in the fall of 1912.
Jacob Tucker’s grocery and dwelling as shown in the 1922 Sanborn fire insurance maps of Wilson.
Though its address shifted to 424 South Spring, Jake Tucker operated his grocery store at the same location for nearly 40 years. (424 was also occasionally the address, per city directories, of Neverson Green‘s grocery. The two may have been in the business together for brief periods.)
Tucker’s will, dated 1 September 1942, disposed of both the store and his neighboring house at 422 South Spring. He died in 1946.
Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2024; Jake Tucker Will (1942), North Carolina Wills and Estates, 1665-1998 [database on-line], http://www.ancestry.com.
Greensboro Daily News, 15 May 1918.
Another account of Henry Lucas‘ very deliberate assault on J.D. Reid discloses this new tidbits: Mary C. Euell left Wilson within days of the incident. Just six weeks later, she was working at a Washington, D.C., school, and could not immediately return to Wilson for C.L. Coon’s trial.
The short block of Banks Street between Goldsboro and Mercer Streets was once home to Andrew Townsend‘s home and grocery store, as well as the first location of Trinity A.M.E. Zion church. Hominy Swamp across the block from Goldsboro to Mercer, and tiny branch of that waterway, little more than a ditch, meanders off toward Banks.
As sluggish and unimpressive as the Hominy usually appears, it has repeatedly wreaked flooding havoc across southeast Wilson.
I recently spotted these placards along Banks Street:
The City of Wilson’s press release on Park-Mercer Wetland:
In the heart of Wilson, North Carolina, an exciting and innovative stormwater management project is taking shape. The Park-Mercer Wetland, situated as a tributary to Hominy Creek just outside Historic Downtown Wilson, is set to become a shining example of how municipalities can tackle stormwater challenges while fostering environmental sustainability. This project, in partnership with the NC State University Bio and Ag Engineering program, is not only transforming the local landscape but also providing valuable insights into water quality management.
Why Park-Mercer Wetland Matters
Wetlands are nature’s filtration systems, and their importance within municipalities cannot be overstated. They play a pivotal role in mitigating the impacts of urbanization and improving water quality. As our cities grow, managing stormwater runoff becomes increasingly critical to prevent pollution and flooding. This is where wetlands step in.
The Science Behind Park-Mercer Wetland
What makes the Park-Mercer Wetland project particularly fascinating is its collaboration with the NC State University Bio and Ag Engineering program. Together, they are conducting vital water quality testing to determine the nitrogen concentration in the water flowing out of downtown Wilson. This data is essential for establishing how long the water needs to be in contact with wetland vegetation to effectively reduce nitrogen levels.
Catch and Release Design: A Flow-Based Solution
The Park-Mercer Wetland project is designed with a ‘catch and release’ concept, emphasizing a flow-based approach to stormwater management. In essence, this means that water will be temporarily detained within the wetland, allowing it to interact with the native vegetation. This interaction is a crucial step in removing pollutants like nitrogen from the water.
The Impact on Wilson’s Community
So, why should the residents of Wilson be excited about the Park-Mercer Wetland project? The benefits are manifold:
Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, May 2024; aerial via Google Maps.
Greensboro Daily News, 11 July 1927.
O. Nestus Freeman not only owned bears as pets, he operated a Training School and offered them for sale to others. [Though described as “Siberian,” it is more likely that these were common American black bears. North Carolina has banned buying, selling, possessing, or keeping bears, except in zoos, since 1975.]
Freeman’s bears. Detail from Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House Museum Photograph Album, Images of North Carolina, http://www.digitalnc.org.
