Murder, then suicide in county jail.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 March 1950.

Wilson Daily Times, 9 March 1950.

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In the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: street laborer George Bryant, 42; wife Jane, 32; and children George, 14, Walter, 11, Floyd, 7, Luther, 4, Rosa Vell, 2, and Nathaniel, 3 months.

In the 1920 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer George Briant, 52; wife Jane, 42; and children Floyd, 17, Luther, 15, Sister, 11, Nathaniel, 9, and Willie, 6.

In the 1930 census of Jackson township, Nash County, N.C.: farmer George Bryant, 61; wife Jane, 51; and children Luther, 24, Nathaniel, 18, and Eugene, 8.

In the 1940 census of Glisson township, Duplin County, N.C.: farm laborer Nathan Bryant, 30, and wife Eula Mae, 25.

Nathaniel Bryant registered for the World War II draft in Duplin County, N.C., in 1940. Per his registration card, he was born 4 February 1910 in Wilson County; his contact was wife Eula Mae Bryant, Mount Olive, Duplin County, N.C.; and he worked for farmer Lizzie Herring.

Eula Mae Bryant died 3 March 1950 at her home at 1002 Wainwright Avenue, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 3 December 1913 in Duplin County, N.C., to Rose(?) Everett and Virginia Branch; was married; and worked in farming. The cause of her death: “hemorrhage (massive) due to 5 1/2 inch knife wound to lower left abdomen.”

Nathaniel Bryant died 7 March 1950 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 7 February 1910 in Wilson to George Bryant and Janie Lucas; was a widower; lived at 1002 Wainwright Avenue; worked as a laborer for the City of Wilson; and was buried in Granite Point Cemetery.

Pettigrew Street exposé, part 1.

In March 1950, the publisher of the Wilson Daily Times, shocked by what he had witnessed on the two short blocks of Wilson’s Pettigrew Street, penned a series of articles exposing living conditions for the city’s poorest. Though Herbert D. Brauff had plenty to say about the standards of the block’s residents, he aimed a surprising salvo straight at the source of the blight — landlords. City manager Talmage Green, who guided Brauff on his tour, viewed public housing as an answer to the problem and this series arguably launched public discourse that would lead to Wilson’s construction in the 1950s and 1960s of housing projects in both African-American neighborhoods.

Wilson Daily Times, 3 March 1950.

Where we worked: Harris Granite Quarry.

We’ve spoken here and here of the granite quarry that operated just west of present-day Sims in far western Wilson County. Especially in its earlier decades, work at the quarry was dirty and dangerous and, unsurprisingly, done mainly by African-American men.

  • James Bagley, stone quarry laborer, 1917
  • Henderson Brown, laborer, 1917
  • Henry Brown, laborer, 1917
  • John Ellison, laborer, 1917
  • Napoleon Ellison, laborer, 1917
  • Tench Eury, laborer, 1917
  • Moses Ferley, laborer, 1917
  • Frank Fox, laborer, 1917
  • Sandy Gaddy, quarry hand, 1917
  • Doty Goins, quarry hand, 1917
  • William Grant, laborer, 1917
  • Floyd Grier, laborer, 1917
  • John Hagans, laborer, 1917
  • Brave Hardie, laborer, 1917
  • Pearson Harris, laborer, 1917
  • Sam Hogans, laborer, 1917
  • K.H. Hughes, laborer, 1917
  • Levi Hutchinson, laborer, 1917
  • Grady Jackson, laborer, 1917
  • Henry Jackson, laborer, 1917
  • Hyman Jackson, laborer, 1917
  • Thomas Jackson, laborer, 1917
  • Will Johnson, laborer, 1917
  • Arthur Jones, quarry hand, 1917
  • Nute Kary, drill laborer, 1917
  • Council Kelly, laborer, 1917
  • Craig Little, laborer, 1919
  • James Logan, quarry hand, 1917
  • Lonnie Mack, laborer, 1917
  • Willie Madison, laborer, 1917
  • Archie McLane, fireman, 1917
  • Florence Perry, laborer, 1917
  • Leonard Perry, laborer, 1917
  • Alfred Pinner, laborer, 1917
  • Smith Poag, laborer, 1917
  • Acie Richardson, laborer, 1917
  • James Roberson, laborer, 1917
  • Lonnie Sanders, quarry hand, 1917
  • Spencer Sanders, laborer, 1917
  • Moses Sawyer, laborer, 1917
  • Arthur Smalls, laborer, 1917
  • Sam Smith, laborer, 1917
  • Clarence Spencer, laborer, 1917
  • Paul Stephens, laborer, 1917
  • Ezell Suratt, laborer, 1917
  • William Thomas, laborer, 1917
  • Wesley Thompson, quarry hand, 1917
  • Henry Valentine, laborer, 1917
  • Hughes Walton, laborer, 1917

Wilmington Morning Star, 17 June 1915.

To answer its labor shortage, the quarry company imported scores of laborers, especially from South Carolina, the home of, among others, the four Jackson brothers listed above. Neverson, however, never became a town, and has disappeared from the map. The quarry, itself, however, remains active.

Google Maps view of Heidelberg Materials Aggregates quarry on Neverson Road today. The town of Sims is just east.

Mary E. Anderson completes college studies.

Wilson Daily Times, 20 January 1949.

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In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 213 Manchester Street, owned and valued at $1000, express company laborer Edward Anderson, 31; wife Alberta, 29; and children Austin, 9, Hellen, 6, John E., 5, Elizabeth, 4, Guynell, 2, and Robert L., 4 months.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Wilson Coal Company laborer Edward Anderson, 40; wife Alberta, 39; and children Octavia, 19, Helen, 16, John, 15, Mary, 14, Gynell, 13, Robert, 10, Deloris, 6, and Ruth, [3].

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 213 Manchester Street, Edward Anderson, 45, “pulls ice — ice plant”; wife Alberta, 43, cleans house; children Mary E., 23, Robert L., 20, Deloris, 17, Ruth J., 13, and Samuel G., 7; and grandson James E., 3.

On 4 June 1950, Jessie Bynum, 25, of Wilson, son of Julius and Gertrude Bynum, married Mary Elizabeth Anderson, 24, of Wilson, daughter of Ed and Alberta Anderson, at Holy Hope Episcopal Church in Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County, N.C. Rev. Robert J. Johnson performed the ceremony in the presence of Mary A. Hughes of Wilmington, N.C., and Wilton M. and Flora C. Bethel, Wilson.

Rountree defends sister, threatens principal.

As printed in the 26 March 1915 edition of the Wilson Daily Times:

Julius Rountree Threatened Life of Principal Reid and Bound Over Under a Peace Bond.

There was only one case before Mayor Dickinson this morning, that of Julius Rountree, who threatened the life of J.D. Reid, principal of the colored graded school, telling him he would kill him if he put his foot on the ground.

Rountree went in the class room where he was making his threats, and witnesses heard him.

The trouble was over the principal whipping one of his pupils, a girl about 17 and sister of Rountree. Rountree was placed under a peace bond of $250 to keep the peace for six months. This was done at Reid’s request who stated he didn’t want to see Rountree go to the roads.

The evidence presented showed that Reid whipped the girl with a small switch and not unmercifully.

It seems the trouble started on the account of the misbehavior of the girl who shook her fist at Reid when reprimanded and the switching followed.

The girl resented this and struck Reid in the face and he put her out of the building. Then followed the entry of Julius into the trouble.

——

Julius Rountree was almost 20 years when he confronted J.D. Reid. The sister he defended was most likely Cora Rountree (sister Daisy Rountree had died the year before.) Three years after this incident, J.D. Reid was involved in the incident that led to the teacher strike and parent boycott of the Colored Graded School.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 13: Oscar Best’s grocery.

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!

Oscar Best operated a grocery in the Grabneck community, which was comprised largely of his extended family. I don’t know at which corner of Nash Street near Bynum his shop operated, and took liberties to take this photo at the site of a more recent Black-owned business at that intersection, Richie’s Automotive Service Center (now at 735 Goldsboro Street SW).

1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory

In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: farmer Orren Best, 31; wife Hansey, 31; and children James, 9, Oscar, 6, George, 4, Fannie, 2, and Hattie, 3 months.

On 23 December 1896, Oscar Best, 24, married Lizzie Harris, 21, at Thomas D. Johnson‘s house in Wilson. A.M.E. Zion Church Nicholas D. King performed the ceremony in the presence of G.W. Sugg, L.D. Johnson, and S.A. Smith.

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: carpenter Orange Best, 67, wife Hansey, 61, children Oscar, 37, a widowed grocer, Roberta, 22, Bethena, 19, Robert, 17, and granddaughter Sarah, 8.