Bethea

Walter had Pete by the collar and had a gun in his hand.

Wilson Daily Times, 8 May 1923.

——

  • Walter Bethea

In the 1910 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: railroad laborer Raddie D. Betha, 40; wife Mary A., 38; and children Samuel D., 19, Mary C., 18, Herbert, 14, Walter H., 11, Lilly V., 6, James E., 4, and Clifton L., 2 months.

On 9 March 1919, Walter Bethea, 18, of Crossroads township, son of R.D. and Mary Bethea, married Mattie Westley, 16, of Crossroads township, daughter of John Anne Westley, in Wilson County. Herbert Bethea applied for the license, and A.M.E. minister J.F. McNair performed the ceremony at the A.M.E. church in Lucama in the presence of R.D. Bethea, Will Hines, and James Bunn.

In the 1920 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: railroad laborer Walter Bailey, 19, and wife Mattie W., 17.

In the 1920 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: farmer Raddie Bethea, 50; wife Mary R., 45; and children Lillie, 15, James A., 11, Clifton, 9, Vastrie, 6, and Herbert, 22.

Walter Bethea died 29 July 1929 in Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County, N.C. Per his death certificate, he was 26 years old; was born in Dillon, S.C., to R.D. Bethea and Mary C. Wright; was married; lived at 333 Matthew; worked as a common laborer; and was buried in Wilson County.

  • Pete Fields

In the 1900 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Washington Fields, 60; wife Julia, 53; daughters Chrischanie, 25, Amanda, 15, and Lutory, 10; grandson Peter, 10; and granddaughters Julia, 5, and Lillie, 7 months.

In the 1910 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Washington Fields, 68; wife Julia, 70; grandson Peter J., 18; and granddaughters Julia A., 14, and Mary Lilly, 9.

On 1 February 1914, Pete Fields, 22, of Crossroads township, married Verrona Mayo, 18, of Crossroads township, in Lucama, Wilson County.

Peter Fields died 5 May 1923, Cross Roads township, Wilson County; single; about 33 years old; worked as a tenant farmer for W.J. Scott; born Wilson County to Daniel Hodge and Chritchania Allen; buried in Lamm Cemetery. “Murdered by Walter Bethea. Death was instantly.”

  • James Stevenson
  • Queen Ella Mae McDonald
  • Eddie Mitchell

In the 1900 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farm laborer Laurence Michel, 29; wife Easter, 24; and children Alonza, 8, Nettie, 6, Eddie, 4, and Babe, 1.

In the 1910 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: Lawrence Mitchell, 40; wife Easter, 36; and children Alonzo, 19, Nellie, 17, Eddie, 13, Jesse, 11, Bettie, 7, Coy S., 5, Mattie, 3, and an infant, 11 months.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Henry Street, Eddie Mitchell, 43, chips blocks at Wilson Veneer; wife Pattie, 33, hangs tobacco at redrying plant; and children Willie, 16, fills order at woodyard, and Lawrence, 14.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 605 Henry Street, Eddie Mitchell, 58; wife Pattie, 48; and son Lawrence, 22, tobacco factory laborer.

  • Lester Harris
  • Ed Lewis
  • John Richardson

Probably, in the 1920 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: farmer John E. Richardson, 26; wife Jessie, 19; and son-in-law [brother-in-law?] Johnnie Hines, 17.

John Eli Richardson died 19 November 1933 in Cross Roads township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 10 June 1893 in Wayne County, N.C., to John M. Richardson and Susan Bunn; was married to Vonia Richardson; worked as a farmer; and was buried in Wilson County.

113, 115 and 117 North East Street.

The one hundred-twentieth 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, the houses at #113, #115, #117 are: “ca. 1908; 1 story; shotgun with board-and-batten veneer.” The board-and-batten has been replaced with clapboard.

The 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson shows that there were originally six endway houses (with two different floor plans) on this stretch of North East Street. Street numbering changed about 1922, so the houses above were originally #114, #116 and #118.

In the 1928 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Ward Ussell (c; Nettie) lab h 113 N East; 115 N East Vacant; Cooper Jack C (c; Nora) lab  h 117 N East

In the 1930 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Bethea Mamie (c) smstrs h 113 N East; Hargrove Andrew (c; Ada) lab h 115 N East; Artis Amelia (c) factory hand  h 117 N East

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 113 North East, paying $6/month rent, Mamie Bathea, 40, laundress; Pattie Manual, 60, mother, laundress; George Kannan, 30, brother, taxi chauffuer; Pearl Manual, 20, nurse for private family; daughters Ruth S., 14, Sally S., 12, and Adel Manual, 10; cousins Louisa, 10, and Ralph Kannan, 8; and daughter Mamie Manual, 4.

In the 1941 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Bethea Mamie (c) smstrs h113 N East; Bowman Rufus (c; Daisy) tob wkr h115 N East; Hines Boyd (c; Betty) tob wkr h117 N East

In the 1947 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Bethea Annie (c) h 113 N East; Grimes Fagin (c; Addie) lab h 115 N East; Williams Rematha Mrs (c) h 117 N East

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, August 2019.