Croom

Train severs young woman’s legs.

Wilson Daily Times, 29 November 1939.

Doris Croom not only lived, she flourished.

——

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: cook Martha Jones, 56, widow; son Cornelious, 28; daughter-in-law Rose, 23; [Cornelious’] brother-in-law John Cameron, 16; lodger Margie Wingate, 26; and grandchildren Doris, 10, Hellen, 6, Oscar, 7, and Herbert Croom, 5.

On 8 April 1944, Robert O. Caldwell, 33, of Detroit, son of Winnie Caldwell, married Doris Crooms, 24, daughter of Lloyd Crooms of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Maggie Crooms, in Wilson. United Free Will Baptist minister E.J. Cox performed the ceremony.

On 24 October 1959, Doris Crooms, 39, of Wilson, married Hubert Robinson, 33, of Lumberton, in Wilson. Rev. O.J. Hawkins performed the ceremony.

Snaps, no. 107: the widow Argie Croom Savage and her loves.

There is no contest, but this is surely the most heartbreaking photograph I’ve encountered in my Black Wide-Awake research. Jesse Savage and Argie Croom married in 1913 and quickly had two daughters together. In the spring of 1916, however, Jesse Savage succumbed to tuberculosis. Shortly after, his widow balanced their babies on her lap and leaned his large, framed portrait against her knees for a family photo.

——

In the 1900 census of Great Swamp township, Wayne County, N.C.: farmer John Crooms, 38; wife Priscilla, 30; and children Marthey A., 11, Sam R., 10, Hannah J., 8, Maggie L., 5, Augine, and Loyd, 1.

In the 1910 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farmer Priscilla Crooms, 45, and children Annie, 21, Samuel, 20, Hannah, 18, Maggie, 14, Argen, 11, Loyd, 9, and James W., 3.

Jesse Savage, 23, of Toisnot township, son of Bill and Hannah Savage, married Argy Croom, 18, of Toisnot township, daughter of John and Pricilla Croom, on 22 October 1913 in Toisnot township, Wilson County.

A Wilson County index of delayed births lists Minnie B. Savage, daughter of Jesse Savage and Artie Croom, born in 1914.

Jesse Savage died 15 April 1916 in Toisnot township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 17 March 1891 in Wilson County to William Savage of Martin County, N.C., and Hannah Sanders of Wilson County; was married; and worked as a farm tenant.

On 28 October 1937, Minnie B. Savage, 23, of Wilson County, daughter of Jesse and Argie Savage, married Willie B. Baines, 24, of Wilson County, son of Mattie Baines, in Nashville, Nash County, N.C.

Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com user Jonathan Artis.

As different as chalk and cheese.

WILLIAM CROOM.

The man is working for Daniel Evans, near Russellville, Putnam County. He has a nice brick house to live in, has a nice garden spot, fire-wood, and a team to haul it, a milch-cow and food to feed her, and $15 in cash each month; in all, equivalent to about $24 a month. He is delighted with Indiana, and urges that all his people come to our State as soon as they can get there. In an interview with me, he said: “Neither you nor any other Republican in Greencastle ever said a word to me about voting, nor asked me how I was gaining to vote; nor have I known of your asking any of our people how they were going to vote. All that has been said to us was about finding us homes and work, and taking care of us. They have done all for us they could, and our people are grateful to them for it. None of us want to go back to North Carolina; neither does any man who is honest and has sound judgment. I would take my oath on that. Most of our people who have come here are religious. I belong to the Missionary Baptist church, and am a licensed preacher. I came here to better the condition of myself and family, and to raise them respectably. I have found it better than I expected. Indeed, I don’t think that I hardly deserve as good treatment as I have received and am still receiving. From my own experience, I know that my people in North Carolina could greatly better their condition by coming here, and if they knew the facts they would come.

In a subsequent interview Croom said:

“I came from Wilson County, North Carolina. Have been here several weeks. I came because I had heard that colored men could do better here than in North Carolina, and I find that it was a true statement. There is as much difference between there and here as there is between chalk and cheese. It is altogether different. Here we are men just like the whites, get good wages, have good homes, and there are good schools for our children. The climate is no worse for us here than there. I have not yet seen as cold weather in Indiana as I have seen in North Carolina. And then the people are so different. They are just as kind to us as they can be. It seems as though they can’t do enough for us.”

——

Possibly: William Croom died 17 July 1910 in Indianapolis, Center township, Marion County, Indiana. Per his death certificate, he was 57 years old; was born in North Carolina to Sam Croom and Cherry Latta; was married to Diana Croom; and was a farmer. He was buried in Mount Jackson cemetery.

Cora Allen died 9 November 1925 at Provident Sanitarium in Indianapolis, Center township, Marion County, Indiana. Per her death certificate, she was born 15 May 1884 in Indiana to William Croom and Diana Ellis, both of North Carolina and was married to James Allen. She was buried in Floral Park cemetery.

Senate Report 693, Part 2, 2nd Session, 46th Congress.  Proceedings of the Select Committee of the United States Senate to Investigate the Causes of the Removal of the Negroes from the Southern States to the Northern States (1880).  U.S. Congressional Serial Set.