Goldsboro Street

Historic Black Business Series, no. 34: Isaac J. Young’s blacksmith shop.

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!

In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Young Isaac J blacksmith 213 S Goldsboro h 427 Banks

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 315 Spring Street, horseshoer Isaac J. Young, 46; wife Laura, 27; children Cornelius, 12, and Robert, 9; and laborer Henry May, 5 [sic].

In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Young Isaac J blksmith 213 S Goldsboro h 427 Banks

Also, in the 1912 directory:

Isic J. Young died 15 March 1913 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 1 May 1864 to Grandison Young and Nancy Cooper; was married; lived at 427 Banks; worked as a horseshoer; and was buried in Oxford, North Carolina. Laura Young was informant.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 29: Collins & Vick Livery Company.

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!

During its brief existence, Collins & Vick Livery Company sold buggies at this location (but perhaps in a predecessor building.)

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 28: Short W. Barnes’ barbershop.

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!

Short W. Barnes was a carpenter, not a barber, but at least briefly he invested in a barbershop in downtown Wilson that catered to white customers.

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

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 27: William Allen’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!

William Allen‘s grocery was in a block of South Goldsboro Street packed with black businesses in the very early 20th century. The site will soon lie under a baseball stadium.

Allen is listed in the 1908 and 1912 Wilson city directories as a grocer at 412 South Goldsboro Street.

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

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County, Ann Allen, 32, was described as a grocery clerk. Though her 33 year-old husband Will Allen’s occupation was farm laborer, he seems likely to have been the grocer above.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 26: Braswell R. Winstead’s livery stable.

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!

Braswell R. Winstead attended Lincoln University with Samuel H. Vick and returned to Wilson to teach and work under Vick as assistant postmaster. Winstead later worked as a barber and briefly tried his hand at operating a livery stable at 129 South Goldsboro Street, now the site of Gig East.

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

Detail from Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson, N.C. (1908). John H. Aiken operated a stable at 125; it is not clear how he and Winstead divided the space.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 25: J. Thomas Teachey’s eating house.

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!

Columbus E. Artis opened his eating house in a space formerly occupied by James Thomas Teachey, a building contractor/carpenter who briefly tried his hand at the lunch counter business.

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

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 23: Goodsey H. Holden’s eating house.

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!

Goodsey H. Holden was primarily a bricklayer (and union man) and building contractor, but prudently diversified into other businesses, including an eating house that operated on South Goldsboro Street between Jones and Hines.

In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Holden Goodsy H, eating house 406 1/2 S Spring h 603 S Spring

Historic Black Business Series, no. 20: Coley & Taylor’s barbershop.

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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Though they spent most of the careers working for Walter S. Hines, David H. Coley and Roderick Taylor Sr. briefly joined forces to open their own barbershop in the mid-1920s. They set up at 105 South Goldsboro Street, as shown in the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory. By 1928, however, the partnership had dissolved.

1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 17: Jenkins Café.

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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WhirliDogs Café, which sells fancy hot dogs and empowers young people who have disabilities, opened a couple of weeks ago in downtown Wilson in the space once occupied by Jenkins Café.

The Jenkins (brothers? father and son?), James and Wesley, operated their restaurant only briefly.

Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory (1920).

The directory lists James Jenkins‘ address as 713 Viola and Wesley Jenkins‘ as 705 Viola. Webster Jenkins, who also lived at 705, was listed as a cook. Webster Jenkins was in Wilson as early as 1910, and his occupation is listed as cook in the 1912 and 1916 city directories, but I have found no other trace of James and Wesley.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2024.

Historic Black Business Series, no. 14: Citizens Pressing Club.

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!

Of more than a dozen cleaning and pressing clubs operating in Wilson in the first few decades of the twentieth century, only a few set up business west of the tracks. Alonzo Taylor‘s Citizens Pressing Club at 124 South Goldsboro Street (and later 213 South Goldsboro) was one.

1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory.

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On 20 November 1907, Alonzo Taylor, 23, son of Jane Taylor, married Annie Henry, 21, daughter of George Hines and Mary Henry, in Wilson. Rev. N.D. King performed the ceremony in the presence of Henry Tart, Samuel Plummer, and Leroy Brown.

In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Taylor Alonzo propr Citizens Pressing Club h 547 E Nash

On 5 November 1912, Alonzo Taylor, 23, son of Jordan and Jane Taylor, married Maggie McRae, 20, daughter of Samuel and Diana McRae, in Wilson.

In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Taylor Alonzo cleaning and pressing 213 S Goldsboro h Hotel Union

Alonzo Taylor died 15 April 1917 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 17 February 1889 in Wilson County to Jordan Taylor and Mary Lane; was married; worked in “close cleaning”; and was born in Wilson [likely, Masonic, Vick, or Odd Fellows Cemeteries.] Mary Jane Sutzer [his mother] was informant.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2024.