New Year

New Year Greetings!

Janitors at National Bank of Wilson, 113 East Nash Street, placed ads sending New Years greetings and thanking their customers for Christmas gifts.

Wilson Daily Times, 29 December 1933.

Wilson Daily Times, 1 January 1935.

[Sidenote: This building, which now houses county offices, was the tallest building in Wilson until the construction of Branch Banking & Trust’s twin towers at Nash and Pine Streets. The towers were demolished 19 December 2020, and the old National Bank building thus reclaims its title.]

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  • David Graham — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 712 East Green Street, rented for $12/month, tobacco factory laborer David Graham, 40; wife Goldie, 46; daughters Cora, 17, and Marie, 15; and grandson Cleo, 3.
  • Jesse McPhail 
  • Hardy Anderson — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 302 Stantonsburg Street, rented at $12/month, Hardy Anderson, 45, National Bank janitor; wife Sarah H., 34; and roomer Robert Good, 32, fertilizer laborer.
  • Calvin Carr — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 419 Stantonsburg Street, rented at $15/month, bank janitor Calvin Carr, 27; wife Lena, 23, private family cook; and sister-in-law Ina Blount, 25.
  • James T. Speight — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 209 Finch Street, owned and valued at $1000, Lula Speight, 34, drink stand proprietor, widow, and son James T., 19, bank porter; also, paying $8/month rent, William Hodge, 25, oil mill laborer; wife Sarah, 23; and children Eva R., 6, and William Jr., 1.
  • Ashley Tillery — in the 1930 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: at 909 Mercer Street, owned and valued at $1500, farmer John Tillery, 51; wife Conielia, 45; and children Jessie, 20, cook, Ashley L., 18, truck farm helper, Raymond, 16, truck farm helper, Adelia, 14, housemaid, Johny L., 11, Elnora, 7, and Clyde, 5.
  • Walter Jackson — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 515 Church Street, owned and valued at $2000, James McCowan, 76, brickmason, and wife Louise, 63; Jenealia Murphy, 33, private cook, and son Elbert, 18, bank elevator boy, paying $12/month rent; and Rosa Jackson, 36, laundress, and children Annie, 19, cook, Walter, 16, bank elevator boy, and Lucil, 3, also paying $12.

Happy New Year!

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Heartfelt thanks to all who supported Black Wide-Awake in 2018 through likes, comments, shares, tips and leads, and other feedback. This blog is my gift to my hometown, but the love and knowledge I’ve gained in return is immeasurable. I’m deeply grateful.

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Here are some 2018 stats:

579 posts

84,877 views (best ever: 1046 on April 20)

28,198 visitors (from 100 countries)

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Top 5 most popular posts:

“Wide A-wa-ake Love!” – the Wilson roots of Tupac Shakur.

The Harris brothers.

The Klan comes to Wilson.

Snaps, no. 39: unknown man.

The Samuel H. and Annie W. Vick family.

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Some of my favorites (so many, but…):

Anatomy of a Photograph: East Nash Street.

The Round House reborn.

It’s got a little twang to it.

The demise of Grabneck, pt. 2.

The 100th Anniversary of the Colored Graded School boycott.

‘Hoods.

A sacred space for truth-telling.

Mary Euell and Dr. Du Bois.

Play with all your might.

A charge of “negro blood.”

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Happy Emancipation Day!