Norfolk and Southern Rail Road

Where we worked: on the railroad.

Wilson Daily Times, 2 March 1950.

Though Wilson was not a railroad town in the way Rocky Mount was, the Atlantic Coast Line and Norfolk Southern railroads kept significant numbers of African-Americans employed. The work was steady, but often dirty and dangerous, especially for brakemen and switchmen.

City directories, census enumerations, draft registration cards, and other records yield this running list of railroad employees:

  • Tom Abram, laborer, A.C.L. R.R., 1917
  • Claude Albritton, laborer in freight depot, N.S. Ry. Co., 1917
  • Dock Applewhite, railroad section hand, lived in Stantonsburg, 1910
  • Frank Asbell, depot station hand
  • James Austin [Alston], brakeman, lived at 206 East Spruce, 1908; laborer for Norfolk Southern R.R., 1912
  • Romeo Bagley, baggage porter, A.C.L. baggage station, 1918; railroad laborer, 1920
  • George Barnes, railroad laborer, 1910
  • George Barnes, freight porter, A.C.L. station, 1920
  • George T. Barnes, station hand, A.C.L. R.R., lived at 632 Viola, 1916
  • John Barnes, station hand, A.C.L. R.R., lived at 808 Viola
  • Joseph Barnes, brakeman, lived on Daniel nr Spruce, 1908
  • Martin Barnes, section hand, N.S. R.R. Co., Cent. Div., lived in Stantonsburg, 1918
  • Pierce Barnes, railroad laborer, lived on the A.C.L. Railway near Spruce, 1908
  • David Battle, railroad crossing flagman, 1920
  • Frank Battle, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Harry Battle, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Millard Battle, railroad laborer, 1920
  • Jule Berkley/Julius Burkett, N.&S. Railway brakeman, 1920
  • Elijah Bishop, depot freight hand, 1920
  • Warren Brington [Brewington?], laborer, freight department, 1917
  • James Brown, yard switchman, A.C.L. Railway, lived at Viola near Reid, 1912
  • James E. Brown, fireman on A.C.L. railroad, 1918
  • Sam Brown, railroad laborer, 1917
  • Willie Bryant, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Julius Burkett, railroad yard switchman, 1920
  • Will Byrd, Seaboard Air Line Railway Company laborer, 1920
  • Brister Daniel, A.C.L. R.R. section hand “Contentnea to near Fremont,” 1918
  • Harry Draughn, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Dallas Dunford, railroad section hand, 1910
  • John Hardy Ellis, Norfolk & Southern Railroad section hand, 1917, resided in Stantonsburg
  • Fulghum Edwards, A.C.L. Railway brakeman, 1916, 1920
  • Swift Faison, mail porter, A.C.L. station, 1920
  • Leroy Farmer, section hand, N.&S. R.R., Central Division, lived in Stantonsburg, 1918.
  • George Frederick, section hand, 1924
  • Bud Gaston, brakeman, 1912
  • John H. Gaston, A.C.L. freight station, 1918
  • William Gates [Gay], brakeman, lived at 529 Church, 1908
  • Isaiah Gilyard, longshoreman, C.&O. Railway, 1918
  • Reid Hagans, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Robert Hall, railroad section hand, lived in Stantonsburg, 1910
  • Leslie Harris, freight hand, Atlantic Coast Line R.R., 1917
  • Charles Hayes, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Daniel S. Henry, labor, A.C.L. passenger depot, 1917
  • Eddie Herron, railroad laborer, 1920
  • Henrietta Hill, matron at A.C.L. passenger depot, lived at 134 Pender, 1908
  • Charles Hines, flagman, 1920
  • George Hobbs, section hand, 1917
  • Will R. Hockaday, section hand, A.C.L. Ry., Elm City, 1918
  • Eddie Hogan, section work, Norfolk So. R.R. Co., 1918
  • Edward Howard, laborer, A.C.L. R.R. Co., 1918
  • Will Jeffreys, railroad laborer, Sharpsburg, 1918
  • Hardy Johnson, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Allen Jackson, station hand, lived at 423 South Railroad Street, 1920
  • James Joyner, railroad laborer, 1920
  • James Mack, laborer, N.&S. R.R. Co., 1917
  • Charlie Macon, laborer, A.C.L. depot, 1918
  • Ulysses Martine, railroad postal clerk, 1920
  • Eziel McCoy, baggage man, A.C.L. station, 1918
  • John McDaniel, A.C.L. Railway laborer, 1920
  • James C. McLean, station hand, A.C.L. R.R., 1917
  • Alec McMillan, freight hand, 1920
  • Louis Miles, railroad laborer, 1917
  • Dave Mills, “extra track gang track man,” Norfolk & Southern Central Division, 1918
  • Gertrude Moss, cleaner, A.C.L. Railroad, 1910
  • James Moore, freight handler, A.C.L. R.R., 1917
  • James Nowling, railroad laborer, 1918
  • Tom Overstreet, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Menus Parker, railroad laborer, Norfolk Southern Ry. Co., 1917
  • James Peacock, depot station agent, 1920
  • Jimmie Pender, railway laborer, Norfolk Southern Ry. Co., 1917
  • Fred Pickens, laborer, freight depot, A.C.L. R.R., 1917
  • Robert Pittman, railroad employee, N.S. R.R. Co., 1918
  • Isaiah Procter, laborer, “S.L. Johnson’s section,” Lucama, 1917
  • Charlie Reed, railroad fireman, 1920
  • Will Reid, A.C.L. Railway Company laborer, 1920
  • Doc Richardson, railroad section hand, 1917
  • Roman Ricks, section hand, A.C.L., Lucama, 1917
  • John Roberson, laborer, N.S. R.R. Co., 1918
  • Ashley Sanders, laborer, A.C.L. freight depot, 1918; freight handler at freight depot, 1920
  • Carey Simms, laborer, N.S.R.R., 1918
  • Shafter Simpson, laborer, Norfolk Southern Ry. Co., 1918
  • John Spencer, depot freight hand, 1920
  • George Taylor, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Andrew J. Townsend, Norfolk & Southern Railway section hand, 1940
  • Lizzie Thompson, depot matron, 1920
  • Ed. O. Williams, laborer, 1918
  • Edward Williams, railroad laborer, 1910
  • Tom Williams, brakeman, 1892

Train-auto collision kills two.

In December 1930, several North Carolina newspapers carried an Associated Press article that opened with this: “Death rode the highways in the Carolinas over the week-end, leaving in its wake eight dead persons and many injured.”

The dead included Samuel High and James B. Lucas:

Burlington Daily Times, 8 December 1930.

  • Samuel High

In the 1900 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: John High, 26; wife Treasy, 23; and children Willie, 8, and Sam, 6.

On 13 December 1915, Samuel High, 19, of Oldfields township, son of John and Treacey High, married Roberta Lucas, 19, of Taylor township, daughter of Elbert and Rose Lucas, in Oldfields township, Wilson County.

On 25 May 1925, Samuel High, 32, of Pikeville, Wayne County, N.C., son of John and Treacy High, married Rosa Arrington, 33, of Pikeville, daughter of William and Tempie Arrington, at the courthouse in Goldsboro, Wayne County.

  • J.B. Locus [James B. Lucas]

In 1917, James Lucas registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 14 August 1890 in Wilson County; lived in Wilson County; farmed for Frank Williamson; had a wife and two children; and was literate.

In the 1920 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer J.B. Lucas, 26; wife Effie, 25; and children Savanah, 6, Sallie, 4, and Pearlie, 2.

In the 1930 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer James B. Lucas, 39; wife Effie, 36; and children Suvannia, 16, Sallie, 14, Peral, 12, Mae H., 10, James W., 8, Mae, 5, Zelmar, 3, and Lillion, 6 months.

Like Samuel High, Lucas “came to his death by N.S. Engine hitting car he was in at crossing in Simms, N.C.”

Railroad section crew in Stantonsburg.

A Norfolk-Southern railway section crew resting on a handcar, circa 1914-15, Stantonsburg. Foreman Ernest N. Richards (1885-1934) is at right and Hardy Ellis is at left with a pipe. The other men are unidentified.

——

In the 1900 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farmer Riubin Ellis, 70; wife Clarky U., 57; children Kansas, 22, Allen, 16, Henrietta, 15, Gemima, 13, Cherry, 12, Hardy, 10, and Benjamin N., 9; and grandchildren Plumer, 16, and Henrietta, 5 months; and Jane Bynum, 66, widow.

In 1917, John Hardy Ellis registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 10 December 1895 in Wilson County; lived in Stantonsburg; was single; and worked  as a section hand for Norfolk & Southern Railroad Company.

J. Hardy Ellis’ signature on his draft registration card.

In the 1920 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: washerwoman Louvenia Applewhite, 49, widow, and lodger Hardy Ellis, 30, railway laborer.

In the 1940 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Railroad Street, railroad laborer Hardy Ellis, 54.

John Hardy Ellis died 18 March 1952 at his home at 911 Viola Street, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 10 December 1886 in Wilson County to Rubin Ellis and Clark Ann Atkinson; was single; worked as a laborer; and was a World War I veteran. Mamie Sutton, 911 Viola, was informant.

Cherry Ann Ellis applied for a military headstone for her brother John H. Ellis on 7 April 1952. His application noted that he had served in the 304th Service Battalion.

Photo courtesy of Stantonsburg Historical Society’s A History of Stantonsburg Circa 1780 to 1980 (1981).