property tax

Notice of tax sales in Lucama and Elm City.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 5 November 1948.

——

  • Edward Dew — in the 1950 census of Lucama, Cross Roads township, Wilson County: truck driver Edward N. Dew, 33; wife Omida, 31; and children Charlie, 14, John E., 11, Daniel L., 9, Jaicile, 7, Cora B., 5, and Hester, 3.
  • Mabel Ellis
  • William T. Armstrong — probably, in the 1940 census of Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County, N.C.: William T. Armstrong, 65, blacksmith helper in railroad shop; wife Lucy, 53; and daughter Mildred, 10.
  • Wiley Barnes
  • Willie Cooper Sr. — probably, in the 1940 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Willie Cooper, 49; wife Georgianna, 26; adopted daughter Nellie Moss, 14; and lodger George Saunders, 18.
  • Mary and Duffie Chisel — in the 1950 census of Elm City, Toisnot township, Wilson County: on Branch Street, Duffie Chisel, 46, lumber mill helper; wife Mary, 41; daughter Lossie Artis, 17.
  • Walter R. Lucas — in the 1940 census of Elm City, Toisnot township, Wilson County: widower Will Lucas, 67, clothes presser at Star Cleaners; son Walter, 50, clothes presser at Star Cleaners; and grandson Cleveland Anderson, 21, farm laborer.
  • Will Lucas — see above.

Town taxes, 1926: the colored delinquent list.

Even delinquent real estate tax lists were segregated in Jim Crow Wilson. Just over ten days from auction, dozens of African-American property owners had not yet settled their accounts. The list reveals a number of absentee owners — some living in neighboring counties and others hundreds of miles away in Great Migration cities. Samuel H. Vick‘s whopping $775.94 bill reflects the more than 100 parcels he owned across the city.

…

Wilson Daily Times, 21 August 1926.

Mahala Artis’ property.

Mahala Artis lived in a house on Goldsboro Street, owned by George H. and Elizabeth P. Griffin. After Griffin died in 1881, and the property went into default, trustee H.G. Connor advertised it and Griffin’s carriage and wagon factory for sale.

Wilson Advance, 21 December 1883.

Eleven years later, Artis’ own property was advertised for sale for non-payment of taxes.  Artis was on her way out of Wilson, however, and in 1899 sold her lot at the corner of Green and Pender Streets to Samuel H. Vick.

Wilson Advance, 22 March 1894.

Sheriff’s tax sale, 1914.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 August 1914.

This 1914 notice of impending sheriff’s sale for non-payment of property taxes included these African-Americans:

Wilson township

  • Charlotte Aycock — in the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Ash Street, teacher Charlotte Aycock, 29, widow; niece Gertrude Jourdin, 10, dressmaker (?); and servant Any Williams, 20, cook. 
  • H.R. Barnes (or Baines) 
  • John A. Barnes 
  • H.G. Barnes
  • Ed Barnes
  • Winnie Best — in the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Grace Street, Winnie Best, 66; son Isaac, 28, odd jobs; and daughter Mary, 25, house servant.
  • Arch Bynum — in the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Sugg Street, Arch Bynum, 37; wife Lillie, 31; and children Nnes, 11, Junis, 7, George, 4, Rena, 2, and Ressie, 6 months.
  • Ella Woodard Bynum — in the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: laundress Ella Woodard, 28, and children Willie J., 9, Oscar, 4, Mary L., 3, and Jesse B., 1.
  • John Reid
  • Emma Dunston
  • Isaac C. Fields — perhaps, in the 1880 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Washington Fields, 30; wife Julia, 35; and children Renda, 12, Penninah, 11, Jane, 9, Christany, 8, London, 6, William, 5, and twins Isaac and Jacob, 3.
  • Chas. B. Gay — Charles B. Gay.
  • Dr. M.S. Gilliam — Matthew S. Gilliam.
  • Garfield Grantham — in the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Grantham Garfield (c) carp h Carolina nr Vick
  • Amos Hines — in the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Amos Hines, 32; wife Sarah, 28; and sons Ashley, 7, Branch, 4, and George D., 1.
  • Ed Hinnant
  • Jeff Holoway — in the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Holloway Jeff (c) 316 (423) South
  • P.P. Johnson
  • T.D. Johnson
  • W.A. Johnson
  • Levi Jones
  • Lottie Marlowe
  • L.A. Moore — Lee A. Moore.
  • Plummer Pittman — in the 1900 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: Hariette Pittman, 40; children Minnie, 20, Plummer, 19, Haywood, 10, Herbert, 7, and Effie, 4; and grandchild Bessie, 7.
  • J.W. Rogers — John W. Rogers.
  • Jane Sutton (or Sutzer) — Mary Jane Taylor Henderson Sutzer.
  • Jordan Taylor
  • Chas. P. Thomas
  • Nathan Weaver — in the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: on Stantonsburg Road, Nathan Weaver, 35; wife Sallie, 30; and children Doretha, 9, Mable, 7, Frank, 6, Louis, 2, and Sallie, 4 months.
  • Louis Williams — in the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Reid Street, Fred Owens, 32, public ditcher; wife Lula, 31; and boarder Lewis Williams, 52, house carpenter. 
  • White Williams — in the 1910 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farmer White Williams, 55; wife Elisa, 43; and children Mearicie, 23, Bill, 18, John, 15, Walter, 14, Ephraim, 9, July, 5, and Sarah, 3.
  • Berry Williams — in the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: laborer Berry Williams, 51, and wife Penny, 39.
  • Nancy Woodard (F.A.W.)
  • Nancy Woodard (Ned Barnes)
  • Lula B. White
  • C. Mack Wells

Old Fields township

Toisnot township

  • Chas. Braswell — in the 1910 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: odd jobs laborer Charlie Braswell, 23, and Pauline, 24. 
  • Frank Hodge

Gardners township

  • J. Barnes
  • Jane M. McCoy

Saratoga township

  • Calvin Dixon 

 

Vick is land-poor.

Baltimore Afro-American, 9 May 1931.

We have seen that on a single day in 1935, during the depths of the Great Depression, Samuel and Annie Washington Vick lost nearly all their real property to, in essence, foreclosure. This article in the Baltimore Afro-American, which carries a faint whiff of schadenfreude, reveals some of the financial pressures that lead to the collapse of their economic empire.

Town taxes, 1929: the colored delinquent list.

Even delinquent tax lists were segregated.

“Colored” owners owing property taxes included owner-occupiers, absentee owners,  investors, and estates. Samuel H. Vick owed the most by orders of magnitude, a sum reflecting his ownership of more than 100 properties across Wilson and his cashflow struggles after the collapse of Commercial Bank and the onset of the Great Depression.

Wilson Daily Times, 30 July 1930.

Clipping courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.

Delinquent taxes.

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…

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Wilson Daily Times, 7 November 1932.

The five columns at right show delinquent taxes for property in the town of Stantonsburg for years 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931, and the total owed. As in everyday life, tax notices were segregated by race.

  • Wm. & Hannah Artis — [This, presumably, is an error. Hannah Forte Artis was the wife of Walter S. Artis, not his brother William M. Artis. (Both were brothers of Cain Artis, June S. Artis, Columbus E. Artis, Josephine Artis Sherrod and Alberta Artis Cooper, and their primary residence was across the county line in the Eureka area of Wayne County.)] In the 1930 census of Eureka township, Wayne County: Walter S. Artis, 56, farmer; wife Hannah E., 47; and children Adam T., 18, and Elmer H., 5.
  • Sare J. Artis — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Yelverton Street, widow Sarah J. Artis, 65; son-in-law Clinton Artis, 30, a sawmill laborer; daughter Mattie, 26, a washerwoman; and grandchildren Ruby, 5, Clinton Jr., 4, and Hazel Artis, 1.
  • Nealy Barnes
  • Wiley Barnes
  • Walter Bynum
  • Adeline Donald — in the 1930 census of Fork township, Wayne County, Adeline Donald, widow, 54, is listed as an inmate of the Eastern North Carolina Insane Asylum (Colored). Donald died 1 January 1931 at the state hospital in Wayne County. Per her death certificate, her regular residence was Wilson County.
  • John E. Ellis
  • Dallas Finnell — Dallas Fennell died 21 April 1935 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 41 years old and married to Sarah Fennell. Informant was Elijah Ward, Stantonsburg.
  • Louis Lewis Est.
  • George Powell Est. — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Wilson Road, valued at $1000, truck farmer George Powell, 60; wife Fannie, 60, washerwoman; and children Bruce, 21, and Fannie, 16, odd jobs laborers. George Powell died 18 August 1930 in Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township. Per his death certificate, he was 60 years; a farmer; married to Fannie Powell; and was born in Nash County to Lawson Powell and Lannie Taylor. Robert L. Powell of Stantonsburg was informant.
  • Mrs. Tom Tyson — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Railroad Street, valued at $700, Tom Tyson, 50; wife Arneta, 36; and children Ordella, 18, Celesta, 13, Ethel L., 11, Hubert, 9, Larry L., 2, and Clementon, 1; plus mother-in-law Ordella Barnes, 58.
  • Dave Ward
  • Tom Whitted — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Delaware Line, Tom Whitted, 50; wife Kitsey, 35; and children J.B., 25, Bertie, 20, Ada, 18, Claude, 15, Henry, 14, Irene, 13, Aaron, 11, Minnie, 10, and Emma, 8.
  • Titus Whitley — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Delaware Line, valued at $600, farm laborer Titus Whitley, 75; wife Ida, 71; grandson Leslie, 10; and lodger Allen Edmondson, 68.
  • John Whitley — in the 1930 census of Stantonsburg, Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: on Delaware Line, valued at $600, blacksmith John Whitley, 49; wife Mollie, 25; and children Artillia, 18, Irene, 15, D.H., 13, John W., 10, Mary F., 8, Marjorie, 3, and Clavon, 1 month; plus father-in-law Wiley Locus, 70.
  • James Woodard

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Like Wilson, railroad tracks (marked with an arrow) divided Stantonsburg into black and white sections.