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.
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. AlonzoTaylor‘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.
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!
Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory (1912).
The entire 400 block of South Douglas (formerly Spring) Street is empty, and it’s difficult to determine the exact location of Agnes Taylor‘s eating house. (Or her house-house, which was just down the block.) It was a short-lived business, and both the 1908 and 1913 Sanborn maps show a grocery at 410 South Spring. It’s difficult to say, but per location I’d guess Taylor’s eatery catered to Black customers.
I have not otherwise found Agnes Taylor in Wilson records.
What a lovely tribute by ten year-old Fannie Beatrice Taylor to her father. (It’s a fading practice, by the way, but until recently “Daddy” was unselfconsciously used by Southerners of any and every age to call their fathers.)
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In the 1910 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farmer Joe Taylor, 42; wife Hattie, 28; and children Emmit, 10, Rosetta, 8, Willie, 6, and Daisey, 5.
In the 1920 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Joe Taylor, 51; wife Hattie, 57; and children Willie Robert, 16, and Hattie Lee, 14.
In the 1930 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: farmer Willie Taylor, 24; father Joe, 62; mother Hattie, 51; sister Daisy, 23; and niece Hattie M., 10.
Willie Taylor died 6 November 1938 in Gardners township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 18 October 1903 in Wilson County to Joseph Taylor and Hattie Lucas; was married to Maybelle Taylor; worked as a farmer; and was buried in Wilson [his headstone stands in Rest Haven Cemetery.]
On 11 March 1948, Fannie B. Taylor, 19, of Saratoga, daughter of Willie Taylor and Mable Best Taylor, married Wright Horne, 20, of Saratoga, son of Osborn Horne and Annie Lane Horne, in Wilson, Wilson County.
On 14 July 1895, Robert Taylor, 19, married Lenora Madison, 17, at Elm City, Toisnot township, Wilson County.
In the 1900 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farm laborer Robert Taylor, 25; wife Lenore, 20; and son Arthur, 2. All were reported as born in North Carolina.
In the 1910 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: on Rock Quire [Quarry] Road, Rob Taylor, 36; wife Lenore, 29; children Arthur, 11, Willie, 7, Lonie, 5, Mavin, 3, and Kelley, 1; and nephew Freddie, 13.
In the 1920 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: on Wilbanks Road, farmer Robert Taylor, 46; wife Lena, 39; and children Lonnie, 17, Marvin, 13, Kelley, 11, Robert, 8, Madie, 6, and Clarence, 11 months.
In the 1930 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farmer Robert Taylor, 55; wife Lenora, 48; children Robert, 19, Mattie, 17, Clarence, 12, and Clifton, 10; and adopted children Jessie, 11, and Marie, 6. Lenora’s birthplace was given as Tennessee.
Robert Taylor died 19 June 1934 in Toisnot township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1911 in Wilson County to Robert Taylor of Wilson County and Lenora Taylor, birthplace unknown; was married; and worked as a tenant farmer.
In 1940 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Robert Taylor, 55; wife Lenora, 50; sons Clarence, 20, and Clifton, 19; and granddaughter Mary Lee, 4.
In 1940, Clarance Taylor registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 21 May 1921 in Wilson; lived Route 2, Elm City, Wilson County, N.C.; his contact was mother Lenora Taylor; and he worked for L.C. Cobb, Elm City, Raleigh.
Robert Taylor died 29 December 1942 near Elm City, Toisnot township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 1 January 1880 in Wilson County to Rachel Mercer of Edgecombe County; was married to Lenora Taylor; and worked as a farmer. He was buried in Elm City Cemetery.
In 1942, Clifton Taylor registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 17 May 1920 in Wilson; lived near Raleigh, Wake County, N.C.; his contact was Lenora Taylor; worked as an assistant cook at River View Cafe, Raleigh.
Nashville Graphic, 23 September 1954.
Rocky Mount Telegram, 12 October 1954.
Lenora Taylor died 23 August 1959 in a car accident near Elm City, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was born 1 May 1887 in the West Indies to Laura Phshee; was a widow; lived near Elm City; and was buried in Elm City Cemetery. Willie Taylor, Richmond, Virginia, was informant.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 908 Nash Street, rented for $6/month, William Taylor, 27, attendant at Lucky Strike Tobacco Company, and wife Annie, 26, cook in private home.
Willie Cornelius Taylor’s draft registration card.
In which Rev. Halley B. Taylor both defends the loyalty of African-Americans during World War I and makes pointed observations about the importance of Black soldiers having something to fight for, in other words, a stake in America’s security and prosperity.
The transactions described in this deed are not entirely clear to me, but my best interpretation follows. At a sheriff sale in 1925, D.N. Hinton bought a tract of land owned by George Pender. Pender apparently redeemed the tract by paying off his tax bill, but the same property sold again in 1927, and Mike Taylor won the bid. In 1926, George Pender’s three-acre tract, inherited from his mother Elva Pender from “the old Abram Farmer land,” was also sold to Mike Taylor for nonpayment of taxes. Pender redeemed the tract by paying his tax bill, but it was listed again in 1927, and Mike Taylor bought it. By this deed, ownership of George Pender’s former property was conveyed officially to Taylor.
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Mike Taylor — this was not this Mike Taylor (my great-grandfather, who died in 1927), but this one.
George Pender and Elva Pender
In the 1880 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farmer Martin Pender, 45; wife Elva, 34; and children Abraham, 14, George, 11, Willie, 8, Charley, 4, and Mary, 1.
On 10 April 1887, Abraham Pender, 23, of Toisnot township, son of Martin and Elva Pender, married Priscilla Batts, 24, of Toisnot township, daughter of Orren and Mary Batts, in Toisnot township.
On 25 June 1891, George Pender, 20, of Wilson township, son of Martin and Elder Pender, married Ella Williams, 19, of Wilson township, daughter of Allice Williams. John Green Lassiter applied for the license, and Primitive Baptist minister William Woodard Sr. performed the ceremony at “Rountree place.”
