Wilson Daily Times, 30 January 1991.
Vick
Observations on the estate of Josiah Vick.
Josiah Vick died in Nash County circa 1846. This detail from an “acct. of sale & Hire of Negroes” prepared by Vick’s administrator Benjamin H. Blount shows that Joshua Barnes purchased several enslaved people — Simeon; Lettice, her children Hines and Madison; and Jane — from Vick’s estate.
The connections between large slaveowners in Nash, Edgecombe, and (later) Wilson Counties formed a dense web, with surprising echoes decades later among Wilson’s African-American elite:
- Josiah Vick was the owner of Daniel Vick.
- B.H. Blount, administrator of Vick’s estate, enslaved Daniel’s future wife, Fannie Blount, her mother Violet Blount, her siblings, and children, including Samuel H. Vick, born in 1863.
- Josiah Vick’s daughter Susan Margaret Vick married John Routh Mercer of Temperance Hall in Edgecombe County. Mercer likely enslaved a child named Della and her mother Callie; Mercer is believed to have been Della’s biological father. Della Mercer Hines‘ first two sons were William Hines and Walter S. Hines, neighbors and business contemporaries of Samuel H. Vick. In 1894, Della Hines married David Barnes, who had been enslaved in childhood by Joshua Barnes. Dave and Della Barnes’ youngest son Boisey O. Barnes was a prominent physician in Wilson.
- Daniel, Fannie, and Samuel Vick, and Della and Dave Barnes are buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery, which was established around what was originally the Vick family cemetery. Benjamin Mincey, famed leader of the all-Black Red Hot Hose and Reel volunteer firemen, is also buried in Odd Fellows. Madison Barnes, sold as a boy to Joshua Barnes, was Ben Mincey’s father-in-law and the namesake of Madison Ben Mincey, who worked for decades to keep the cemetery clear.
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- Simeon
- Lettice and her sons Hines and Madison
On 9 September 1868, Madison Barnes, son of Ephraim Booses and Lettice Parker, married Mariah Strickland, daughter of Henry Strickland and Frances Strickland, at the Wilson County Courthouse.
In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Hines Barnes, 30, farm laborer.
Ben Mincey, 21, of Wilson, son of P. Mincey, and Mattie Barnes, 20, of Wilson, daughter of M. and Mariah Barnes, were married on 12 January 1904. Berry Williams applied for the license, and Baptist minister Fred M. Davis performed the ceremony in his home in the presence of Harry Mercer, W. Aken, and E.M. Davis.
On 6 June 1907, Madison Barnes, 50, son of Eaton Booze and Lettice Harper, married Caroline Stewart, 40, in Wilson. A.M.E. Zion minister N.D. King performed the ceremony in the presence of Charles Thomas, Alfred Dew, and Eugene Canady.
On 7 September 1908, Lula Barnes, 17, of Wilson, daughter of Madison Barnes and a deceased mother, married William Donnell, 22, of Stantonsburg, son of Hamp Donnell, at the bride’s residence.
On 24 December 1919, Madison Barnes, 64, applied for a license to marry Dollie Barnes, 54.
In the 1920 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: on Saratoga Road, farm laborer Madison Barnes, 70; wife Dollie Ann, 53; and granddaughter Annie V. Vick, 8.
Madison Barnes died 18 September 1934 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 90 years old; was born in Nash County to unknown parents; was a widower; and had worked as a laborer. Lillie Mitchell was informant.
Lillie Mitchell died 11 January 1936 in Wilson township. Per her death certificate, she was 42 years old; was born in Wilson to Madison Barnes and Mariah Barnes; was married to Henry Mitchell; and worked as a farmer.
Edward Barnes died 20 February 1945 in Wilson township. Per his death certificate, he was 49 years old; was born in Wilson County to Madison Barnes and Mariah Strickland; was married to Lula Barnes; was engaged in farming; and was buried din Roundtree cemetery.
Mattie Barnes Mincey died 9 February 1960 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 15 December 1886 in Wilson to Madison Barnes and Mariah [maiden name unknown]; was a widow; lived at 706 Wiggins Street; and was buried at Rountree Cemetery. [If she is buried with her husband and his family, Mattie Barnes Mincey is actually buried in Odd Fellows.]
- Jane
Josiah Vick Estate File (1846), Nash County, North Carolina Estate Files 1663-1979, http://www.familysearch.org.
Statement of condition of G.U.O.O.F., Endowment Department of Wilson, 1903.
The Odd Fellows offered burial policies to members and their families, and state law required that yearly filing of statements of assets and liabilities, which were made public. Among other things, president W.W. Lawrence and secretary S.H. Vick reported the Endowment Department of Wilson had written 2357 hundred-dollar policies during the year.
News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), 1 June 1904.
- W.W. Lawrence — I have not been able to identify Lawrence.
- S.H. Vick — Samuel H. Vick.
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.
The obituary of Fannie Blount Vick.
The Morning Post (Raleigh, N.C.), 2 January 1902.
The Morning Post (Raleigh, N.C.), 4 January 1902.
Though Daniel and Fannie Vick’s damaged headstone seems to indicate that Fannie Blount Vick died in the 1800s, in fact she lived until the very end of 1901.
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- Rev. Dillard — Clarence Dillard, noted Presbyterian minister and educator.
- Fred Davis — Baptist minister Fred M. Davis.
The obituary of Robert E. Vick.
Wilson Daily Times, 13 September 2001.
Educator Robert Elliott Vick was the youngest son of Samuel H. and Annie Washington Vick.
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In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: dealer in real estate Samuel Vick, 47; wife Annie, 38; and children Elma, 17, Daniel L., 13, Samuel E., 10, George, 7, Anna, 5, and Robert, 2.
In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Vick Robt E (c) student h 622 E Green
In 1940, Robert Elliott Vick registered for the World War II draft in Essex County, New Jersey. Per his registration card, he was born 1 February 1908 in Wilson, North Carolina; he lived at 83 Kenilworth Place, Orange, Essex County, N.J. (and later 620 Queen Street, Wilmington, North Carolina; “wears glasses at all times;” and worked for Mr. O’Hara at Dugan Baking Company, Abingdon Avenue, Newark, Essex County, N.J.
In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Annie M. Vick, 78, widow; sons Sam Jr., 43, beauty product salesman, and Robert, 40, principal of county school; son-in-law George A. Cowan, 34, agricultural teacher at Edgecombe County schools; sister Monte L., 31, home economics teacher at county school; and brother Samuel Washington, 82, retired postal clerk.
The apprenticeship of George Vick.
On 7 January 1870, a Wilson County Probate Court judge ordered 28 month-old George Vick bound as an apprentice to John D. Wells until he reached 21 years of age.
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George Vick is not listed in John D. Wells’ household in the 1870 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County.
Possibly, in the 1880 federal mortality schedule of Toisnot township, Wilson County: George Vick, 11, black, died in November 1879 of typhoid fever.
United States Indenture and Manumission Records, 1780-1939, database at https://familysearch.org.
The obituary of Hood Vick, World War I veteran.
Wilson Daily Times, 28 October 1950.
In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Marther Vick, 46, widow, washing, and sons [sic] Peater, 20, and Hud, 6.
In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory, Martha Vick, Peter Vick, and Hood Vick, the latter two described as laborers (though Hood was only 14 years old) are listed at 105 Pender.
In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory, Martha Vick, laundress; Peter Vick, porter; and Hood Vick, cleaner and presser, are listed at 105 Pender.
Mildred Ward died 9 January 1914 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 24 October 1913 in Wilson County to Hood Vick of Wilson County and Lucy Ward of Pitt County; and lived at the corner of Nash and Railroad Streets. Lucy Ward, Wilson, was informant.
In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory, Martha Vick, laundress, and Hood Vick, ball player, are listed at 105 Pender Street. [Peter Vick died 11 January 1916 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 10 January 1887 in Wilson County to Peter Taylor and Matha Vick, both of Nash County, N.C., and was single.]
In 1917, Hood Vick registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 10 June 1894 in Wilson; lived on Pender Street; worked as a machine operator at a moving picture theater for C.L. Jones; and was single.
Hood Vick, North Carolina World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919, http://www.ancestry.com.
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 105 Pender Street, Martha Vick, 65, widow, and grandchildren Artha Stokes, 15, and Hood Vick, 25, laborer.
On 8 November 1928, Hood Vick, 35, born in Washington, D.C., to Hood Vick and Lucy Taylor Vick, and employed as an operator, married Anna Windsor in Norfolk, Virginia.
In the 1930 census of New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina: at 20 Browns Alley, private nurse Anna J. Windsor, 70, widow; and, paying $6/month rent, Hood Vick, 36, theatre operator, and wife Anna, 22.
In the 1934 Norfolk, Virginia, city directory: Vick Hood (c; Lucy) lab h 411 1/2 Church
In the 1940 census of Norfolk, Virginia: Hood Vick, 31, divorced, chauffeur, was a lodger at 411 Church Street.
In the 1941 Norfolk, Virginia, city directory: Vick Hood (c) porter Union Bus Term Inc h 417 Church
In 1942, Hood Vick registered for the World War II draft in Norfolk, Virginia. Per his registration card, he was born 10 June 1897 in Wilson; lived at 411 Church Street, Norfolk; worked for Union Bus Company, Norfolk; and his contact was Lucy Wilson, 411 Church Street.
In the 1950 census of Elizabeth City, Virginia, Hood Vick, 56, is listed as a patient in the Hospital Section of “Vet. Adm. Center.”
Hood Vick died 24 October 1950 in Kecoughtan, Virginia. Per his death certificate, he was born 10 June 1893 in Wilson, N.C., to Hood Vick and Lucy [maiden name unknown]; was married; lived at 506 Church Street, Norfolk; and worked as a porter. Anna Whitney Vick was informant.
Clipping courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.
State vs. Fletcher Austin.
On 21 July 1912, Sarah Vick pressed charges against Fletcher Austin for “intent to have carnal knowledge of her by fraud impersonating her husband West Vick.”
Notes from testimony before the justice of the peace:
“Sarah Vick the prosecuting swore positively that the defendant broke into her room & got in bed with her & began to pull up her clothes & attempted to get on her & she awoke, struck a match & saw it was Fletcher Austin & called to Sallie Rountree who was in an adjoining room & that Sallie Rountree saw him too & that Sallie Rountree told some neighbors of it early next morning
“Sallie Rountree denied that she saw Fletcher Austin, that night, but said she saw a man siting on Sarahs bed when Sarah called to her in an adjoining room. She also denied that she told any one of it next morning.
“Other evidence showed that Fletcher had about 3 hours time that night between 2 & 5 o’clock which he failed to account for
“Jonas Allen proved to be a very strong witness for the state & this court believes that Sarah Vick told the truth, also Jonas Allen, but does not believe Sallie Rountree told the truth”
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- Wesley and Sarah Locus Vick
On 25 May 1912 [less than two months before the assault] Wesley Vick, 21, of Wilson, son of John and Hannah Vick, married Sarah Locus, 20, of Wilson, daughter of Jesse and Florida Locus, in Wilson township.
Sarah Vick died 19 March 1916 in Toisnot township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was born in 1890 in Nash County, N.C., to Jesse and Flora Lucas and was married. She died of tuberculosis of the lungs contracted while “waiting on nursing sister” near Wilson. West Vick was informant.
West Vick died of broncho-pneumonia on 11 March 1919, just two weeks after returning from overseas service in World War I and while still enlisted.
- Fletcher Austin
In the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farm laborer John Vick, 50; wife Liw, 40; sons Paul, 13, and Ollie, 10; and stepson Fletcher Austin, 18.
On 15 September 1915, Fletcher Auston, 22, of Wilson, son of Henry and Lou Auston, married Alice Pearce, 19, of Wilson, daughter of Lillie Pearce, at W.P. Anderson’s farm. Missionary Baptist minister Jeremiah Scarborough performed the ceremony in the presence of James Knight, Paul Vick, and Bill Thorne.
In 1917, Fletcher Austin registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 22 June 1893 in Smithfield township, Johnston County, N.C.; lived in Wilson township; worked as a farmhand for W.P. Anderson; and supported his mother, wife, and child.
- Sallie Rountree
- Jonas Allen
In the 1910 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Jonas Allen, 49; wife Victoria, 38; and children James, 16, Lillie, 3, and Willie, 22 months.
Criminal Action Papers, 1912, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
The death of Ollie Vick, killed in an explosion.
Wilson Daily Times, 31 March 1945.
Ollie Vick, sentenced to 60 days’ labor on a road crew for public drunkenness and vagrancy, was killed by an exploding asphalt storage tank in Vance County, North Carolina.
News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), 28 March 1945.
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In the 1900 census of Stony Creek township, Nash County, North Carolina: John Vick, 45; wife Hanna, 40; and children Tassey, 21, Clara, 19, Johnie, 17, Berry, 15, Elisha, 13, Joseph, 10, Westray, 4, Paul, 3, and Baby [Ollie], 1.
In the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farm laborer John Vick, 50; wife Liw, 40; sons Paul, 13, and Ollie, 10; and stepson Flecster [Fletcher] Austin, 18.
On 14 January 1922, Ollie Vick, 21, of Toisnot township, son of John and Lou Vick, married Eva Foreman, 19, of Toisnot township, daughter of Eddie and Lucy Foreman, in Wilson County. Baptist minister Elias Lucas performed the ceremony in the presence of T.R. Lucas, W.D. Vick, and Carry Joyner, all of Elm City.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 504 Daniel Street, paying $8/rent, widow Irene Mitchel, 40, cook, and lodger Ollie Vick, 40, single, delivery truck driver for general store.
In 1942, Ollie Vick registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 27 May 1900 in Nash County, N.C.; lived at 212 South Goldsboro Street; his contact was Carrie Body, Route 1, Rocky Mount; and he worked on Oscar Simpson’s farm, Route 3, Kenly, Wilson County.
Ollie Vick died 27 March 1945 in Henderson, Vance County, N.C. Per his death certificate, he was about 43 years old; was born in Nash County, N.C.; resided in Wilson County; and was single. Clara Barnes was informant. Cause of death was listed as shock from tar tank explosion at prison camp.
