White

Black Radicals jailed and tortured.

In 1868, Robert Hilliard Farmer and Haywood White were among 11 “d—d black Radicals” crammed into a tiny jail cell, threatened, given meagre portions of over-salted meat and deprived of water, and viciously beaten because they would not support the Democratic party. White’s cry, under torture, that he had already sworn an oath to support the Constitution and the Union hints that the men may have been members of the Union, or Loyal, League, which formed across the South during Reconstruction to mobilize freedmen to register to vote and to vote Republican. About ten days before this story broke in the Raleigh Standard, Bill Grimes, local president of the League, had been jailed in Wilson for allegedly burning down the house of a white man who had shot a black man named David Ruffin.

New-York Tribune, 19 September 1868.

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Robert Hilliard Farmer
Haywood White

On 14 September 1869, Haywood White, son of Benj. and Selie White, married Martha Daniel, daughter of Dennis and Exie Daniel, in Wilson County.

In the 1870 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: farm laborer Haywood White, 26; wife Martha, 17; son Robert, 11 months; and Noah Tyson, 21, farm laborer.

Perhaps, in the 1880 census of Jamesville, Martin County, N.C.: laborer Haywood White, 40; wife Martha, 30; and sons Alexandria, 15, and Elisha, 12.

On 13 April 1910, Haywood White, 60, of Black Creek township, married Luetta Oggins, 40, of Black Creek township, at White’s house.

In the 1910 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: laborer Haywood White, 65, and wife Rosetta, 37. Haywood reported having been married three times; Rosetta, twice.

Haywood White died 14 March 1914 in Black Creek township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 22 November 1840 in South Carolina; was married; and worked as a farmer. B.S. Jordan of Wilson was informant.

The White plantation.

On 10 January 1950, the Wilson Daily Times‘ Centennial Anniversary Edition included an article entitled “County Has Many Plantation Homes More Than A Hundred Years Old.” One of the featured houses was built by the White family on a 2000-acre land grant that stretched from Raleigh Road out to Wilson Country Club. The house burned about 1942.

On 8 January 1858, Benjamin White made out his last will and testament in Wilson County, leaving all his lands, slaves, etc., including this house, to his sister Martha White. He died in April 1860.

In the 1860 slave schedule, Patsey White is listed with women and girls aged 19, 18, and 1, and men and boys aged 47, 21, 20, 14, and 1.

On 24 February 1860, Martha [Patsey] White made out her last will and testament in Wilson County. Among her bequests were:

to Larry D. Farmer, three negroes Stephen, Cherry, and Luke and other gifts to hold in trust for White’s niece Temperance Perry “free from the control or influence of her husband Thomas Perry”
to Amanda Taylor, wife of William T. Taylor, negro boy Thomas
to Martha Perry, negro girl Harriet and White’s share of the land divided between White, [her brother] Benjamin White, and [niece] Temperance Perry.
to Ann Perry, negro girl Fanny
to “sell the balance of my negroes & all my estate undisposed of” and divide the proceeds among Temperance Perry’s children

On 5 April 1861, Martha White hired “negro man Tom” from Larry D. Farmer, Benjamin White’s executor. (Apparently, there were two Toms — one belonging to Benjamin White, and younger one belonging to Larry D. Farmer.)

On 7 June 1862, Farmer reported the hire of Tom to W.T. Taylor; Jim to Richard Bullock; Steven, Cherry and two children, and Harriet to R.S. Kingsmore; and Rose and one child to A.J. Barefoot for the remainder of the year.

In July 1862, a “Negro Woman at Jack Barefoots” received $3.00 of medical care from B. Bunn Williams.

On 2 January 1863, Farmer sold Rose and her children Joe and Jim to Richard S. Kingsmore and Jim to George W. Barefoot, bringing $3575 into the estate’s coffers.

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White is an uncommon surname in Wilson County, and I have had little success tracing forward the men, women, and children named in Martha White’s will.

Perhaps, in the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Harriet White, 18, farm laborer, in the household of Lemuel Due, 22; wife Sebriah, 21; and children Margaret, 5, Moses, 4, Edith, 2, and Alice, 1 month.

Perhaps, in the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Thomas White, 56; wife Charlotte, 56; and Lucy, 14, Reuben, 15, George, 10, and Lucy, 3.

Estate File of Benjamin White (1861), Wilson County, North Carolina Estate Files 1663-1979, http://www.familysearch.org; Estate File of Martha White (1863), North Carolina Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, ancestry.com.

Darden grid stars!

Wilson Daily Times, 20 September 1950.

William White — in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 614 Green Street, George C. White, 41, hotel cook; wife Jane, 38, hotel laundress; and children Hampton, 3, William, 6, Margurite, 14, and Lucile, 4. In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: William H. White, 15, and brother Hampton, 13.

The Trojan (1952), yearbook of C.H. Darden High School.

Cornelius Moye — in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Anderson McCall, 30, mortar mixer; wife Annie L., 26, cook; and sons Feral McCall, 6; Fred Moye, 8, Cornelius Moye, 7, and William A. Moye, 5.
Eddie Best — in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 406 Walnut, rented for $12/month, Aaron Best, 39; wife Estelle, 39; and children Rudolph, 14, Royce, 10, Harper and Gerald, 8, Eddie, 7, and Nannie Jean, 5.
Albert Cannady — in the 1940 census of Sand Hill township, Moore County, North Carolina: public laborer Albert Cannady, 35; wife Sylvan, 30; and children Lunia, 12, Harold, 9, Albert Jr., Graddick, 4, and Betty Jean, 3 months. In the 1950 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: on Lipscomb Road, Albert M. Cannady, 45, chief cook at state hospital; wife Sylvan, 43; children Albert M., Jr., 16, grocery delivery boy, Graddick, 14, and Betty J., 10; and granddaughter Amanda Farmer, 3.

The Trojan (1952), yearbook of C.H. Darden High School.

An even better look at Cockrell’s grocery.

We’ve seen two grainy versions of a photograph of the interior of Cockrell’s Grocery, but here’s the original. Shot circa 1948, the image clearly depicts the Cockrell family and employees, including William White and Billy Strayhorn, and the layout of the store, which operated at the corner of East Green and North Pettigrew Streets. (The building still stands.)

Photo courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.

Lane Street Project: George Washington White.

Billy Foster of Foster Stone and Cemetery Care discovered a new headstone while repairing and resetting Lucinda White‘s broken marker yesterday. Buried in the soil about seven feet in front of her stone was her husband George Washington White‘s marker.

George White, 34, of Craven County, son of Louisa Dew, married Lucinda Parker, 20, of Craven County, on 27 December 1898 at Jackson Dew‘s residence in Wilson township, Wilson County. Alfred Dew applied for the license, and Baptist minister J.T. Deans performed the ceremony in the presence of James T. Alston, L.A. Allen, and Jackson Dew.

In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: George White, 25, day laborer fireman, and wife Lucinda, 23.

In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White George (c) fireman h 605 Wiggins

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Suggs Street, George White, 35, box factory laborer, and wife Lucindia, 30.

In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White Geo (c) fireman h 411 Wiggins

Lucinda White died 13 November 1915 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born in 1883 in North Carolina to Henretta Richardson; was married; and was buried in Wilson. George White was informant.

In the 1916 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White George (c) fireman h 409 Wiggins

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 409 Stantonsburg Street, cotton mill fireman George White, 54, and wife Maggie, 29. [The Whites were next door to Ben Mincey and family, and the Whites’ burial plot is close to the Minceys’.]

In the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White Geo (c) fireman h 648 Wiggins

In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White Geo W (c; Maggie) firemn Wilson Cotton Mills h 106 N Reid

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White Geo W (c; Maggie) firemn Wilson Cotton Mills h 106 N Reid

George Washington White died 7 December 1939 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 62 years old; was born in Wilson County; was married to Maggie White; lived at 916 Robeson Street; and worked as a stationary boiler fireman at Wilson Cotton Mills.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2023.

Another view of Cockrell’s Grocery.

Wilson Daily Times, 16 August 1946.

We read here of Cockrell’s Grocery, which stood at the corner of Green and Pettigrew Streets one block east of the railroad and served a largely African-American clientele. Above, a clearer view of the photograph accompanying an article about the store, with William White, at center, and Billy Strayhorn, at far right.

608 Viola Street.

The one hundred sixty-seventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “ca. 1913; 1-story; L-plan cottage.” The original address was 619 Viola.

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In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Harrison Reginald (c; Bessie) driver Hackney Oil Co h 608 Viola

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Reddit Jos (c; Mary) lab h 608 Viola

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 608 Viola, rented for $14/month, Joseph Redditt, 34, oil mill laborer; wife Mary, 26; niece Eva Branch, 16; and roomer Lucy Barnes, 29, cook.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 608 Viola, paying $11/month, Josh White, 48, factory deliveryman, born in Georgia, and wife Pecorria, 41, chambermaid at girls college; paying $4/month, Florine Jones, 24, servant, born in Georgia; husband Preston, 29, service station attendant, born in South Carolina; and daughters Hattie Pearl, 7, and Doris E., 4. [By October 1940, the Joneses had relocated to Richmond, Virginia, where Preston Jones registered for the World War II draft.]

In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Woodard Flossie (c) cook h 608 Viola

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, April 2022.

602 Viola Street.

The one hundred-fifty-seventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “ca. 1908; 1 story; two-room, central-hall house with turned post porch.”

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In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Jackson William H Rev h 613 Viola

The 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map shows that the original house number was 613.

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White James (c) hostler h 613 Viola

In 1918, George Lane registered for the World War I draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 1 June 1879; lived at 613 Viola Street; worked as a brick laborer for John M. Barnes, Green Street, Wilson; and his nearest relative was Mamie Lane, 613 Viola. He signed his card with an X.

In the 1920 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Lane George (c) col h 613 Viola

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: renting at 613 Viola, George Lane, 43, tobacco factory laborer; wife Mamie, 30, washing and ironing; and children John, 11, Clyde, 7, George Jr., 6, and Louise, 1.

On 21 November 1920, an unnamed infant girl was born dead at 613 Viola to George Lane and Mamie Washington Lane. Her mother was informant for her death certificate.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 602 Viola Street, Samuel Sweny, 53, painter, and children Neoma, 17, Laney, 15, Easter, 13, Gracy, 12, John H., 10, and George P., 7.

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Swinney Saml (c) pntr h 602 Viola; also, Swinney Naomi (c) student h 602 Viola

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 602 Viola Street, Samuel Swinney, 76, painter, daughters Ester, 22, a tobacco stemmer, and Gracie, 22, superintendent at NYA project, and sons Johnnie R., 18, “in CCC camp,” and George, 17.

Samuel W. Swinney died 24 December 1940 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 59 years old; born in Roberson County to Richard Swinney and Fannie Manning, both of Dillon, South Carolina; and a widower. Grace Swinney of 602 Viola Street was informant.

The 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory lists Elizabeth Swinney, maid; George Swinney, tobacco worker; Grace Swinney, teacher; and John Swinney, grocer, at 602 Viola. John Swinney’s grocery store was at 612 Viola.

In 1942, Johnnie Richard Swinney registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 13 May 1921 in Wilson; lived at 602 East Viola Street, Wilson; his contact was Lonnie Thompson, 602 East Viola, Wilson; and he worked in “business (store).”

In 1942, George Cleo Swinney registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 April 1923 in Wilson; lived at 602 East Viola Street, Wilson; his contact was Naomi Hunter, 11 1/2 North Pender Street, Wilson; and he worked for Thurston Motor Line, Wilson.

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Swinney Geo (c) student h 602 Viola; also, Thompson Lanie S (c) cook ACC h 602 Viola

Wilson Daily Times, 28 May 1963.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, April 2022.

She overpowered her and took her weapons.

Wilson Daily Times, 21 September 1936.

Ossie Mae Woodard
Rosa White

Lane Street Project: Lucinda White.

Lucinda Wife of Geo. W. White Oct. 15, 1880 Nov. 30, 1915 Age 35

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George White, 34, of Craven County, son of Louisa Dew, married Lucinda Parker, 20, of Craven County, on 27 December 1898 at Jackson Dew‘s residence in Wilson township, Wilson County. Alfred Dew applied for the license, and Baptist minister J.T. Deans performed the ceremony in the presence of James T. Alston, L.A. Allen, and Jackson Dew.