Author: cmb12

FindingthingsforU, LLC is owned/founded by Char McCargo-Bah. She is the author of two books, and you can find those books on amazon.com by putting a search on her name. She became a Living Legend in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2014.

Behind the Scene of the article “Standing on Historical Land: James E. Henson, Esq.”

From left to right: James E. Henson Jr., Deardria Henson, Sharon Henson and James E. Henson Sr.

Mr. James E. Henson, Sr., has been a very lucky man. His aunt Eleanor McGuire Massie left him her house at 607 South Pitt Street. James and his wife, Ardene moved in the house in 2007. This house stands on the original spot of the first colored public school, Snowden School for Boys (1870 – 1916).

James was born into a family that has made many historical achievements. His mother’s uncle was the famous Matthew Alexander Henson who was an explorer with Robert Peary to the Arctic and the North Pole. In addition, James’s great-great uncle was Josiah Henson, whose life was depicted in the famous book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

James’ paternal aunt, Alice McGuire married the famous John A. Seaton who was the first African American Alderman in Alexandria. The famous 19th Century preacher, Reverend Samuel W. Madden, married all the McGuire women, Alice, Blanche, Louisa, and Nannie. He was the pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church.

James E. Henson, Esq., has made his own achievements. He is a retired attorney. He was the first African American lawyer to serve as assistant county solicitor of Howard County and deputy director for the Maryland Commission on Human Relations. He has taught business law at Morgan State University and at Howard Community College in Maryland. Prior to his law career, Mr. Henson served twenty years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a master sergeant.

Mr. Henson was born in Alexandria in 1936. He graduated from Parker-Gray High School in 1954. He is the former president of Alexandria’s Departmental Progressive Club. In addition, he is one of the founders and a former president of the Alumni Association of Parker-Gray School. He was a chairman of the Charles Houston Ad Hoc Naming/Narrative Committee and the Change Agents for Historic Alexandria book project. He coauthor, “African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia: Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century.” To add on to his family’s achievements James E. Henson, Sr., became the 2019 Living Legend in Alexandria, Virginia.

You can read more about “Standing on Historical Land: James E. Henson, Esq.” in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper date July 1, 2020 on pages 6 and 12 at
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/070120/Alexandria.pdf.

We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee

Lovell Arvid Lee

The Sunnyside community was the dream of widow, Laura C. Watson and her children. She and her children wanted to have a community were middle class Colored people could live without the burden of housing discrimination.

Laura C. Watson lived long enough to see her dream come true. The community was dedicated in 1905; and, sixteen Colored families built their homes in Sunnyside. Laura died on May 24, 1924, when Mr. Lovell A. Lee’s parents were moving in the Sunnyside community.

Mr. Lee’s family were early homeowners in the Sunnyside Community. He and his siblings Delman, Lavern and Dermot were born and raised in Sunnyside. Their parents Theodore and Mildred Lee purchased this property between the years 1923-1924. Today this area is called Arlandria.

When Mr. Lee married his wife, Shirley M. Marshall on November 19, 1956, he was living at home with his parents at 3812 Elbert Avenue. He had lived in Sunnyside for his entire childhood.

You can read more about the Sunnyside Community titled, “We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated June 10, 2020 on page 6 http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/061020/Alexandria.pdf.

Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr.

During the Vietnam War, Alexandria had over fifty veterans that lost their lives in combat; Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr was one of them.

Raymond was a 1962 graduate at Parker-Gray High School in Alexandria. He was a popular student who was loved by many. His life was cut short when he received multiple fragmentation wounds on May 13, 1969 in Vietnam.

You can read Raymond L. Williams’s story, titled, “Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated May 27, 2020 on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/052720/Alexandria.pdf

A Family’s Devastation of Influenza Pandemic: Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter

We all have gold mines in our family and; family history is one of our overlooked gold mines.

Lucy Carter-Cross Roy and her daughter, Beatrice “Bee” Cross Taylor

The Baltimore, Carter and Spriggs’ families in Alexandria, Virginia were old family surnames that have been in Alexandria prior and after the Civil War. The Spriggs’ family was in Alexandria prior to the war, the Baltimore family came during the war and the Carter family came after the war. What these families have in common is that they were part of the growing black mid-class. They were the lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers and property owners. These families married into each other’s families and they were members of Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church (Roberts Chapel).

However, their affluence did not prevent them from the flu pandemic. This pandemic impacted rich, mid-class, poor, elderly, adults, children, black, white and everyone else who made up the world population.

Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter was born in Alexandria, Virginia on March 19, 1891. She married Irving (Irvin) Chesterfield Carter. She had two daughters Verma and Lucy. Bessie died during the Influenza Pandemic on December 26, 1918.

Verma Evelyn Carter-Roy

Unknown to Bessie’s daughter Lucy that her mother died during the Influenza Pandemic. Lucy was two-years old and her sister Verma was three-years old when their mother died. However, Lucy was unaware about the rich family history that her family had. She and her sister had many historical gold mines in their family. These historical gold mines died with the death of their parents who did not have the time to share their family history with their children.

A story about Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter titled, “A Family’s Devastation of Influenza Pandemic” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated May 13, 2020 on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/051320/Alexandria.pdf