For over 150-years, the Martin men were the shoemakers and shoe-repairmen in Alexandria, Virginia. Based on the 1850 and 1860 censuses, George Washington Martin’s parents were free people of colored in In the Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland. Read George W. Martin’s story at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/040319/Alexandria.pdf on page 10. Also you can read other articles on Alexandria on my blog at http://www.theotheralexandria.com.
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.
The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose: Former slave established churches; his daughter was devoted to her community – dated March 14, 2019.
Over thirty years ago, I met an elderly woman in early April of 1989 coming into the Alexandria Black History Museum in Alexandria, Virginia where I volunteered my genealogical expertise to patrons. I had just returned to the United States from Sierra Leone, West African in March of 1989 when I was blessed with meeting Mrs. Annie B. Rose. At that time, I did not know how powerful this meeting was until many years later.
Mrs. Annie B. Rose died in the same month that I met her but I believe we were brought together for a reason. It took me thirty years to figure it out, that her life story has been my life time preparation in researching families who ancestors were slaves. Mrs. Rose was the daughter of a former slave. Her life and her father’s life have inspired many people who knew them. For me, it was ordained by a higher being that I meet such a lady before she made her spiritual journey.
You can read my article, “The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 11 at
From Slavery to Principal
Snowden School for Boys
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “From Slavery to Principal” February 28, 2019.
I have been researching John F. Parker, the second principal of Snowden School for Boys for a number of years, I found that his accomplishments and his strength to endure hardship and health issues were extremely courageous.
He was born into slavery on his owner’s plantation in Alexandria. After he was emancipated, he worked for several years before becoming a teacher then a principal. Unfortunately for him and his wife, their only child died before his 10th birthday. John had a brother, William Madison Mason Parker who married Mary Hooe. They had several children. Through his brother’s children and grandchild, John’s legacy is known today. His great-nephews and nieces are the Taylor family, Donald, Charlene, John and Alvin; his Dogan family, Bettie and Thelma (Sugar); his Burke family is Frances Burke; he also has many more relatives and great-great nieces and nephews that hold their heads up high because John was such a great man.
You can read the article, “From Slavery to Principal, from the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/022719/Alexandria.pdf.
Working in the City’s Glass Factories
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Working in the City’s Glass Factories” January 31, 2019.
Many of the early factories in the City of Alexandria employed African Americans especially children and women. One of these factories was the Glass Factory. Most of the African Americans who worked for the Glass Factory lived in the neighborhood of “Cross Canal.”
Some of the families that were working there were:
Lloyd Montgomery Arnold, the son of James and Lizzie (Mary Elizabeth) Arnold. Lloyd had several siblings; Lawrence, Estella (Estelle), Laura O and Thomas.
Abraham Brown, he was married to Elizabeth Brown. Abraham lived on First Street. He was a skilled carpenter working at the Glass Factory. He owned his own property at 327 First Street.
Chauncey Randolph, he was a wagon driver for the Glass Factory. His wife was Susie Randolph and they had a three-year old child, Leonard in the household 1920.
Chris Mason, he was a laborer at the Glass Factory. He lived in the household of his mother, Mary and his siblings John and Rose. They lived on First Street.
Walter Johnson, he was a laborer at the Glass Factory. He was born in Maryland but he lived at 711 Jefferson Street in Alexandria, Virginia in 1910. In his household was his wife, Bertha, and his children, Dorothy and Walter, Jr.
Charley Hall, he was a helper at the Glass Factory. He lived on Pendleton Street with his parents Walter and Mahaley Hall.
Joseph Dudley, he was a laborer at the Glass Factory. He lived on Franklin Street with his father Louis and siblings: Francis, Louis, Jr., Charlotte, and Isham. His nephews’ Herbert and Marion were also in the household.
You can read the article, “Working in the City’s Glass Factories, from the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 8 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/013019/Alexandria.pdf.
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