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.

Esther Chapter #23: Over 100 Years of Service

Front Row: Lillian Williams, Josephine Ford, Laverne Lewis they are the oldest ladies in our chapter (Seated)
2nd Row: Deborah Ford, Linda Payton, Tom Robinson, Annette Fletcher, Rosie Ford
3rd Row: Aquila Biddle, Michelle Baldwin, Omeara Banks,
4th Row: Lisa Logan, Lenora Biddle, Pamela Moore, Lorrie Smith, Shirley Ross, Joseph Parker (Not Picture).

Behind the scene, the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on “Esther Chapter #23: Over 100 Years of Service dated January 17, 2019.

The Esther Chapter #23 started one-hundred and eleven years ago in Alexandria, Virginia. The Chapter has eight-two past Worthy Matrons since 2017. There were twenty-five past Worthy Matrons from 1909 – 1949. These Matrons were:

Clara Lucas (1909-1923)
Katie Jackson (1923-1924)
Bessie Moore (1924-1925)
Katie Franklin (1925-1926)
Laura Dorsey (1926-1927)
Mary Redd (1927-1928)
Carrie Burrell (1928-1929)
Mary Dorsey (1929-1930)
Elnora Littlejohn (1930-1932)
Benje V. Burke (1932-1933)
Catherine Holland (1933-1934)
Mazie Bouldin (1934-1935)
Emma Simmons (1935-1936)
Etta P. (B. Robinson) (1936-1937)
Lucy Washington (1937-1938)
Cora Henry (1938-1939)
Fannie Tucker (1939-1940)
B.M. Kemis (1940-1941)
Evelyn Brooks (1941-1942)
Esther Neal (1942-1943)
Fedora Lucy (1943-1944)
Marie Bowden (Gale) (1944-1945)
Ruth H. Wright (1945-1946)
Irene Terrell (1946-1947)
Bessie Barbour Reynolds (1947-1949)

You can read the rest of the story on page 13, at of the Alexandria Gazette Packet Newspaper at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/011619/Alexandria.pdf.

Private Conny Gray – Spanish-American War

25th USCT, Company H During Spanish-American War

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on Conny Gray dated January 2, 2019.

Conny Gray was born around 1863 to Martha and John Gray. Martha was born in 1820s as a free woman. Some of Martha’s other siblings were, Alfred Gray, William H. Gray, the father to Sarah A. Gray of Parker-Gray School and Selina Gray.

In this research, I found that Sarah A. Gray was the first cousin to Conny Gray. Also it is believed that Conny’s father could have been a slave. As early as 1860, Conny’s mother was the head of the household in the 1860 and 1870 censuses. It is possible that Conny’s father was not a freed person in 1860. Conny name was recorded in one of the censuses as Constance. It seems that Conny did not like the name Constance because during his adult life he used the name Conny.

Conny married a well-known teacher, Sarah Derrick(s) whose family was freed prior to the Civil War. Sarah taught at Hallowell School for girls and later was selected as one of the first teachers of Parker-Gray School in 1920.

After the death of Sarah Derrick(s) Gray, local researchers had mistaken her as the person that Parker-Gray was named after. The school was named after Sarah A. Gray who was single and who never married. She was the first cousin to Conny Gray. What Sarah D. Gray and Sarah A. Gray had in common are that both of them taught at Hallowell School for girls and both of them came from free-people-of-color prior to the Civil War.

After those similarities, Sarah A. Gray stands out. She was once the principal of Hallowell School for girls. She came from a prominent family. Her father owned large amounts of real estate and he was a butcher. On the death of her father, it was written in the newspaper that he was one of the wealthiest Negroes in the United States. He left his wealth to his second wife, his daughter and his nephew.

For Private Conny Gray, his surviving descendants are John Gray, Eleanor Gray-Cheeks and others. They were members of Roberts Chapel (known today as Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church).

You can read Private Conny’s story in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper at
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/010219/Alexandria.pdf.

 

“Remembering 1022 Pendleton Street’s History”

Corrine Jackson-Lee Dixon at a NACCP meeting. She is on the first roll at the end on the left.

Behind the scene of the Alexandria Gazette’s story on, “Remembering 1022 Pendleton Street’s History,” dated December 12, 2018.

When I was researching John Wesley Jackson, I found some discrepancies in Mr. Jackson’s birth place. On the 1910 census, he was listed as being born in Tennessee. On his first marriage to Ella (Elnora) Dick, he stated that he was born in Mitchell County, NC. Also his 1949 death certificate, state that Mr. Jackson was born in Mitchell, NC.

The research has revealed that Mr. Jackson parents were Delbert Jackson and Savannah Bailey. On John’s World War I registration card, he stated his next of kin was Savannah Oliver who lived in Jackson City, Tennessee.

John Wesley “Baker” Jackson’s daughter, Corrine Jackson was a successful business woman. Her first career was in her father’s bakery as a young child. After graduating from school, she pursued a clerical job in the Federal government. She married her first husband, Emmett Cornelius Lee in Danville, Virginia on January 26, 1946. After having a short career in the Federal Government, she pursue a career in real estate. Just like her father, John W. Jackson, Corrine became very successful business woman in real estate.

After the death of Corrine’s first husband, she married again on April 8, 1972 to Urquhart Oliver Dixon.

Corrine had a lot of tragedy in her family. She outlived her parents, siblings, two husbands and a child. She was very active in her community and was a member of many organizations including the Alexandria Chapter of the NAACP. She enjoyed traveling. Corrine Jackson-Lee Dixon died in 2015, leaving her daughter and grandchildren behind.

You can read more about the house Corinne grew up in titled, “Remembering 1022 Pendleton Street’s History,” in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated December 12, 2018 on page 12 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/121218/Alexandria.pdf.

Working at the U.S. Navy Torpedo Plant

African American man working in the packing and shelving area in 1950 at the Plant

Behind the scene of the Alexandria Gazette’s story on, “Working at the U.S. Navy Torpedo Plant,” dated November 28, 2018.

The U. S. Navy Torpedo Plant was an integrated work environment during the world wars. In 1920, many African Americans worked at the plant which included the following people:

Spencer Brent born 1900 in Virginia, he lived at 421 Princess Street. Spencer worked at the Torpedo Plant as a helper.

Lewis Williams born 1892 in Virginia, he lived at 936 North Columbus Street. Lewis worked at the Torpedo Plant as a laborer.

Henry Anderson born in Virginia, he lived at 609 North Henry Street. Henry worked at the Torpedo Plant as a laborer.

William H. Bell born 1887 in Virginia, he lived at 414 North Patrick Street. William worked at the Torpedo Plant as a janitor.

Omar Robertson born 1898 in Alabama, he lived at 1109 Queen Street. Omar worked at the Torpedo Plant as a laborer.

Joseph Randolph born 1899 in Richmond, Virginia, he lived at 1216 Princess Street. Joseph worked at the Torpedo Plant as a laborer. He moved to 212 North Payne Street where he died in 1935.

William E. Toliver born 1878 in Virginia, he lived at 1006 Wythe Street. William worked at the Torpedo Plant as a laborer.

Also African American women held important jobs at the Torpedo Plant, they worked in the file room and they held positions as clerk-typist. Many of the records they handled were records that were taken during World War II from Germany.

The United States Navy Torpedo Plant employed many African Americans at their plant. These man and women were the back bone of the Plant. Many African American men supplied the heavy laborer work that was necessary to transport torpedoes to the enemy countries during the war.

You can read the rest of the article in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated November 28, 2018 on page 14 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/112818/Alexandria.pdf.