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.
Category: Businesses
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.
“Remembering 1022 Pendleton Street’s History”
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.
Olander Banks – ‘A Blueprint of Success’
Behind the scene of the Alexandria Gazette’s story on Olander Banks dated October 11, 2018.
Dena Banks, the grandchild of Olander Banks Sr., and she is the daughter of Olander Banks Jr., assisted me in telling the story of her grandfather.
Additional information that was not in the article about Olander Banks and his wife, Margaret Lomax-Banks.
Olander came to Alexandria with his parents when he was five years old. When he was eight years old, his family was living at 934 North Columbus Street in Alexandria. Olander’s parents, siblings and grandparents were all living in the same household in 1930. His parents were Algie and Annetta. Olander’s siblings in 1930 were Algie, Jr., Marshall, Roscoe and Bertram Emanuel. Olander’s grandparents were Fannie and Isaac Banks. His entire family migrated from Danville, Virginia to Alexandria in 1927 except Bertram Emanuel and all the other children who were born after Emanuel were born in Alexandria, Virginia.
Olander married Margaret Lomax after 1940. Margaret was living in the household of her parents, Abraham and Ella Lomax, at 831 North Patrick Street.
You can read the rest of Olander Banks’ story in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated October 11, 2018 on page 8 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/101018/Alexandria.pdf.
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