Category: Uncategorized

Estelle Lane – “News of Interest for Colored Readers”

Behind the scene of the Alexandria Gazette story on Estelle Lane dated January 25, 2018.

In 2008, I was introduced to Estelle Lane’s column at the Barrett Special Collection and Local History Library in Alexandria. The library had a descendant genealogical chart on Estelle Lane’s family from 1870 – 1920s. Unfortunate, the library had no additional information about Estelle beyond the 1920s. I was extremely curious about Estelle and I wanted to know more about her.

I reached out to one of Alexandria’s elders, Mr. Robert Dawkins to see whether he knew any Lane family members from Alexandria. Mr. Dawkins was able to connect me with someone who knew the Lane family and that person was able to connect me to Estelle’s niece, Jean who lives in Maryland. When I talked to Jean, I told her what I knew about her aunt Estelle. Jean was overly surprised about her aunt’s life in Alexandria and that her aunt had a column in the newspaper. Jean connected me to her cousin, Nancy Lane in New York. Nancy was also surprised that Estelle wrote a column in the Alexandria Gazette. She wanted to include her cousin, Grace who lives in Florida, on the discussion of their aunt Estelle.

Estelle Lane and her family lived at 417 N Henry Street from the late 1890s – 1920s.

Working with Estelle’s nieces, we were able to uncover her life from Alexandria to Boston, Massachusetts. Her nieces educated me on Estelle’s life in Boston and I was able to educate them on Estelle’s life in Alexandria.

In researching Estelle, I found information on her father, Sidney prior to his migration to Alexandria. This information included his parents, John and Caroline and Sidney’s siblings, Rachel, Adaline, George and Thomas. Although this information was not put into the article on Estelle, this information provides the family with addition family connections.

1870 Census – Randolph District of Cumberland, Virginia

John Lane age 56
Caroline Lane age 55
Rachel Lane age 33
Adaline age 18
Daniel age 10 (Sidney Daniel Lane)

After the death of Sidney’s parents, he migrates to Alexandria to be with his older brother, George Lane. George was born in Cumberland, Virginia in the 1840s. He was in Alexandria by 1870. George married his first wife, Margaret (Maggie) Anderson on 6 February 1876 in Alexandria. By 1880, George was working at the lumber yard in Alexandria. He and Maggie were living on Cameron Street and they had two children John and Mary. In 1881, George was a laborer for J H D Smoot. Shortly before the death of Maggie, George and his wife had a son, Wesley George Lane. After Maggie’s death, George married Julie Jones on 22 July 1886.

George and Maggie’s son, Wesley George Lane migrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wesley died in Pittsburgh on 8 November 1925 at the age of 39. He was married to Louise Mickey Lane.

Sidney Daniel Lane probably had other relatives in Alexandria. There were several other Lane families in 1870s and 1880s. Sidney left relatives behind in Randolph District of Cumberland, Virginia. Thomas Lane was John and Caroline’s son. Thomas married Tamer Carter in Cumberland County, Virginia on 24 March 1873. They had the following children Daniel, John, George and Louisa. Louisa married James Watkins. On 7 September 1885, Thomas (Tom) Lane died in Cumberland, Virginia.

Sidney and Mary Carter Lane had many children. Their children migrated to several northern States which included Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. For every generation of the Lane family I researched, I found that they repeated the same given names over and over. These given names were John, Daniel, and George.

If you want to review the Special Collection and Local History’s descendants chart on Estelle Lane’s family, you can view the document at: https://alexlibraryva.org/custom/web/lhsc/genealogyresources/colored_notes/Lane_Report.pdf.

I want to thank the following institute and people who assisted me in researching Estelle Lane:

Barrett Special Collection and Local History Library
Mr. Robert Dawkins
Mrs. Jean Lane Brooks
Miss Nancy Lane
Miss Grace Lane

RECONSTRUCTION ERA

In 2015, we celebrated the 150th year anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Now, we are in the 150th year anniversary dates of the “Reconstruction Era”. The Reconstruction Era refers to the period in the United States history that immediately was instituted after the Civil War. This Era was a rebuilding of the Nation and a period of time that the federal government set conditions to include the rebellious Southern states back into the Union. But this also was a period of time for all African Americans to participate in their own destiny and to claim their rightful place among other citizens.

For the first time, all African Americans are recorded in Federal, State, and County records with first and last names. Since individual States and their people heard that the Civil War had ended at different times, one must note that certain Reconstruction records might not have started in those States until after 1865. Many scholars agree that the “Reconstruction Era” was from 1865 – 1877.

In celebrating the “Reconstruction Era” on this blog site, I will be posting many blogs that will have genealogy value. The blogs include research on African Americans in Alexandria during the Reconstruction Era.

Please visit my business web site at http://www.findingthingsforu.com for my upcoming lectures and workshops that will include “Reconstruction Era” type lectures. Thanks!

Our First Book Signing

The authors of “African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia:  Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century” are having their first book signing on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at Community Open House event at the Alexandria Black History Museum located 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm.  Books will be available for purchase.  You can contact the Alexandria Black History Museum at 703-746-4356.  Thanks!

Urgent Call to Save Carver Nursey School – William Thomas Post #129

 

Carver Nursery School - William Thomas Post #129
Carver Nursery School – William Thomas Post #129

The Carver Nursery School could be demolished as soon as the month of February if the community does not intervene. The school was constructed during World War II through an Act of Congress to fund nursery schools so that parents of children could work in the war effort. The Carver Nursery appears to be the only one built specifically for African Americans. The building consisted of two classrooms with a playground on site. The playground is now the Hunter-Miller Park. Located in the Parker-Gray Neighborhood, the school was in the heart of a thriving Black business area at Queen and Fayette Streets.

The school would later become the William Thomas Post#129 of the American Legion and was the social hub of the neighborhood.

Two and a half years ago, a local developer who then applied for a demolition permit purchased the property. The Parker-Gray Board of Architectural Review and the City Council approved the demolition. The developer has already built eleven houses in the neighborhood and recently put eight condominiums in a former laundry building nearby. The eight condominiums (condos) add character and blend in with the neighborhood. The demolition of the Carver School runs contrary to the purpose of the Parker-Gray Historic District.

Historical Facts:

The Parker-Gray Historic District was created in 1984 and one of its main purposes was to protect the area from development pressures that could arise from the building of the King Street and Braddock Metro Stations. The stations are within blocks of the Carver Nursery School. The plan in 1984 was to nominate the neighborhood for the National Register of Historic Places. In 2004, the City of Alexandria conducted a survey and at that time, the Carver Nursery School was one of many structures singled out as having contributed character to the neighborhood. The two Parker-Gray Schools had already been demolished. The threat of the demolition of Carver School is a test to the preservation of buildings that have played a part in the history of Black Alexandria. This building is the only known building of its type still existing and was listed on Preservation Virginia’s eleven most endangered properties list of 2010.

Saving Carver Nursery School Building:

There is only one option for saving the building and that is for the City of Alexandria to intervene. Ask the City to temporarily halt the demolition so that the community can have a voice and suggest some alternatives. To help, please e-mail City Council at www3.alexandriava.gov/contactus/mailto.php?id=610.

You can also contact Boyd Walker from the Greater Alexandria Preservation Alliance at Boydwalker2012@gmail.com to get a copy of the petition that is now circulating, and help gather signatures.  Time is running out, so please help us tell the whole story of the Parker-Gray Neighborhood.

Boyd Walker is a community activist who started the Greater Alexandria Preservation Alliance five years ago, to be an advocacy organization for Historic Preservation in Alexandria.  The purpose of the Alliance is to work beyond Alexandria’s borders with state and local partners and to make Alexandria a greater place.  He is a native of Alexandria who grew up on the “Southside.”  He was a co-founder of Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan, now known as Friends of the Alexandria Waterfront and a recent candidate for Alexandria City Council.