Tag: Alexandria

He Made His Mark: Linwood John Henry Newman

It was a cloudy day with rain threatening when the 81-year-old Linwood John Henry Newman died at the Alexandria Hospital on September 9, 1962. Six months before his death, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Reflecting on Linwood’s life, he survived the odds and gave his family and grandchildren a middle-class life.

Linwood John Henry Newman on Pendleton Street – 1930s or 1940s

Linwood was a son of a former slave. He was a farmer, a self-employed mason, and a carpenter. He married his first wife, Nannie Daniels, in 1913. They settled on his property in Burke, Virginia, off Braddock Road. He and Nannie had four children: Julius, Elease, Julian, and Grace. By 1919, the couple had divorced. In 1921, Linwood married his second wife, Elizabeth Daniels. They had eight children: Alberta, Lillian, Justine, Marion, Kolan, Herman, Laverne, and Winona.

Linwood was concerned about his children’s education because there were no colored schools nearby. He prepared to move his family to Alexandria around 1926.  He moved his family temporarily to 601 North Pitt Street. He built 510 Pendleton Street and purchased an additional home at 512 Pendleton Street. Linwood used the property at 601 North Pitt Street as his business address. In Alexandria, he found work as a mason, carpenter, and builder. His grandson, Linwood Smith, remembers his grandfather walking to his contract jobs. Some of the jobs he walked to were in Manassas, Virginia. He walked from Pendleton Street to Manassas with a family member pulling a wagon with his tools. Linwood faced hardship during the Depression. He lost his houses at 510 and 512 Pendleton Street. He moved his family to his property on North Pitt Street. After the depression, he was able to buy back his two properties on Pendleton Street. He learned to survive from his father, who was a hard-working man. His father, John Henry Newman, achieved homeownership in 1886 when he purchased nine acres of land on the property where he worked as a slave for Richard Fitzhugh.

Linwood John Henry Newman was born in 1880 on the Ravensworth’s tract in Fairfax, VA. His parents were John Henry Newman and Lillie Nelson Gatewood.

Two of Linwood’s grandchildren, Jesurena and Linwood Smith, live in Old Town, Alexandria. They have fond memories of their grandfather. He left his mark in Alexandria and made his grandchildren proud of his achievements.

(c) 2024 – Char McCargo Bah

Behind the Article on William ‘Sonny’ Duke

William ‘Sonny’ Duke

When I received an e-mail from Alvah Beander that Sonny Duke had died, I did not know anything about Sonny until Alvah told me. I started inquiring about Sonny from my Elderly Advisors. After talking to my advisors, I knew I had to write about Sonny. I contacted his cousin, William “Bill” Gordon and Sonny’s daughter, Wanda Duke Kyler.

As I was researching and writing the article on Sonny, I thought to myself how many African Americans in Alexandria did not know Sonny. Sonny’s life as a businessperson was exceptional and an inspiration to individuals who want to embark on their own business, especially for African Americans.

Through the research and interviews with his cousin and daughter, I was able to reveal Sonny’s passion for being the best businessperson he could be. He valued his customers and he strived to deliver his customers’ clothes within 24 hours. He dressed for success and he rolled up his sleeves to do their clothes even when he had a staff to do the work.

Sonny worked long hours even when his health was failing. He was truly dedicated to making his customers satisfied, which result in his business being successful. His customers were in Alexandria and in Fairfax, Virginia. Sonny’s success really came from his parents that groomed him to be a businessperson. He worked beside his parents in their business starting at the age of thirteen. By the time he was eighteen, his parents made him a manager at their drycleaners.

The life of Sonny is an example of the young learning from their elders. Sonny was good in listening and learning from his elders because his life was a testimony to what he accomplished by learning from them.

You can read Sonny’s story in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated February 3, 2021 on page 6, at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2021/020321/Alexandria.pdf.

California Firefighter with Family Ties in Alexandria, VA

California’s Firefighter with Family Ties from Alexandria, Virginia.

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Reuben Anthony Burton – “Making His Ancestors Proud” dated April 18, 2019.

Reuben Anthony Burton

Alexandria descendants are located throughout the United States, they are doing remarkable things across the United States. One young man with strong family ties in Alexandria, Reuben Anthony Burton is a California Firefighter. Reuben’s mother, Frances Norton-Burton who also lives in California has several generations of her Norton, Carter and Robinson families who had made Alexandria their home. Although Reuben was not born in Alexandria, his mother made sure that he knew his Alexandria roots. Reuben was christened at the Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church which is the home church of the Carter/Robinson families since the Civil War. Reuben’s grandfather, Arthur Norton and his family had been members of Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria since the Civil War.

Just like Reuben’s Alexandria cousins, Clayton Thompson and Kendall Thompson, they all

In honor of the fallen 9-11 victims.

decided to be firefighters. As a child Reuben wanted to be a firefighter, he found out what he needed to do to make it happen and he did it. He is an inspiration to all young people that wants to make their dreams a reality through obtaining the necessary skills to achieve their goal.

Check out a California’s Firefighter with Family Ties from Alexandria – “Making His Ancestors Proud” can be read in the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s newspaper on page 13 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/041719/Alexandria.pdf.

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!