Dr. Charles F. West was a high achiever. Few African Americans who were born in the late 1800s achieved the types of accomplishments as Dr. West. He was a man of many talents who was liked by many.
After returning from the 1924 Olympics in Paris, he made a decision to pursue an academic career in medicine. After completing his undergrad degree, he applied to Howard University Medical School. He graduated in 1928. He practice medicine in Alexandria, Virginia for fifty-years. If you want to know more about Dr. West, please read the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper article dated September 25, 2019 on page 10 at, The Alexandria Gazette Newspaper.
Update to my post on, “Life and Times of the Livery Man.” During the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries when a person was in the business of using their stables, horses, buggies, wagons and carriages for picking up people and delivering goods, they were known in some circles as the “Livery Man”.
For Moses Stevens, he was known in his community as the “Livery Man”. See the 1902 listing of Moses Stevens in the Alexandria City Directory.
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Coming Home to Old Alexandria”– dated July 25 – 31, 2019.
Sherrin’s mother, Helen L. Hamilton Bell
Many African Americans migrated from Alexandria, Virginia for different reasons. The Franklin family migrated early in the 19th century to New York and the District of Columbia; later they migrated to New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
Sherrin Hamilton Bell, the 2nd great-granddaughter of Harry G. Franklin, who was born in Philadelphia was on a quest to find out about her 2nd great-grandfather. Harry left Alexandria over 100-years ago when he was buried at the Methodist Cemetery in 1901. Sherrin makes her visit to Alexandria after 118-years from the death of her 2nd great-grandfather.
When she came back home to Alexandria, she found that her family had a rich history that they left behind in Virginia. She was able to walk through the Cemetery where Harry G. Franklin and his grandparents were buried. She attended Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church where her ancestors attended in the 1800s. It was like she was walking back in time when she visited the Freedmen’s Cemetery that Harry’s great grandfather buried two of his family members in the 1860s. The Cemetery is located on Washington Street walking distant from the Church her family attended.
Coming home to Alexandria brought Sherrin a place of origin. A place that her family had talked about. A place that her family had been freed people of color as far back as the 1700s.
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “He Loved His People and His Community”– dated July 4 – 10, 2019.
Mr. Roger C. Anderson was one of several people who helped spark my interest in African American History. I remembered somewhere around 1985 I took a tour of Alexandria African-American sites with Mr. Anderson and others. I was shocked in learning about the Alexandria’s Slave Pen. I was in my late twenties just finding out for the first time about the Alexandria Slave Pen; that part of history was not taught to me in the Alexandria School System.
Our busy lives sometimes make us forget to thank individuals who have impacted our lives in a positive way. Mr. Anderson was one of those people who impacted so many African American children growing up in Alexandria during segregation and the early years of desegregation. The article in the Alexandria Gazette is to publicly tell the story of the contributions that Mr. Anderson made to his people and to his community.
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