Tag: Alexandria VA

From Slavery to Principal

John F. Parker
Snowden School for Boys

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “From Slavery to Principal” February 28, 2019.

I have been researching John F. Parker, the second principal of Snowden School for Boys for a number of years, I found that his accomplishments and his strength to endure hardship and health issues were extremely courageous.

He was born into slavery on his owner’s plantation in Alexandria. After he was emancipated, he worked for several years before becoming a teacher then a principal. Unfortunately for him and his wife, their only child died before his 10th birthday. John had a brother, William Madison Mason Parker who married Mary Hooe. They had several children. Through his brother’s children and grandchild, John’s legacy is known today. His great-nephews and nieces are the Taylor family, Donald, Charlene, John and Alvin; his Dogan family, Bettie and Thelma (Sugar); his Burke family is Frances Burke; he also has many more relatives and great-great nieces and nephews that hold their heads up high because John was such a great man.

You can read the article, “From Slavery to Principal, from the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/022719/Alexandria.pdf.

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.

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.

“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.