Tag: Alexandria VA

First Principal of Parker-Gray School

Mr. Henry T. White is on the right third roll.

Mr. Henry T. White was the first Principal of Parker-Gray School. His tenure as school principal was from 1920 – 1927. Then he stayed at Parker-Gray as a teacher from 1927 – 1934. The requirements had changed in Alexandria, Virginia for principals. Principals were required to have a Bachelor’s degree. Mr. White had a three-year teacher certificate from the Wayland Seminary in Washington, DC.

When Parker-Gray School first open in 1920, the school went from primary to eighth grade. Mr. White had a double role in Parker-Gray. He was the principal and he taught the seven and eight grades. His 1920-1921 students were:

Bell, Thomas age 13 – seventh grade
Bell, Margaret age 15 – eighth grade
Butler, Llewellyn age 13 – seventh grade
Byrd, Corrine age 13 – eighth grade
Carter, Ellen age 12 – seventh grade
Colbert, Ida age 15 – seventh grade
Contee, Elizabeth age 12 – seventh grade
Dixon, Rosena age 13 – seventh grade
Ellis, William age 13 – seventh grade
Gaddis, Rosier age 13 – seventh grade
Gaines, Anna age 15 – seventh grade
Gilliam, Ruth age 12 – seventh grade
Hill, Eva age 15 – seventh grade
Hopkins, Norris age 13 – seventh grade
Jones, Marie age 14 – seventh grade
Lewis, Gladys age 15 – eighth grade
Lucas, Charles age 12 – seventh grade
Lumpkins, Patrick H. Jr age 13 – eighth grade
Majors, Lucille age 15 – seventh grade
Martin, Willrowe age 15 – eighth grade
McGee, Edgar age 12 – seventh grade
Norton, Elbert age 15 – eighth grade
Parker, Nannie age 14 – seventh grade
Redd, James age 13 – seventh grade
Russell, Mildred age 14 – seventh grade
Shanklin, Samuel age 15 – seventh grade
Speaks, Esther age 12 – seventh grade
Stewart, Florence age 15 – eighth grade
Strange, Richard age 15 – seventh grade
Strange, Wallace age 12 – seventh grade
Turner, Ernest age 15 – seventh grade
Washington, Edmonia age 15 – seventh grade
White, Kathleen V age 13 – seventh grade
Whitmore, Eliza age 15 – seventh grade

You can read more about Mr. Henry T. White in the Alexandria Gazette newspaper dated July 29, 2020 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/072920/Alexandria.pdf.

We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee

Lovell Arvid Lee

The Sunnyside community was the dream of widow, Laura C. Watson and her children. She and her children wanted to have a community were middle class Colored people could live without the burden of housing discrimination.

Laura C. Watson lived long enough to see her dream come true. The community was dedicated in 1905; and, sixteen Colored families built their homes in Sunnyside. Laura died on May 24, 1924, when Mr. Lovell A. Lee’s parents were moving in the Sunnyside community.

Mr. Lee’s family were early homeowners in the Sunnyside Community. He and his siblings Delman, Lavern and Dermot were born and raised in Sunnyside. Their parents Theodore and Mildred Lee purchased this property between the years 1923-1924. Today this area is called Arlandria.

When Mr. Lee married his wife, Shirley M. Marshall on November 19, 1956, he was living at home with his parents at 3812 Elbert Avenue. He had lived in Sunnyside for his entire childhood.

You can read more about the Sunnyside Community titled, “We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated June 10, 2020 on page 6 http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/061020/Alexandria.pdf.

Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr.

During the Vietnam War, Alexandria had over fifty veterans that lost their lives in combat; Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr was one of them.

Raymond was a 1962 graduate at Parker-Gray High School in Alexandria. He was a popular student who was loved by many. His life was cut short when he received multiple fragmentation wounds on May 13, 1969 in Vietnam.

You can read Raymond L. Williams’s story, titled, “Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated May 27, 2020 on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/052720/Alexandria.pdf

A Family’s Devastation of Influenza Pandemic: Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter

We all have gold mines in our family and; family history is one of our overlooked gold mines.

Lucy Carter-Cross Roy and her daughter, Beatrice “Bee” Cross Taylor

The Baltimore, Carter and Spriggs’ families in Alexandria, Virginia were old family surnames that have been in Alexandria prior and after the Civil War. The Spriggs’ family was in Alexandria prior to the war, the Baltimore family came during the war and the Carter family came after the war. What these families have in common is that they were part of the growing black mid-class. They were the lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers and property owners. These families married into each other’s families and they were members of Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church (Roberts Chapel).

However, their affluence did not prevent them from the flu pandemic. This pandemic impacted rich, mid-class, poor, elderly, adults, children, black, white and everyone else who made up the world population.

Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter was born in Alexandria, Virginia on March 19, 1891. She married Irving (Irvin) Chesterfield Carter. She had two daughters Verma and Lucy. Bessie died during the Influenza Pandemic on December 26, 1918.

Verma Evelyn Carter-Roy

Unknown to Bessie’s daughter Lucy that her mother died during the Influenza Pandemic. Lucy was two-years old and her sister Verma was three-years old when their mother died. However, Lucy was unaware about the rich family history that her family had. She and her sister had many historical gold mines in their family. These historical gold mines died with the death of their parents who did not have the time to share their family history with their children.

A story about Bessie Evans Baltimore Carter titled, “A Family’s Devastation of Influenza Pandemic” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated May 13, 2020 on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/051320/Alexandria.pdf