FAMILY CIVIL WAR VETERAN: Pvt. Gylie Herring, Co. K., 58 USC Mississippi Volunteer Infantry

When in these times of unrest and injustice it is hard to give thanks, what brings me comfort is the knowledge that we have family veterans and others still serving this flawed nation.  These are the True Patriots for they fight to retain a Hope of Freedom not yet attained!  Such were men like, Gylie Herring who ran away to join the Union army in 1863 at the beginning of the Civil War.

Picture credit: USCT MS, LA Vicksburg
National Military Park

Gylie Herring (?-1863) was the third husband of Mary Jane Herring (1832-1909) both enslaved to the Tom and Mary LeGette Herring Families of Franklin County, Mississippi.  Gylie and Mary Jane were the parents of three children:  Alice, Isabel, and Clarissa. The youngest, Clarissa became my maternal great grandmother, the mother of Harry Kees, Jr. (1890-1971). Harry was the father of my deceased mother, Josie Mae Kees Harris. 

The historical context that brought Gylie into the war ending legalized black enslavement, started when the U.S, congress sanctioned the enlistment of black soldiers in 1862.  Free men of color were the initial recruit target, but after the Emancipation Proclamation, an onslaught of blacks joined.  Among them were many runaway slaves, like Gylie Herring. 

In 1863, black regiments were formed and the Bureau of Colored Troops was created. Troops were organized for combat as infantry, artillery, and calvary units. They became known as the United Sates Colored Troops (USCT) with 175 regiments and over 178,000 free and former slaves serving.  Needless to say, as in other conflicts, these troops made a tremendous impact on the war's outcome.  This is one reason we should be proud to be a military family!

Gylie's service participation was valiant but incredibly short-lived, i.e., a little over 30 days.  He enlisted (one record says September/October 1862) and was mustered into service September 23, 1863.  He was admitted to the regiment hospital in Natchez, Mississippi October 20th where he died October 31, 1863.  Gylie's brief but honorable service was recognized by the United States military who awarded full pension benefits to his widow, Mary Jane Herring upon his death.  His cause of death was listed as measles and/or bilious fever, an infectious disease. Both were common among soldiers as was sepsis due to poor medical treatment and unsanitary conditions in war time hospitals. 

We've all heard the Civil War horror stories.  Over crowding of the injured; amputation of limbs without anesthesia, and improper cleansing of instruments used on multiple patients. wound care as we know it today was non-existent and hundreds were coming in from the battlefields.  Although we can't be sure where Gylie contracted this disease, he no doubt suffered along with others before his demise. All for the price of our freedom.

  

Civil War Hospitals-Picture Credit PBS

                                           

                                               

Pension benefits awarded to Mary Jane and her three children fathered by Gylie (she had three older ones from a previous marriage) consisted of  $8.00 a month and $2.00 a month per child  under the age of 16 years old (1876-1887). Mary Jane was then unceremoniously cut off!  In a copy of the pension file received from a distant cousin, she was cut off due to adulterous cohabitation. She gave birth to a child, Prentiss with her second husband but they never lived together or remarried.  So the charges were unsubstantiated even though she and others gave numerous depositions to that fact.

This colorful story of Gylie Herring may not be the only Civil War veteran we have in our family, I've yet to document with reliable resources that Henry Harris, my paternal great grandfather also served.  Still even without this particular historical validation we can celebrate the men and women we do know about.  Some who are shown below.  Please note that two young men, Anthony Davis, the great grandson of Alfred Harris, Sr. and Quentin Betts, my own grandson finished Basic Training and AIT this summer and have been added to the list.

Family Veterans 

Gylie Herring & Henry Harrison (Civil War); Orange Richardson, Jr. (WWI); Jodie (Jerry) Oliver, (WWII); Rayford Hudson (WWII); Samuel Harris, Jacob Harris, & Marcellus Cortez (Korean War); Ernest Bowles, Sr.; George W.C. Harris; Alfred Harris, Sr. & Gary Betts, Sr. (Vietnam); Bo Kees; Elijah Peterson, II; Elijah Peterson, III & Alfred Harris, Jr. (Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan); Woodrow Smith, Jr; Maria Peterson Henderson; Kevin Jefferson, Chris Williams; Amanda Williams; Nancy Crider; Andrea Leonard; Leo Griffin; Quentin Betts; Anthony Davis. 

PFC Quentin Betts

PVT Anthony Davis (Middle)

    **My apologies for names missed or errors      made.  Please send corrections for future reference 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!

 

Your Family Griot,

 

Celebrating Family Traditions: BETTER GIT YER LEARNIN'...

 

Image from History.com

Better Git Yer Learnin'

The year was 1863

The paper said that I was free
But no one read it to my ears
and so I slaved for two more years.

Better git yer learnin,'
Better git yer learnin' before it goes away!

 [From the album: Songs of  Our Native Daughters]

After freedom was declared, former slaves went about regaining the life denied them for so many generations.  They looked first for family members torn away in business transactions, auction blocks, and often used as heirlooms by wealthy families.  

They went back to worship!  Gone were the midnight vigils far in the woods, along the swamps, and brush arbors (open sided shelters similar to a lean to shed).  The God Who kept them and freed them was needed now more than ever.  He would guide them into this new existence.  

[It was the Black Church that stood in the gap when Reconstruction programs failed to provide dignity and social reform.] 

But our Mississippi ancestors were resilient.  They wanted more than anything to be educated. They wanted to learn to read and write.  Adults often attended school with their children.  The Freedmen's Bureau established schools for that purpose throughout the south. They provided buildings and teachers and even facilitated land grants for college level education. However, the ensuing practices of Black Codes and Jim Crow still made it difficult for our people to achieve literacy.  

 One of the resources I use in my research is the Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children 1850-1892; 1908-1937.  It was a census of school age children.  Initially it was for white students only.  After the war black children were counted even those who lived in rural areas. 

 I was happy to find a few family members cited in these records although sporadically with large gaps between years.  As sharecropper children, they could not attend school regularly.  Still the hope of an education for themselves and their children was realized.  Our family became more literate with succeeding generations.  Today we have many family members who have found academic success.  Some even choosing the field of education as life long careers.

As in past blog posts, A disclaimer is required. This is not an exhaustive accounting of every relative who may fit in the categories below. Please send me any corrections for future recognition. That being said, allow the chosen to represent them all.

First Family College Graduates

 "There's no doing in the world without being first." - Oprah Winfrey 

• 1963 - V. Bahiyyah Muhamad - University of Illinois, B.S. Elementary, National Louis University, M. Educational Psychology, 

•  1964 - Peggy D. Harris - Lincoln University,  Jefferson City, B.S. Elementary
•  1969 -Alfred L. Harris, Sr. Lincoln University, Jefferson City, B.S. Elementary

[Peggy and Alfred, both recipients of Master degrees were the first in the family to graduate from a HBCU.  Lincoln University was founded in 1866 by the 62nd and 65th US Colored Infantry and is the only black college founded by African-American members of the U.S. Army]

First Family Doctorate Degree

• 2014 - Chantelle M. Peterson, EDD - Northern Illinois University, Counseling Education and Supervision;  B.S. - Elmhurst University and Governor State. 

Family Graduates &

 Attendees of HBCUs

• Lt. Col.  Alfred Harris, Jr.  - (Military Science) -Hampton University (Est. 1868)  
• Nicole R. Harris - (Public Administration) -Tennessee State University (Est. 1912)
• Lexxus L. Betts - (Biomed. Engineer) - North Carolina A&T University (Est. 1891)
• Maria Peterson Henderson - Xavier University, New Orleans (Est. 1915)
• Lynnette P. Jefferson - Florida A&M University (Est. 1887)
• Admire Miracle Smith - Lincoln University, Jefferson City (Est. 1866)

I am proud to say that today, generation after generation of our kin have found their way to the halls of academia.  They are currently enrolled in state, vocational, and technical schools throughout the nation.  Notable colleges like The University of Notre Dame and Purdue University. We are proud of each and every one of them!

Our young people face many challenges that keep them from realizing their full potential.  In a socio-political culture rife with violence, crime, and injustice hope for a better future seems nearly impossible.  I pray they will be encouraged to push forward by remembering their ancestors' struggle. 

It was once a crime for black people to be educated; to cast a vote and live fully in a land they helped build! There were concerted efforts to keep us from knowing who we are, where we came from, and what we have achieved.  Some folks are trying to take us back there!  As the song above implores us: 

 "Better Git Yer Learnin,' Better Git Yer Learnin'

before it goes away!"

Carolyn Harris Betts,

Your Family Griot

Celebrating Family Traditions: THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!!!

ENTERTAINMENT

The action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment.
-Dictionary.com

One would think with all the talent in our family this post would be my easiest.  It most certainly IS NOT!!  That's the problem.  We have TOO MANY talented relatives!  So let me give a disclaimer up front!  If you have a sister, brother, niece, nephew, child, or grandchild who is phenomenally gifted and you don't see their names in this post...forgive me! 

I've selected only a few family members, ones that I have witnessed exercising their talent; that have historical relevance, or whose gifts have been acknowledged on the world's stage.  I also want to make a distinction between those who perform sporadically or only when inebriated [only kidding] from those who work hard to perfect their craft and have made it their career!  With Your permission let the following represent us all!

 🎵🎵 MUSIC 🎵🎵

Greggory Brian Smith, entertainment business professional with over 15 years experience in music publishing, performance right organization, artist/songwriter management, and artist repertoire. Expertise include publishing administration, music copyright, and licensing.

Patrick J. "Que" Smith, Grammy nominated record producer and songwriter has 15 years experience in the music business and 50 million albums to his credit.  He has contributed to songs from Usher, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Fantasia Barrina, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, The Gospellers, and Omarion.

[Greggory and Patrick are the sons of  Woodrow Smith, Jr. and Barbara Johnson.  They are the grandsons of Woodrow Smith, Sr. and Mildred Harris Strong]

Megan Mechelle Jefferson (Meg Thee Lil Pony) is an up and coming jazz, R&B and Gospel singer.  She is a live artist performer debuting throughout the South.  A gifted musician who occasionally accompanies herself on the key board.  Megan is a featured artist on Alabama Chappy's album, Man of Many Faces. 

[Megan is the daughter of Kevin Jefferson and Marilyn ___. She is the granddaughter of John L. Jefferson and Jeanette Harris Jefferson] 

⭐⭐DRAMA/COMEDY⭐⭐

Vanessa Fraction Williams, is a writer (Monique Show, Arsenio Hall Show, 106 & Park, Mann & Wife); stand up comedienne and actress known for her roles in Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Holiday Love.  She has over a decade of entertainment experience and has been showcased on Def Comedy Jam, 1st Amendment, Stand Up; Mike Epps Live and Club Nokia.  Vanesessa has often been a guest contestant on a variety of game shows, i.e., Kevin Hart's Celebrity Game Face that feature rappers and comedians.

[Vanessa is the daughter of Brian Fraction and Cheri Smith Johnson.  She is the granddaughter of Woodrow Smith, Sr. and Mildred Harris Strong]

🎥 THE ALMOST FAMOUS 🎥

Kevin L. Jefferson was only twelve years old when he had his brush with fame.  He received film credit for his role as Joe Jefferson in the 1973 movie, Tom Sawyer, a Disney remake of Mark Twain's iconic novel. The production company took liberties with the book so the character Kevin played may have been a combination of Joe Harper, Tom Sawyer's best friend and Jim, the runaway slave he befriends.  This version starred Johnny Whitaker, Jodie Foster and veteran stars Celeste Holmes and Warren Oates.  Click link, to view a short clip of Kevin's role from a scene in the movie: 

White Washing Scene

[Kevin is the son of John L. Jefferson and Jeanette Harris Jefferson. He is the grandson of A.J. Harris and Josie Mae Kees Harris]

 

Maria Peterson Henderson believes one is never too old to fulfill your dreams.  After a military career and the rearing of her daughter, she stepped out on faith. With a gigantic amount of confidence in this 4'10" relative she entered the world of talent training: acting and dance lessons, coaching, and auditions. The experience honed her skills in bringing joy and laughter on a smaller but more significant platform, her friends, church, and the senior community she loves.

[Maria Peterson Henderson is the daughter or Elijah Peterson, Sr. and MaryHarris Peterson.  She is granddaughter of A.J. Harris and Josie Mae Kees Harris.]

Alfred L. Harris, Sr.  is a singer, writer, poet, pianist, guitarist, dancer, and craftsman. He is pictured above singing with Carla Thomas, The Queen of Soul. Carla is the daughter of Rufus Thomas famed R&B, Blues and Funk singer.  Alfred is always shooting for the moon so it is no surprise we find him among the stars. 

😎JUST FOR FUN😎

Some relatives have various ideas of what is talent!  However, it never keeps us from putting on a show if the opportunity arises.  A couple of these photos were taken at the 1982 Harris Family Reunion in Chicago (Upper left: Carolyn, Lynnette, Alfred on guitar and Jeanette).  Eldest brother Sam with nephew, Puncho is in the middle photo. (Lower right: Ellen in top hat with son, Darryl, Lynette, Pat and Chantelle sitting). Sam, Ellen, Jeanette and Darryl  are no longer with us but their legacy shines bright in the following generations. 

To all our family song birds: Laurie Castille, Lynnette Jefferson, Yolanda Harris, and others; musicians and instrumentalist of every age, i.e. Sarah Smith (violin); Arielle Harris, (audio technician) and many more who make us so very proud... Kudos!!

Your Family Griot,

Carolyn Harris Betts

Celebrating Family Traditions: CATCHIN' BABIES!!!

 

Granny Midwives Image from Vimeo

From the annals of the bitter and often erroneous accounting of slave history emerges a black sheroe called the Granny Midwife!  In the hierarchy of importance to white slaveholders they rank second only to the Mammies who ran their households. 

These essential workers made sure that every black baby conceived as chattel was delivered sound and healthy to their master.  These babies would become the labor force needed to assure that the slaveholding economy thrived in the South.   

In the slave community, Granny midwives were a combination of folk healer and spiritual leader.  They believed they were called by God to this work and were often trained by a female family member making this a family tradition. They not only attended the births, but provided care to the mothers afterwards.  Because they practiced in rural agricultural areas, white women also availed themselves of their expertise.  The midwives called this, catchin' babies!

The need for Granny midwives continued after slavery, as white doctors who were mostly male did not attend births (black or white).  It was only in the early twentieth century men returned to the field of obstetrics and births were moved from the home to hospitals.  Later because of a rise in mother and infant mortality, the state required midwives to be certified in order to practice. (Oddly, it appears that mortality increased only when the doctors became involved.)  It was as I collected birth certificates of my siblings and deceased relatives for research that I found we had two Granny Midwives in our own lineage. One from the Kees side of the family and one from the Harris.

Our family roots are firmly established in Mississippi slavery and sharecropping. I knew that generations of our family were delivered by midwives but I didn't know who they were.  Mississippi did not require statewide birth registration until after 1912.  Death registration occurred between 1903 and 1920.   It was on the birth certificates of my aunt Ollie Mae Kees (born in 1914 to Harry and Amanda Ferdinand Kees) and eldest brother Samuel born in 1930 that I saw a notation: Certificate of Attending Physician or Midwife: Clarecy Kees, Midwife.   

Clarissa (with variations of Clarecy or Clarysie) Kees, was Ollie Kees', grandmother.  She was Harry Kees' mother and the daughter of Civil War veteran, Gylie Herring.  Clarissa was born in 1860 and died in 1940.  Ollie was the second oldest of Harry and Mandy Kees' children so Clarissa probably delivered my mother, Josie Mae Kees too. However, I  cannot confirm because Mama Josie was born in 1912.  What should be noted is that great grandmother Clarissa was certified.  This meant that she received formal midwifery training and was recognized by the state of Mississippi.

Of my nine siblings, six were born in Mississippi (Samuel, Mildred, Vedi, Mary, Jacob, and Ellen).  I have a birth certificate for only one - Jacob Charles born February 13, 1938.  Again, noted in the section for Certificate of Attending Physician or Midwife, a familiar name comes up: Louella Rucks.  Louella Hilson Rucks is the niece of my great grandmother, Laura Matilda Hilson Harris.  Her father, Eli Hilson, Jr. was the relative that was killed by White Cappers for his land. (See blog post: Eli Hilson, Jr. Family Civil Rights Martyr, January 20, 2021).  Louella Hilson Rucks was born in 1885 and died in Champaign, IL in 1947.  

As I write this, I'm thinking how proud my sister siblings who were nurses (Mary, Ellen, and Jeanette) would be knowing we had this rich legacy.  Especially Jeanette Harris Jefferson, who assisted in the delivery of my own first born, LaMarr in 1968.  Jeanette, following the family legacy was catchin’ babies at the University of Missouri Medical Center, Columbia, Mo. when I went into labor. 

This 1976 newspaper clipping is one of many honoring her service.  Jeanette received her L.P.N. license in 1964 in OB/Gyn.  She continued her studies to become an R.N. and after graduating from Columbia College was a nursing team leader for 29 years in Family Medicine for University Hospitals and Clinics, Columbia, MO.  She was forced to retire after complications from a stroke, but this in no way deterred her spirit to serve. 

At the time of her death in 1999 she had served as a former chairwoman of the Columbia Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, was a former member of the Stroke Survivors Club, and was a volunteer for the Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and University Hospitals and Clinics.  Her daughter, Cynthia Jefferson follows in her footsteps. She too is an L.P.N. with a concentration in Family Medicine. 

Catchin' Babies! you see is in our family blood! Brother Alfred just shared this with me: Daddy A.J. Harris (father of ten children himself) was known to catch a few babies in his time. When the local doctor for our home town could not be reached (he lived 60 miles away) A.J. was a trusted substitute!

Knowing this history, makes me so proud of the many medical professionals and healthcare workers we have in our family.  In addition to my aforementioned sisters, we have Elijah Peterson, Jr., Medical Engineer specialist; Maria Peterson Henderson, Army Paramedic; Larry Crider, Radiology and MRI; LaTonya Maddox, R.N.; Lexxus Betts, Biomedical Engineer; and a host of nieces and nephews who have served as C.N.A.s or assistants in various medical facilities. 

This list is far from exhaustive forgive me if I have missed a few, but during this time when Essential Workers are under so much pressure trying to keep our nation and its people healthy I salute them all for their hard work and heart of service.

In honor of Black History Month, I will be providing to my beloved family interesting  facts and amusing anecdotes regarding family traditions. If you would like to include some of your own please send my way.  Sharing these stories are a personal joy and so needed during these troubling times when family values and their contributions are vastly being diminished!

Your Family Griot, 

Carolyn Harris Betts

Celebrating Family Traditions: IT'S IN THE SAUCE!!!

The A.J. Sauce – Back Story

[Reprinted from the Family Stories of Alfred L. Harris, Sr]

 

For those of you who didn't know my father, Alfred Jacob Harris (A.J.), you missed an interesting character.  Unlike his own father (Jacob), he was not an exceptional businessman.  He could be a very nice guy, but he just wasn't a good businessman.  Even though Daddy ran "Harris Grocery and Meat Market" from the time Papa Jake died in 1948 until his own passing nearly 35 years later, it was clear that his talents lay elsewhere.

A.J. in his hey day styling his Happy socks

A.J. Harris was an amazing cook and baker.  His understanding of spices and how to use them was uncanny.  I have known some outstanding cooks in my life, but he was the best of the bunch.  With his devilish sense of humor, he found great entertainment in feeding family and friends something they claimed not to like such as opossum, raccoon, rabbit, deer, mutton and mountain oysters. 

 He baked beautiful big cakes with thick rich icing that kept the cake fresh until time for it to be cut.  He was also well known for his sweet potato pies, but it was not as well known that his pumpkin, pear and white potato pies were just as good.  His peach cobbler was awesome!  If he was cooking chicken and dumplings, you had to stay close and eat before the "samplers" started coming through.  As you might have guessed by now, my Dad had a full service kitchen inside his store - where he canned exquisite tasting fruits, vegetables and fish.  Yes, fish!

A.J. in his store circa 1972. Warren Morton sits to his right.

There was always a gathering of old men around the store, waiting to be invited to taste whatever he might decide to cook.  Frequently, our regular customers were treated to a full meal.  The aromas permeating the store, whenever he went into one of his cooking fits, kept me closer to home than the threat of being paddled for leaving.  Dude could burn!

Well, one of the other familiar aromas in the store was bar-B-Q sauce.  The smell was commanding and inviting. His sauce was a beautiful, brown, smooth, sweet sauce that was so hot, it could almost make you cry.  It was too hot to eat and too good to quit.  One of my favorite things to do was to sop the big dishpan used for cooking it, after the potion had been poured up for storage.  Right, I just sopped the pan with "light" bread - no meat involved.

Well, everybody wanted his recipe.  He wasn't having it!  Even though I use to hang around and help him make the sauce, I knew he had a secret ingredient.  It was fun to try to catch him adding it behind my back.  Because I spent time watching and helping him, I knew more about his sauce than anyone else, yet I could not replicate it.  If my dad had been a great businessman like my grandfather, he would have sold the recipe to the Campbell Soup Company when they offered to buy it from him.  Better still, he could have done his own thing and become rich and famous like the Gates family of Kansas City or the Neely family of Memphis.

Instead, the old man took the recipe with him when he passed away, but he left me with this opportunity to share the back-story about his locally famous bar-B-Q sauce.

 

In honor of Black History Month, I will be providing to my beloved family interesting  facts and amusing anecdotes regarding family traditions. If you would like to include some of your own please send my way.  Sharing these stories are a personal joy and so needed during these troubling times when family values and their contributions are vastly being diminished!

Your Family Griot,

Carolyn Harris Betts

A Veteran's Day Tribute to All our Family Veterans

Birth of An American Veteran

by Alfred L. Harris, Sr.

Vietnam 1971-1972

As, I awaken, dawn breaks in the distance

on the horizon of a land that is not my own.

I move awkwardly, and perhaps too slowly,

toward duties of the day that lies ahead.

Last night, I slept when I could...

sometimes gladly...

sometimes helplessly...

sometimes, to escape the particulars of my circumstances.

(But three hours just weren't enough.)

Now... struggling...I pull away from the remnants

of the uneasy peace I made with the darkness of the night before.

While standing the watch  and cradling my weapon...

I grew anxious in the hope that I would one day,

similarly embrace those whom I love and who love me in return.

And so, it goes as I shiver to shake-off the tender moments

that flash dimly before  me...on the fading crest of my down time,

realizing that today is another day...

One that promises no victory...one that is as yet, unfamiliar with peace.

Today is another day in the trenches or the jungles.

It is another day in the mountains or on the beachheads.

It is a day of undefined battle lines...one of rural or urban warfare...

In the desert or in the swamps...

Upon the waters or above the clouds...

It is a day...a mission...a war...that holds no selfish prize for me.

But faith and commitment will sustain me.

Confidence that I will thrive again, on American soil, motivates me.

My trust that family and friends

will save space for me in their hearts and homes,

gives balance to the bitter taste of combat

as it enters and offends the whole of my being.

And yet, I'll go  on.

I'll go on because I promised:

I gave my word (in a solemn pledge made before God) when I became

America's "Army of One."

Its "Navy Team,"

Its Corps of the "Few and Proud,"

Its dominate Force in the sky,

And its "Guardian of our coastal water ways."

I'll go on because I must.

I'll go on because others will support and relieve me.

I'll go on because my family awaits me.

I'll go on because I can't turn back...

I'll go on...because I'd rather die in battle

Than live in fear.

And when this day is over and my tour is done,

I'll return home:

Maybe in the silence of my mortal life...

Maybe decades later.

Maybe broken and wounded...

Maybe not my "old self"...

And maybe even, by the grace of God, in one piece.

But surely, I will return...asking no greater reward than

To be well received,

Tended in my need,

Appreciated for my service,

And free to share equally in the abundance of the land I love.

For on that day, I will have been born...An American Veteran.

Family Veterans 

Gylie Herring & Henry Harrison (Civil War); Orange Richardson, Jr. (WWI); Jodie (Jerry) Oliver, (WWII); Rayford Hudson (WWII); Samuel Harris, Jacob Harris, & Marcellus Cortez (Korean War); Ernest Bowles, Sr.; George W.C. Harris; Alfred Harris, Sr. & Gary Betts, Sr. (Vietnam); Bo Kees; Elijah Peterson, II; Elijah Peterson, III & Alfred Harris, Jr. (Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan); Woodrow Smith, Jr; Maria Peterson Henderson; Kevin Jefferson, Chris Williams; Amanda Williams; Nancy Crider; Andrea Leonard; Leo Griffin. 

**My apologies for names missed or errors made. Please send corrections for future reference 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!

Your Family Griot, Carolyn Harris Betts

Ancestral Homeland Icon: Lincoln School, Charleston, MO - Part Two

🎶Hail Lincoln High School

Hats off to you.

 Ever you'll find us, loyal and true.

Firm and undaunted, ever we'll be.

Hail to the school we love, as we

fight, fight, fight! 🎶

Every Labor Day for many years, local citizens celebrated black life in the Boot Heel of Missouri with food, fun, and fellowship.  No matter how far away participants may have traveled or what achievements they acquired, fond memories drew them back home each year.  Their school experiences played a big part in any successes, so showing off for former principals and teachers was a highlight of the weekend!  It was the greatest form of appreciation one could pay these  underpaid mentors! They held special places in our hearts and left an indelible mark on us all.

Activities took place in Wyatt, Charleston, and nearby Sikeston, Missouri. It was a combination class reunion and community social event and a way for those who had moved away to reconnect.  During the day families participated in old fashion horse shoe throwing, picnics, and barbecues.  But the evenings were reserved for dressing up and dancing!  Needless to say, libations of every type flowed freely.  It was called The Old Timers Weekend! (click the caption to read a 2006 article from the Sikeston Standard Democrat)  Wyatt Old Timers Club

Sadly, there hasn't been an Old Timers celebration for awhile.  Interest had begun to wane, even before the Pandemic!  Just like our beloved Lincoln school, there is very little to remind us that once we had a vibrant and thriving black culture in our home town. I guess that's why I felt compelled to gather from the dust every little piece I can to share with you.  Family, this is where your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents lived, died and forged pathways to where you reside now!

In my previous post, you can see a glimpse of Lincoln school as I remember it.  Searching the internet, the local library and newspaper, I'm still hard pressed to find a formal picture of my alma mater.  I even contacted SEMO state university in Cape Girardeau.  A resource told me about the Charles F. Bowden papers (a former principal of historical relevance). An archivist searched and sent me a picture of a home economics club in front of a building assumed to be Lincoln shown below. They said it was from a 1950 yearbook.  This view of the school is unfamiliar and I don't recall the advisor's name so I'm a bit skeptical.  The caption reads: Southeast Missouri District New Home Makers of America, Miss Greta E. James, Advisor.  

Lincoln has had an eclectic history (the little I'm able to find).  It was rumored to have been used as a hospital during war time (which war I'm unsure).  A place for refugees during the historic Great 1937 flood, and it was nearly destroyed by fire in 1931.  It was also mentioned in a 1963 lawsuit that challenged the Separate but Equal status quo in the area. During the 1970 Urban Renewal project, it was partially razed leaving only the newer gymnasium.  It is now the C. F. Bowden community center. 

I shared my attempt at research with a former Charleston High School classmate, Shirley Robinson Bryant. She is now a librarian at the Clara Drinkwater Newman Library in Charleston. Shirley has promised to send me every thing she finds regarding Charleston's Black Culture. She was kind enough to supply the following article in my search for Lincoln school history. 

[Transcript] Article from Enterprise Courier, July 9, 1931

 

Headline: LINCOLN SCHOOL GUTTED BY FIRE FRIDAY NIGHT

(Heroic Work of Fire Department saved Building from Being Totally Destroyed)

    Fire of an unknown origin almost totally destroyed the Lincoln School building.  A two-story brick in the southwest part of the city, Friday about midnight.  The damage is estimated at $3,500.00 with $2,500 insurance. 

    It was the belief of some that the fire may have originated from fireworks which had been thrown through a window though there was no one residing in that immediate community who had noted any shooting of fireworks that evening.

    There is no other school building in this district for colored students and it is not considered economy to repair the building, said a member of the board of education.  The building was a four-room affair with a hallway both up and down stairs between the rooms.  It had been constructed from the material which was used for a Baptist school many years ago on the site upon which stands Eugene Field grammar school.

    No plans have yet been made for its repair or the construction of a new building.

    It is known that the State and other educational interests are anxious that a good building be located here for educational purposes.  Charleston is looked upon with much favor by the State and other interests as a suitable location for colored people and it is understood that each stand willing to appropriate liberally for that purpose. 

    The opportunity should not be passed up. A prompt meeting of the board of educations would be had.  Influential citizens should be called in for consultation.  It is less than two months until the next term of school opens.  No time should be lost. 

[End of transcipt]

Noted in this article was the fact that Lincoln school was built from leftover materials  of a Baptist school located on the site of the Eugene Field grammar school.  The investigation of the fire was marginal and inconclusive although it was suggested it was arson within the black community. The article does end with an urgent plea to the school board to find a suitable solution for displaced black students as soon as possible. This fire took place during the Jim Crow Era and no one would have entertained the mixing of races, even temporarily for educational purposes. 

There was mention of the heroics of the fire department. Like most poor communities we relied heavily on these men in the case of emergency. In 1931, I doubt Charleston had fire hydrants. To be sure if they did, none would have been in the black community.  However, we did have was an open sewage ditch (The Grabbo or Grabow Ditch) that ran directly in front of the school, homes and businesses of black residents on Elm Street! 

It makes my blood boil, to think of the health hazards this presented for black families, especially children, who like myself used to walk and play in this area! [I recall ruining a good coat one time jumping from one side of the ditch to the other!) Sometime in the 1990s the ditch was covered over by the Mississippi Health Department.  A portion of it is located directly across the street from the Bowden Center.  Twelve years ago, The Healthy Heart Coalition, advocates for health and wellness in Mississippi County, petitioned to get it paved for use as an exercise area.   It is now called Lincoln Trail (a nod to Lincoln school) and is comprised of a 0.2 mile loop that the community can use to walk and jog! A nice grassy picnic area is located nearby.

Photo credit: Sewage ditch in Centreville, IL

similar to the one located near Lincoln school

DHOLTMANN@BND.com

     Former site of Charleston"s "Grabbo" Ditch

turned into a walking trail and picnic spot

  (Photo taken by me September 4, 2021)

Lincoln school was never up to par with the white schools in town. The curriculum was geared toward teaching the rudiments of literacy: basic reading, writing, and math.  Textbooks were often hand me downs from the white schools. Very few college preparatory courses (chemistry, foreign language, geometry, etc.) were offered.  Charleston is a farming community and the powers that be I suppose did not think aspirations rose further than the cotton and soy bean fields many students worked in at the time. 

 Our teachers were dedicated and very professional. I can't remember any of them dressed in attire other than suits, ties, heels and stockings. They tried hard to supplement our meager education with modern techniques and studies. Many taught us during the school term while working to attain their own college degrees during the summer.  A few were not much older than the high school students they taught. (We had more than one teacher-student dating relationship that I recall!)

By the mid 1960s Lincoln had graduated its last senior class. Elementary students were dispersed to Eugene Field, A.D. Simpson, or Mark Twain schools.  The remaining ninth graders were transferred to Charleston High School, a white school with a history of graduating only a couple of black students. 

 

This final push for full integration did not come organically but did happen without violence, which was a blessing for the time!  I found evidence of this in a law suit filed by a black Charleston resident in 1963.  It's an interesting read.  (click here to read a briefing of this law suit).

 Davis v. Board of Education

My memories are vivid of my Lincoln school days.  I attended there from grades one through nine. I remember each teacher: 1st grade- Ms. Agnes Carmon; 2nd grade - Ms. Ruby Ogden;  3rd grade - Ms. Collier; 4th grade - Ms. Hennings; 5th grade - Ms. Bennett; 6th grade - Ms. Willa Hamilton; 7th grade- Rev. Wilson;  and 8th grade - Mr. Fred Gordon. They lived and went to church in my community. They shopped at father, A.J. Harris' store and others lived in the apartments he rented at 206 So. Locust street. 

Going home to Charleston is not as meaningful as it once was.  Years ago, we could see the ghosts of our black culture icons: We boasted several eateries, Bessie Snow's Cafe, Currin's Creole Cafe,  Mr. Chili Kidd's ice cream shop, Haynes cafe and movie theater, Harris grocery store and Renfro store down on Vine Street. I miss the notorious Badland and even the segregated crow's nest we had to crowd into to see movies at the McCutchen theater uptown. 

 NOW WE DON'T EVEN SEE THE GHOSTS!! 

I asked once, what happened to the trophies, yearbooks and other memorabilia.  Did they ask the community if they wanted to keep anything before Lincoln was demolished? I was told that for awhile things were stored in the old Russell hotel.  But from there, its been a dead end. Wherever you are do what you can to preserve your family and ethnic heritage. They are critical parts of your identity....who you really are, deep inside!

 

Your Family Griot, Carolyn Harris Betts

Ancestral Homeland Icon: Lincoln School, Charleston MO -PART ONE

Lincoln Elementary and High school is the alma mater of every black child who grew up in Charleston, Missouri from the time of its establishment (unknown) until 1964.   Family members: Mildred Harris Smith, Mary Harris Peterson, Jacob Harris, Ellen Harris Hudson, Peggy Harris, V. Bahiyyah Muhammad, Jeanette Harris Jefferson, George Harris, Alfred Harris, and Carolyn Harris Betts all attended this school. My brother, George was in the last graduating class. The school was located on the corner of Vine and South Elm Streets, only a couple of blocks from Perry Chapel AME church.

The school's colors were blue and white. Its mascot was the Lincoln Hornet. There was no bus service. No matter what part of town you lived in you walked to school.  All teachers including the administrative staff were African American.

 However, the school superintendents were always white.  There was a separate agriculture building and a gymnasium with a large stage for special events. I remember the gym had blue velvet drapes with a "L" monogram.  There was also a cafeteria in the basement that doubled as a class room when not in use. A large play ground with sparse equipment provided recess entertainment.

Unfortunately, historical artifacts of Lincoln have been lost or destroyed. The following is a transcript of an interview I found on the internet chronicling a brief history and synopsis of Black life in the community of Charleston. It is incomplete but helpful. I have added correct spellings as I know them and a few pictures to provide relevant context for readers familiar with the town and it’s citizens.

The Lincoln school mascot may have looked like this

Picture credit: logo lynx.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 [Text of interview begins here]

Charleston's African American community developed early, in the late nineteenth century, and was concentrated on the west side of town. It was composed of many former slaves. Later, in the early twentieth century, it increased substantially as black sharecroppers arrived from the Deep South. Chopping and picking cotton and other cotton-related menial labor was the mainstay of the black economy. Women served as domestics for whites as with so many other African American communities.

Early churches in the community included Perry Chapel A.M.E., Mercy Seat Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church. The first known school for blacks was built after the turn of the century; it was a four- room frame building called Lincoln School. In 1931 the school was partially destroyed by fire. Because it was in unsafe condition and too costly to repair, a new school was built at the same site, on Elm Street. A ten thousand dollar bond issue was passed to finance the school, which was constructed in 1932. The new structure was 152 x 118 feet, constructed of brick veneer over ceramic block. The school had 10 classrooms, and the total cost of its construction was twenty-five thousand dollars.

Mary Harris Peterson on steps of Lincoln school

circa 1950

The high school classes served students from throughout the county who were bused to Charleston for their education. Because of the high demand for black labor in the rural areas, black students from smaller schools were required to pass a test at the end of eighth grade; those who passed went on to high school in Charleston, and the remainder went to work.

At its peak enrollment, the school served 200 students, an average of 20 per class. The 1943 Industrial and Agricultural Survey of Charleston provided an evaluation of the Charleston School system and said of Lincoln School: "The Lincoln School houses both the Negro high school and Negro elementary school. The Rosenwald Fund and the General Education Board made generous contributions toward this building and equipment. Both Charleston and Lincoln High Schools are fully approved schools of the first class."

The daily routine began with students being summoned to class by a bell (initially a hand bell and later an electric one). Prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and singing, usually "America" and "Lift Every Voice" started the actually school day. Plays, Christmas programs, eighth and twelfth-grade graduation ceremonies and dances, including a back-to-school dance, were popular community events. The high school held an annual senior prom. Boys and girls played both softball and basketball; the softball teams competed against other black teams in the county.  The basketball team competed against other area high schools, including Haiti (Hayti)

Central.

1942 team picture from Lincoln school yearbook

   Coach Garland Underwood with team members:

 Phavernon Lovings, Kasel Williams, Earl Foster

Ben Henderson, James Carroll, Garvey Foster

    Elio Crosby, James Wilson and Wellington Brown

From the 1940s through the 1960s elementary teachers included: Georgia Beal Hudson, Gussie

Savage, Arlene Wilson, Mattie R. White, Cosetta Allen, Ollie Bennett, Percival Betz, Myrtle Cole, Gracie Delamar, Roberta Hamilton, Dorothy Johnson, Myrene Moss and Ruby Ogden, Willa Hamilton, Daisy Borden, Bess Lawrence, Daisy Redd, Rose Cosby Spencer, Bobbie Spencer, Pauline Murphy, Edward Mulloms (Mullins), Mrs. Hunt, Etta Hamilton, Mrs. Emory.

 High school teachers included Wendell Phillips, Richard Reed, Jr., Hattie Corene Thomas, Mary Alice Whitaker, Edward Wills, L.W. Wilson, Jettie B. Purchase, Freddie Gordon, Dubois Jackson, Mr. Davis, Ms. Artope Jackson, Maxine Claverie, Preston Heard, John Hunt, Naomi Davis, Mr. Harroway, Clyde Curren, Jenna James. Principals included C.F. Bowden, and later, Carl Franklin. Franklin's annual message from 1955 reads (in part) as follows: "This year at Lincoln we have urged each student to develop to his maximum potential. We feel that the student must understand the values by which he lives, the assumptions on which they rest, and the consequences to which they lead. We have taught him to "Be Free," and to be free he must be capable of basing his choices and actions on understandings which he himself achieves and on values which he examines for himself.  He must be

 able to perceive and understand the events of his life and his time and the forces that

 influence and shape those events. He must recognize and accept the partial limitations which time and circumstance place on his choice and in so doing, the student has a rational grasp of himself, his surroundings, and the relationship between them."

Charleston's schools desegregated beginning in 1954; desegregation was completed in 1960. The process was a relatively smooth one. In the 1970s the older part of the original Lincoln

School was torn down to make room for a community center funded by a $250,000 grant from HUD. This unattached addition is on the south side of the building.

C.F. Bowden Center, Charleston, MO

photo credit: semissourian.com 

retrieved from internet 8/30/21

Lincoln School was the educational center of the most vital and longest-lived African American community in Mississippi County. Along with the churches it was the heart of the black community; in addition, it is significant as one of a small number of black high schools remaining in the Bootheel.

[End of Interview]

40. Description of Environment and Outbuildings

Lincoln sits on a very large lot on the west side of Charleston. There is a parking lot in front and basketball courts to the south. A baseball diamond borders the school to the northeast. The surrounding area is residential.

41. Sources of information

Heard, Preston. Interview. Tape recording. Wyatt, MO. September 13, 2002.

Missouri. Mississippi County. Recorder's Office. Deed Books. Mississippi County Courthouse, Charleston, Missouri.

Powell, Betty F., A History of Mississippi County, Missouri--Beginnings through 1972. Independence

A History of Mississippi County, Missouri--Beginnings through 1972. Independence: BNL,1975.

Turner, Debbie. Interview. Tape recording. Charleston, MO. September 14, 2002.

42. Form Prepared by 43. Organization 44. Date

Gary R. Kremer and Brett Rogers William Woods University 6/30/02

Your Family Griot, Carolyn Harris Betts