Article by Dr. Clara Small, professor emeritus Elaine O. Smith Bennett Saltwater Media Elaine O. Smith was born August 18, 1918, in Madison, Florida to Andrew Smith and Mary Smith. Her early education and high school were in Clearview, Florida. Upon graduation from high school, she attended New York University (NYU) on a scholarship from her church. She studied business administration in college, but in 1942 she left NYU in her third year of college and enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. The Women’s Army Corp (WAC) opened doors for women to serve in the military, but originally did not accept Black women. Elaine Smith did not tell her parents that she had enlisted in the military until the papers were signed. At the time of her enlistment, racial segregation was still the norm, and black women were not accepted in the military. However, due to pressure from feminists, black politicians, and from Mary McLeod Bethune who was a friend of the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and a member of the President’s Black Cabinet, change occurred in the status of black women in the military. As a result, Black women were finally allowed to serve which led to the formation of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Mary McLeod Bethune c. 1949 Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division In World War II, 150,000 American women had enlisted in the military, but only four percent were African American. When the 6888th was formed in December of 1944, it consisted of 855 women who joined the war effort, but they had little knowledge of what they would be doing. They were soon assigned to various positions, including that of postal clerks, cooks, mechanics, and other support services. When Elaine Smith entered the military in 1942, she was bounced from one state-wide post to another before going overseas, and served at bases in Florida, Massachusetts, Iowa, Washington, Nevada, Utah, and Georgia. She and the 6888th left the United States on February 3, 1945 on the 15-day trip overseas on the “Ile de Frances” which landed in Glasgow, Scotland, on February 14, 1945 after having zigzagged across the Atlantic to avoid German submarines and bombers. From Scotland they were taken by troops’ train to Birmingham, England, where they quartered in a boys’ school that had no roof, because it had been bombed. The women often had to endure no heat or adequate water. They often had to retreat to the basement during blackout, and while performing their duties, they regularly stood in a foot of water until the all-clear sign came. Photograph of WAC Officers Inspecting the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion February 15th, 1945 National Archives National Archives Identifier 531249 The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was commanded by Major Charity Edna Adams (Early), who became the highest-ranking African American woman in the military by the end of the war. The 6888th was the only all-black, all-female battalion overseas during World War II. Their duty eventually dealt with the backlog of undeliverable mail for United States soldiers stationed in Europe. The battalion was organized into five companies-Headquarters, and companies A, B, C, and D. The group was nicknamed “Six, Triple Eight” and their moto was “no mail, low morale.” Their work was crucial because many American soldiers in Europe were not getting their letters and packages delivered and their families were not receiving mail from them either. By the time the unit arrived in Europe, Elaine O. Smith had attained the rank of First Sergeant and was in charge of 250 women in Company D of the 6888th. Her division was responsible for the distribution of mail to more than seven million servicemen on the front lines in Europe. In England, First Sergeant Smith and the 6888th found a backlog of two or three years of undelivered letters and packages. The women worked around the clock seven days a week; and in only three months they cleared a backlog of around 17 million pieces of mail, which was two times faster than the Army thought the women could get it done, which was due to the efficiency of the 6888th. It was not an easy task because some of the mail was water damaged, molded, tattered and torn; many packages had incomplete addresses and others were vermin infested. The female battalion literally cleared 6,500 pieces of mail per shift. Once the battalion had completed its task in England, the unit was transferred to Rouen, France and dealt with a large backlog of letters and packages, which took them five months to clear. In France, the women of the 6888th also managed and cleared the mail in record time. From Rouen, the 6888th was moved to Caserne Tallandier, a fortress formerly used by Napoleon Bonaparte. Their quarters were primitive, often extremely cold, but the women did their jobs religiously, and forwarded millions of letters and packages from home to the front lines. The unit was sent to Paris, France and later served on detached duty in other locations, including Scotland, England, Belgium, Africa and Germany. Members of the Women's Army Corps 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion sort packages taken from mail sacks by French civilian employees at the 17th Base Post Office in Paris, France November 7, 1945. Army/National Archives 451107-A-D0439-006C During the war, the women of the 6888th also suffered casualties, when three were killed in an automobile accident and four were killed when they step-ped on a land mine. They were also victims of racism and discrimination from American officers and soldiers. However, the women of the 6888th were treated better overseas than in America, and they performed their duties admirably. First Sergeant Elaine Smith served a total of three years of wartime military duty. Her assessment of the war was that she “brought home a determination to be darned sure that things would be better on the soil of the United States, because they would be full citizens. In Europe, we had a taste of no prejudice or segregation, and we went to war because we wanted to.” She and the 6888th felt pride in having served in the only unit of African American women overseas during World War II. When the women of the 6888th had completed its mission, they had broken all records of redirecting mail, having sorted an average of 5.85 million parcels per month. Once the war ended, the women of the 6888th returned to the United States where they were disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The women were awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal for their service. European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Upon their return to the United States, First Sergeant Elaine Smith and the women of the 6888th did not find racial tensions lessened as they had hoped. In some instances, racism had worsened. There were no parades or acknowledgements of their deeds, so the women of the 6888th returned to their previous occupations, continued their educational pursuits, raised families, and generally kept quiet about their experiences in the war. First Sergeant Smith completed her education at New York University and earned a degree in business administration. On December 14, 1946, she married H. (Harry) Gordon Bennett, whom she had met in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, when they were both on overseas duty. Prior to the war, H. Gordon Bennett had taught school in Dorchester, Maryland, at St. Clair and Mace’s Lane schools in Cambridge, Maryland. At the time of their marriage, she was employed as a clerk at the Veterans Administration. For nearly three years, they lived in New York City where she continued to work for the Veterans Administration and the Federal Reserve Bank. After a number of years, the couple moved to Maryland and H. Gordon resumed his teaching position in Cambridge. Elaine also worked at the Extension Service Office in Denton, Maryland, prior to obtaining a position with the Cambridge Office of the Maryland Department of Employment Security. After twenty years of state service, Elaine Smith Bennett took over the position of Veterans Representative in the Cambridge Office of the Maryland Department of Employment Security, where she was the first woman and the first African American in Maryland to be named a veterans’ representative. In that position, she handled all veterans’ employment problems, as well as counselled them and referred them towards information on education and other services. She was employed by the State of Maryland Office of Employment Security for 34 years. In 1995, she received a Presidential Commendation for her service in the American Armed Forces. Elaine Smith Bennett was also a business owner. She owned and operated the Laines Florist Shoppe, flowers for all occasion business. She also served as a part-time stenographer at the University of Maryland. For her business acumen, she received an Exemplary Business Women’s Award from the Beta Epsilon Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, and other letters of commendation for her services. Elain S. Bennett Appears in a 1962 Newspaper July 10, 1962 St. Petersburg Times & Bob Moreland In 1967, Mrs. Bennett experienced a devastating loss. At the time, she served as the bookkeeper for Hansel Greene, a very successful black businessman from Cambridge. On the night of July 24, 1967 Greene’s entire businesses, a popular poolroom, dance hall, and bar-night club complex known as the Greene Savoy, was burned to the ground. It had burned amidst racial unrest in Cambridge after H. Rap Brown’s visit to the city and was also heightened by the fire departments refusal to extinguish the fire which consumed most of the black businesses in Cambridge’s Second Ward. Sadly, Greene’s massive losses were not covered by insurance, and he committed suicide. Mrs. Bennett was devastated by the death of her client, her colleague, fellow businessman, and friend. Mrs. Elaine Smith Bennett was also involved in the local community and was a member of several organizations, including the following: the Congressional Black Caucus; Vice President of the Dorchester County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); a member of the Board of Directors for the Fassett-Magee Community Health Center, and a host of others. After numerous years of service to others, Mrs. Elaine O. Smith Bennett passed on November 19, 1997, in Cambridge, Maryland and was interred at the Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery in Hurlock, Maryland with military honors. She was a trailblazer, as she was in charge of and served in the only unit of African American women to have served overseas during World War II. As a result of her contributions to the local community, state and nation, Elaine Smith Bennett’s contributions and that of the 6888th will not be forgotten. For nearly 70 years, their story was not on the nation’s radar. On November 30, 2018, a monument was erected and dedicated in honor of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion at the Buffalo Soldier Monument Park at Fort Leaven-worth, Kansas. Elaine Smith Bennett’s maiden name is listed on the monument under the state of Florida because that was the state in which she resided when she enlisted. On February 28, 2022, the United States House of Representatives voted 422 to 0 to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the women of the 6888th. The United States Senate had passed a similar measure in 2021. On March 14, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed into law a bill for the women of the 6888th to receive the Congressional Medal, Congress’ highest honor. Unfortunately, very few of the women have survived after 70-plus years after the end of the war. On De-cember 20, 2024, the movie “Six Triple Eight” debuted on Netflix, which depicted the story of the women of the 6888th Battalion. The movie was directed by Tyler Perry and Major Charity Adams Early was portrayed by actress Kerry Washington. That movie and previous documentaries will assure the legacy of First Sergeant Elaine O. Smith Bennett and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion will not be forgotten. Elaine S. Bennett
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Article by Andre Nieto Jaime Rapid Transit in Ocean City, Md. A photo of a postcard of two steers hooked up to a two wheeled cart. Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096) The Edward H. Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University Ocean City Maryland, the iconic resort town situated on Maryland’s Atlantic Coast, has roots spanning back to 1875 when the Atlantic Hotel’s first iteration was opened. Just a year later, a railroad connected Ocean City to the mainland and brought passengers to the up and coming community for over 50 years. Through the 20th century, Ocean City continued to expand and attract visitors, growing into the resort and economic hub we recognize today. This success can be attributed to many individuals, some well known whiles others remain in obscurity. One group deserving of recognition are the African Americans that helped build Ocean City, metaphorically and literally, into the resort that attracts millions of people to our shore. Their work as house keepers, cooks, and ice pullers was essential to keep the town running smoothly as a resort. Black workers even helped build the town as carpenters, day laborers, haulers, painters, and more. It was their efforts that ensured the success of businesses and without their efforts, Ocean City could not have become the tourist destination it is today, making them an essential part of the town and its history in the first half of the 20th century. Today, Ocean City welcomes everyone regardless of their background and the way they identify, but in the past, this was not always the case and it took years of activism to change this. It should be no secret that segregation was common place throughout the United States, including Maryland, following the end of the Civil War. Jim Crow and Segregation influenced all facets of Black life. A 1927 article from the Baltimore Afro-American demonstrates how segregation impacted every aspect of Black life in Ocean City. Black beach-goers were restricted to a section of beach north of the boardwalk, away from the white beaches, that kept getting pushed further north as the city grew. The article author also reveals that just ten years prior it was not socially acceptable for non-whites to even step foot on the boardwalk. Beach at Ocean City, Maryland c.1929 Maryland Department, Photograph Collection; L143 Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center Photo Taken on a “Colored Excursion Day” in Ocean City, Md. C.1940s Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum/Vanishing Ocean City However, Jim Crow not only restricted the mobility and services available to African Americans in public, but it also limited the types of employment available to them. In the United States, labor discrimination against Black workers was implemented to suppress the advancement of Black Americans in society. This was made worse by other factors including unequal access to education and the lingering effects of having been enslaved for generations without any generational wealth or other skill sets to build off of. There were few jobs that Black Americans had access to and the ones they did consisted of hard, often menial labor. The same 1927 article reflects this reality, describing a typical day in the life of an average hotel worker trying to “kill time” in a segregated town, where very few establishments welcomed them, until they must return to work once more. Ocean City’s early census data reveals that several Black individuals from 1900 through 1950 were recorded as day laborers working odd jobs. This is a rather broad and vague description that could encompass a wide range of work that is usually inconsistent. A few of these individuals include: Thomas E. Franklin, age 30 (1900), Isaac Purnell, age 55 (1900), Joshua Pitts, age 30 (1910), and Lewis Paige, age 19 (1930), just to name a few. While day laborers tended to be men, there were women who took up the odd job trade. One sixteen year old girl, Mamie Pitts, was listed as a laborer in working odd jobs in 1910. It was and still remains no easy feat to make a living from odd jobs, as the inconsistency of work could place financial stress on the individuals. Man in Work Clothes Revered B.G. Parker Collection (1984.061) The Edward H. Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University A developing resort town like Ocean City needs hands to help build its hotels and restaurants and many Black hands helped contribute to the expansion of the town. William Pitts, listed within Ocean City’s limits in 1900, was recorded as working at a saw mill, perhaps cutting wood destined to be used in the construction of some of the city’s new buildings. That same year, Major Showell was working as a plasterer, a common trade before drywall’s rise in popularity in the mid-nineteenth century. Fast forward twenty years and WM Pitts was working as a carpenter, likely helping build some of the new constructions in a developing Ocean City. Then there was Henry Booth in 1950 who was a painter. All of these individuals were employed in fields key in the construction industry, which also required people to deliver goods and materials. Elzy Ayres, who spent most of his career as a teamster, can be found in Ocean City from 1900 until 1940. In 1900 he was listed as a day laborer, but the following decade the industry of his occupation was recorded as “hauling” and in 1920 his occupation was again listed as hauling. The 1930 Census adds a little more clarity to Ayres’ occupation, this time being written as teamster in the “general hauling” industry. He appears again living in Ocean City in the 1940 census as a truck driver with “Ice Route” scribbled in the industry description, perhaps delivering ice from the ice plant that was located in Ocean City. In 1950, at the age of 74, Elzy Ayres was no longer living in Ocean City, but he remains a truck driver in Worcester County. Looking at this, it is apparent that Ayres had a long career of transporting goods in the area. On the topic of transportation, the railroad linking Ocean City to the mainland also had Black workers ensure its smooth operation. William Franklin Manuel was as a watchman for the Baltimore Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway Company which operated the line leading into Ocean City, terminating in Downtown Ocean City. Manuel’s 1917 draft registration reveals he worked for the B.C.A.R. in Ocean City as a night watchman and the 1920 Census confirms he was still employed as one three years later. His primary duty would have been to keep watch for oncoming trains, but may have also included other tasks such as ensuring the line was clear, controlling gates, and inspecting trains. Watchmen like William Franklin Manuel were essential for safety in an industry that helped contribute to OC’s growth and helped ferry tourists into the city for over 50 years. Train moving across the Ocean City Bay Bridge, 1915 1915 Fred Grier collection (1996.016) The Edward H. Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University As mentioned earlier, Ocean City was once home to at least one ice plant that employed Black workers, one of them was Samuel J. Dennis who worked as an ice puller at an ice plant located on Philadelphia Avenue. He worked there for at least 12 years as he was first listed as an ice puller in the 1930 census and last noted as such in his 1942 draft registration. In the 1950 Census Dennis is no longer employed, perhaps retired or unable to work. Dennis passed away shortly after in 1954, reportedly at the age of 70, although his census age suggest it was closer to 77. There was also a gentleman named Fester Lowe that was pulling ice in 1950, perhaps at the same ice plant that Dennis had worked at. It is difficult to imagine a hot summer day in Ocean City without any ice. Not only was ice used to cool down and cool drinks, but other industries relied on this ice as well. Commercial fishing depended on local ice to keep their catches cold and prepare them for shipment. Meanwhile, recreational fishermen needed ice and the plant's cold storage to preserve their catches until a taxidermist could get their hands on it. The work of both of Dennis and Lowe helped ensure that ice, an essential commodity in the summer, was available to tourists and residents alike. White Marlin Open : Captain Joshua Bunting Deep Sea Fishing, Ocean City, Md., ca. 1955 c.1955 Orlando Wootten Photograph Collection (1995.005) The Edward H. Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University There are other occupations that can be found by examining Ocean City’s census data. One common field was domestic work. Many African Americans living in Ocean City were employed as live-in domestic workers, often for private families. Roxy P. Ayres was one such worker who in 1930 was listed as a “servant” in relation to the head of the household Thomas Cropper. Her occupation was written as “servant” for a “private family” as well. Moving to the next census, there was a woman by the name of Roketta Scott who’s relation to the household head, John B Lynch, was given as servant while her occupation was a maid for a private family. Chancil Whittington in the same household was also listed as a servant in relation to the household head, but her occupation was left blank. However, it can be assumed that she was also a live-in maid much like Roketta Scott and many other Black women living in Ocean City. Domestic work was predominantly done by women, but there were also men employed as live-in servants. Just a few houses down on the census list from Scott and Whittington was Edward Purnell who was recorded as a servant in relation to Virginia Ayres while his occupation was noted as being a hired hand for a private home.
Domestic work was not limited to private families either, as many hotels depended on their labor as house keepers, getting rooms ready for new guests. George Henry Booth was one such worker, both living and working at the Monticello Hotel for Charles S. Po`well with a “withered leg” as a notable physical feature on his 1942 draft registration. Not only was he working a demanding hotel job with a leg in poor health, but he also registered for the draft after the U.S.’s entrance into World War II in that condition. George Mills was another Black man working in the hotel industry. Mills was listed as both a servant and as working at a hotel, suggesting that he may have been a servant in the home he was boarding in on top of his hotel work. Examining who the matriarch of the house is sheds some more light on Mills’ story. He was listed as living with Lizzie R. Hearne, who in turn was recorded as an owner and manager of a hotel. Hearne was the owner and operator of the Belmont Hotel, which she purchased in the early 20th century, along with a sister hotel called the Hearne which was opened at a later date. Taking Mills employment in the hotel industry, his status living with Hearne, and Hearne’s ownership of a hotel, it is almost certain that Mills was employed by Hearne in one of her hotels. The Belmont-Hearne was one of the oldest hotels in Ocean City’s history until the Belmont Towers took its place and Black hands had a role in its history along with the history of other hotels. The Belmont Hotel and Cottages located in Ocean City, Maryland C. 1910 WR 53 Ocean City015 Worcester County Library While Black live-in servants working for private families were common in this period in Ocean City and across the United States, they were not the only type of domestic worker. Many women, including the women of a Showell family, worked as washer women, laundresses, and cooks. Both Clara Showell and her daughter, Julia Showell, were employed as washer women while Clara’s other daughter, Sarah, was working as a cook. Other women working as cooks in this period include Sarah L. Bassitt, age 59 (1900), Alice Pitts, age 35 (1910), and Mary Dennis, age 27 (1930) who was a cook for a hotel. These are just a few of the women, many trying to support themselves, or their families, in an unfair environment, that worked in Ocean City as domestic workers. Domestic work was one of the few job opportunities available to Black Americans, particularly Black women, after the Civil War due to racial prejudices. In the late 1800s, ninety percent of Black women in the United States were working as domestic workers and while the number of Black women in the industry fell in the early 20th century, the number remained disproportionately high. Many black domestic workers worked for very little while others were only paid in room and board. Unlike White women, Black women stayed in the industry for much longer, even after marrying, since Black families needed the additional income due to wage disparities. While domestic work was common employment and vital in a town catering towards tourists, it is important to understand that it was due to societal and economic barriers that these men and women performed this work. Barriers that were later challenged by the next generation of workers and the NAACP. There were other occupations held by Black residents of Ocean City that highlighted the wide variety of jobs they were doing in the early 20th century. In 1900 William Riley man his living in 1900, contributing to the Eastern Shore’s and Ocean City’s long history of making a living from the Eastern Shore’s rich waters. There was also Lenard Purnell who in 1950 was employed as a chauffeur and John W. Smack who was delivering mail for the post office. That same year also saw Lem D. Harrison working as a waiter in one of Ocean City’s night clubs. Black residents even made their living off of their properties. Mary Robins was one such land owner who rented out rooms in her home on Wicomico Street. The list could go on, but the picture is clear; Ocean City’s Black residents helped turn the beach side town into a bustling resort ready to welcome tourists. Whether helping build the town as a day laborer, working in the hotels and private homes as house keepers, or working in the water bringing up fish, Black workers contributed to the economic growth and development of Ocean City through their employment. Much of their employment was restricted due to discriminatory policies and social stigmas, however, Black workers had a limit to what they were willing to tolerate for employment. Tensions in Ocean City were to the point that businesses were struggling to find people to work, forcing the town to ease up on its Jim Crow policies. The fact that the town was forced to tone down its discriminatory policies to attract workers, reflects how vital Black workers were to the success of its businesses. Black workers had economic leverage over these businesses and they were aware of it. There was a limit to the discomforts that “Hotel employe[e]s, old, middle-aged, or young” were willing to endure “to ‘make a season’ ” that they themselves were unable to enjoy. This threshold of discomfort was crossed once again in the 20th century and the NAACP exerted greater pressure on the town for not only equal access to employment, but also equal access to the resort’s amenities. References:Primary Sources:
Cochran, William B. "Hot Spell at Ocean City Puts Load on Ice Plant: 90% of Business In Cubes; Marlin Catches Near 500." The Sunday/Evening Star, July 18th, 1954. Fifteenth Census of the United States, Worcester County, Maryland, 3rd District, Ocean City, Sheet 4B, 1930, Internet Archive, page 344, https://archive.org/details/15thcensus880unit/page/n343/mode/1up?view=theater. George Henry Booth Draft Registration "Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7C-K9S5-9?view=index : Dec 19, 2024), image 725 of 913; National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, Missouri). Mary Robins Record "Worcester, Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHN-PQHW-29DD-G?view=index : Dec 19, 2024), image 15 of 23; National Archives and Records Administration. “Samuel J. Dennis.” Salisbury Times, December 10, 1954. 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"United States, Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9N-WL4N : Wed Mar 20 13:23:18 UTC 2024), Entry for John W. Smack and Wislie M. Smack, 20 April 1950. "United States, Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9F-CK3G : Tue Mar 19 14:42:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Tim Cherrit and Bertha Cherrit, 23 May 1950. "United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3NS-844 : Sat Feb 24 01:11:38 UTC 2024), Entry for Samuel James Dennis, 1942. Wells, Palestine. “Ocean City-Mecca For ‘Season Makers’ And Girls Seeking Thrills.” Baltimore Afro-American, July 23, 1927. William Franklin Manuel Draft Registration. "Wicomico, Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYTX-3BVH?view=index : Dec 19, 2024), image 2934 of 4958; United States. National Archives and Records Administration,United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Atlanta Branch Secondary Sources: A History of Domestic Work and Worker Organizing. “Conditions of Live-In Domestic Work.” Accessed December 12, 2024, https://www.dwherstories.com/timeline/conditions-of-live-in-domestic-work#:~:text=In%20the%20South%20and%20North,only%20in%20room%20and%20board. Katz, Gordon. Ocean City Life Saving Museum. “Ocean City, Maryland – Then & Now Part 1, Lot 3, Part One: The ‘Scott House’.” Published May 2017. Accessed December 10, 2024. https://www.ocmuseum.org/ocean-city-history-3/ocean-city-maryland-then-amp-now-lot-3 Mann, Bunk. “Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann.” MD Coast Dispatch, December 15, 2022. https://mdcoastdispatch.com/2022/12/15/vanishing-ocean-city-with-bunk-mann-december-16-2022/. Mann, Bunk. “Vanishing Ocean City with Bunk Mann June 2, 2023.” Maryland Coast Dispatch, June 1, 2023. https://mdcoastdispatch.com/2023/06/01/vanishing-ocean-city-with-bunk-mann-june-2-2023/ May, Vanessa. "Domestic Workers in U.S. History." Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. May 24th, 2017. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024. https://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-431. Ocean City, Maryland. “Media.” Accessed December 9th, 2024, https://www.ococean.com/media/#:~:text=When%20was%20Ocean%20City%20founded,as%20a%20municipality%20in%201880. Simsovic, Taylor. “‘Following the Line of Least Resistance’: African American Women in Domestic Work, 1899–1940.” Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History, Vol. 13: Iss. 2, Article 6: 59-70. DOI: 10.20429/aujh.2023.130206, https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1231&context=aujh Whippany Railway Museum. “Pennsylvania Railroad Standard Watch Box. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://whippanyrailwaymuseum.net/museum-structures/pennsylvania-railroad-standard-watch-box/ Women and the American Story. “Black Domestic Workers.” Accessed December 9th, 2024. https://wams.nyhistory.org/industry-and-empire/labor-and-industry/black-domestic-workers/. COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, INVENTOR, ENTREPRENEUR, |
Thomas Wyatt Turner 1877-1978 | W. Ashbie Hawkins 1862-1942 |
Seeing that the PSC was of little help, the Black community sent their grievances directly to the Maryland General Assembly through the Maryland Interracial Commission, which was formed by the Maryland General Assembly in 1927. Activist groups also emerged, such as the Citizen’s Jim Crow Repeal Committee and the Independent Voters Political Welfare Club of Maryland, to voice their resentment of the Jim Crow car law and worked to convince elected officials that the law needed to be repealed.
In 1933 the Citizen’s Jim Crow Repeal Committee reached out to Senator David J. Ward from Salisbury asking him to support the upcoming repeal measure. However, Ward refused, saying that it was “absolutely against my wishes” and that Eastern Shore Citizens, both Black and White, did not want the 1904 law repealed and that both races were content with Jim Crow. Despite admitting to be acting according to his own personal wishes, Ward asserted that the Eastern Shore did not want a repeal of the law and that everyone was happy with the status quo. Senator Dudley G. Roe of Sudlersville also refused to vote for a repeal of the law, but was willing to reconsider if provided with evidence of unequal accommodations, which the community had been providing for years. Black leaders were quick to denounce Ward’s claim and called upon the community to write letters supporting the repeal of the law.
James Franklin Stewart, a prominent figure from Salisbury’s Georgetown Community and part of the Maryland Interracial Commission, made a statement which was published in the Baltimore Afro-American a week after Ward’s statement. In his statement Stewart refuted Ward’s claim that the Eastern Shore did not want a repeal of the Jim Crow car law. Stewart found it insulting that Ward made such a statement without first consulting with the very people the law had the most effect on. He also took offense that anyone believed that African Americans were willingly subjecting themselves to such a law. Claiming to speak on behalf of the Black residents of the Eastern Shore, he notes that “As an Eastern Shoreman and native of Wicomico County, I can never give sanction or encouragement to a law” which humiliates an entire group of people. Stewart concluded his statement by labeling the Jim Crow law a “curse to our racial group” and suggests Ward reconsider his stance on the repeal.
Stewart was not the only Black Eastern Shore leader to speak out against Ward. Thomas H. Kiah, the principal of Princess Anne Academy (today the University of Maryland Eastern Shore), also expressed Black resentment of the 1904 law and lamented Ward’s response. With these statements, Stewart and Kiah made it very clear that the Eastern Shore was not content with the degrading laws that made Maryland’s Black citizens feel like second-class citizens.
In 1933 the Citizen’s Jim Crow Repeal Committee reached out to Senator David J. Ward from Salisbury asking him to support the upcoming repeal measure. However, Ward refused, saying that it was “absolutely against my wishes” and that Eastern Shore Citizens, both Black and White, did not want the 1904 law repealed and that both races were content with Jim Crow. Despite admitting to be acting according to his own personal wishes, Ward asserted that the Eastern Shore did not want a repeal of the law and that everyone was happy with the status quo. Senator Dudley G. Roe of Sudlersville also refused to vote for a repeal of the law, but was willing to reconsider if provided with evidence of unequal accommodations, which the community had been providing for years. Black leaders were quick to denounce Ward’s claim and called upon the community to write letters supporting the repeal of the law.
James Franklin Stewart, a prominent figure from Salisbury’s Georgetown Community and part of the Maryland Interracial Commission, made a statement which was published in the Baltimore Afro-American a week after Ward’s statement. In his statement Stewart refuted Ward’s claim that the Eastern Shore did not want a repeal of the Jim Crow car law. Stewart found it insulting that Ward made such a statement without first consulting with the very people the law had the most effect on. He also took offense that anyone believed that African Americans were willingly subjecting themselves to such a law. Claiming to speak on behalf of the Black residents of the Eastern Shore, he notes that “As an Eastern Shoreman and native of Wicomico County, I can never give sanction or encouragement to a law” which humiliates an entire group of people. Stewart concluded his statement by labeling the Jim Crow law a “curse to our racial group” and suggests Ward reconsider his stance on the repeal.
Stewart was not the only Black Eastern Shore leader to speak out against Ward. Thomas H. Kiah, the principal of Princess Anne Academy (today the University of Maryland Eastern Shore), also expressed Black resentment of the 1904 law and lamented Ward’s response. With these statements, Stewart and Kiah made it very clear that the Eastern Shore was not content with the degrading laws that made Maryland’s Black citizens feel like second-class citizens.
Photos of James & Mary Stewart Chipman Cultural Center | Dr. Thomas H. Kiah (1873-1936) University of Maryland Eastern Shore |
Moving forward over a decade to 1945, the now 41-year-old law was still being debated in the Maryland General Assembly and Black civil rights groups were still hard at work challenging it. In a newspaper from March of 1945, it was noted that Maryland’s senate voted 20 to 9 in favor of a repeal and that even the governor at the time, Herbert R. O'Conor, endorsed the repeal bill. In an effort to get the bill to pass the House of Delegates, 17 speeches were made before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Delegates in which representatives, both White and Black, from various organizations as well as individuals urged for the repeal of the Jim Crow transportation law. A few of these speakers hailed from our Eastern Shore, including Elwood Jewett, son of Frederick Jewett, and Salisbury’s James Stewart, who was still fighting for equal rights on behalf of his community. All of these speeches emphasized the need to repeal the Jim Crow law in order to make Maryland more democratic, ease racial tensions, and end the humiliation that many felt from the law.
One speaker, Mrs. H. Milton Wagner, claimed to speak on behalf of the mothers who have children fighting in the ongoing global war and that her son “has carried and buried men of every race in the battles... I can’t believe that he or others like him want to see more seeds of hatred in Maryland than they have given their lives for”. Wagner’s powerful declaration uses World War II, which was ongoing at the time, to support the argument for repeal. Her son was actively fighting against a regime based upon racial and ethnic discrimination. Wagner’s son burying men of every race demonstrates that skin color does not matter in death and it also highlights the hypocrisy of the United States fighting against hatred abroad while hatred and discrimination festers at home. Unfortunately, the repeal bill was defeated again, but this did not deter efforts to challenge the law through other means.
One speaker, Mrs. H. Milton Wagner, claimed to speak on behalf of the mothers who have children fighting in the ongoing global war and that her son “has carried and buried men of every race in the battles... I can’t believe that he or others like him want to see more seeds of hatred in Maryland than they have given their lives for”. Wagner’s powerful declaration uses World War II, which was ongoing at the time, to support the argument for repeal. Her son was actively fighting against a regime based upon racial and ethnic discrimination. Wagner’s son burying men of every race demonstrates that skin color does not matter in death and it also highlights the hypocrisy of the United States fighting against hatred abroad while hatred and discrimination festers at home. Unfortunately, the repeal bill was defeated again, but this did not deter efforts to challenge the law through other means.
Salisbury, MD., Union Station - 2016-096-2339
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture
While groups were pressuring politicians and the General Assembly into repealing the act, other efforts were underway. African Americans were using the press to appeal to people’s emotions. Many of the representatives sent to the Maryland General Assembly made references to the humiliation and treatment that the Jim Crow law subjected them to, but other news articles went into far greater detail and crafted hypothetical stories based on reality that put the reader in the shoes of Black passengers. One such story, titled “Maryland Where Jim Crow Begins” places the reader in the shoes of person of color traveling from New York to Cape Charles, Virginia. On most of this trip, the traveler enjoys an uninterrupted journey where Black and White passengers casually interacted without much hostility between them. However, once the traveler approaches Delmar, the White passengers begin to feel uneasy, casting glares at the Black riders who they were cordial with just moments before. At this point, passengers were ordered to move seats. If there were fewer White passengers, they were moved to a separate car and if there were fewer Black riders, then they were moved to a separate car. The same hypothetical traveler notices the opposite when returning north. The further away from the Mason-Dixon line they go, the more the color line blurs and the train desegregates itself.
This story, based on the experiences of Black travelers, was meant to elicit an emotion response from White readers. It allowed White readers to experience what Black travelers in and through Maryland experienced on a daily basis, drawing out sympathy and support for a repeal of the law. This story also demonstrates the dehumanizing effect of Jim Crow, illustrating how a political boundary and a law could have a physical, social, and emotional effects on the citizens of Maryland. The crossing of an imaginary line on a map almost immediately dehumanized these passengers and left them as social outcasts. Finally, the scenario also shows how the law effects White passengers as they too can be moved at the will of the conductor in order to enforce segregation.
This story, based on the experiences of Black travelers, was meant to elicit an emotion response from White readers. It allowed White readers to experience what Black travelers in and through Maryland experienced on a daily basis, drawing out sympathy and support for a repeal of the law. This story also demonstrates the dehumanizing effect of Jim Crow, illustrating how a political boundary and a law could have a physical, social, and emotional effects on the citizens of Maryland. The crossing of an imaginary line on a map almost immediately dehumanized these passengers and left them as social outcasts. Finally, the scenario also shows how the law effects White passengers as they too can be moved at the will of the conductor in order to enforce segregation.
Ocean City, MD., Train Crossing Bridge - 2016-096-1196
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture
Apart from articles meant to draw sympathy from readers, there were also legal battles against the 1904 law. In 1934, Mrs. Isabella Smith of Philadelphia was riding on a Greyhound bus returning from Princess Anne when the bus made a stop in Salisbury. Smith, who had been seated toward the center, was ordered by the driver to move to the back to give a White passenger her seat. Smith refused and the situation escalated as the driver threatened her, saying “we lynch colored people down here when they don’t obey orders given by whites,” seemingly referencing the lynching of Matthew Williams less than three years ago. Smith, was not intimidated and did not yield to the demands. As a result, she was arrested, jailed overnight by police, and brought before a judge the following morning. However, the judge ordered for Smith’s release since the law was, at least on paper, not supposed to apply to interstate passengers, and only applied to trains and steamboats, not buses. Mrs. Smith’s bravery and refusal to sacrifice her rights as an American citizen resulted in a legal victory here on the Eastern Shore.
A similar situation occurred in 1946 when another resident of Philadelphia, Levin Holland, was forcibly segregated by police on a bus ride from Philadelphia to Showell, Maryland. The Short Line Bus Company driver had ordered Holland to move to the back of the bus twice, once at Milford and a second time at Selbyville, before calling the police who promptly moved Holland to the back. The NAACP wrote a letter to the bus company, asserting their determination to bring an end to Jim Crow in transportation. While Holland was not jailed, he did fight for his right not to be segregated on an interstate trip, which the Supreme Court had decided was illegal, and he did not remain silent about his mistreatment on the Short Line bus. Both Smith and Holland refused to let themselves be dehumanized and treated as second class citizens by refusing to sit in segregated seating years before Rosa Parks became known for her refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955. However, neither of these individuals appeared to have been intentionally participating in civil disobedience as Rosa Parks and many other activists did in the second half of the 20th century. Nonetheless, these two individuals helped challenge and brought about change that helped desegregate transportation in Maryland.
The efforts of the Black community here on the Eastern Shore and across Maryland paid off in 1951 when a repeal bill first passed the House of Delegates in a 70 to 40 vote and then passed the Senate in a 22 to 7 vote. In both Houses, Eastern Shore representatives, who were expected to pose unified opposition to the bill as they had in the past, were divided. Pressure on Eastern Shore representatives appears to have worked in convincing enough to vote in favor of a repeal. In the Senate, three Eastern Shore Counties voted for the repeal: Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset counties.
Despite this victory, segregation in other aspects of life were still practiced, but the Black community kept fighting for equality. They continued protesting and pushing segregation to its limit as was seen by the actions of the brave individuals in the 1961 Crisfield Freedom Rides and protests. Another victory was secured nationwide in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, outlawing segregation in public space. Lower Shore residents demonstrated that change was possible. Through their efforts, they helped bring an end to a nearly four decade old repressive law and brought Maryland a step closer to the American value of equality.
A similar situation occurred in 1946 when another resident of Philadelphia, Levin Holland, was forcibly segregated by police on a bus ride from Philadelphia to Showell, Maryland. The Short Line Bus Company driver had ordered Holland to move to the back of the bus twice, once at Milford and a second time at Selbyville, before calling the police who promptly moved Holland to the back. The NAACP wrote a letter to the bus company, asserting their determination to bring an end to Jim Crow in transportation. While Holland was not jailed, he did fight for his right not to be segregated on an interstate trip, which the Supreme Court had decided was illegal, and he did not remain silent about his mistreatment on the Short Line bus. Both Smith and Holland refused to let themselves be dehumanized and treated as second class citizens by refusing to sit in segregated seating years before Rosa Parks became known for her refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955. However, neither of these individuals appeared to have been intentionally participating in civil disobedience as Rosa Parks and many other activists did in the second half of the 20th century. Nonetheless, these two individuals helped challenge and brought about change that helped desegregate transportation in Maryland.
The efforts of the Black community here on the Eastern Shore and across Maryland paid off in 1951 when a repeal bill first passed the House of Delegates in a 70 to 40 vote and then passed the Senate in a 22 to 7 vote. In both Houses, Eastern Shore representatives, who were expected to pose unified opposition to the bill as they had in the past, were divided. Pressure on Eastern Shore representatives appears to have worked in convincing enough to vote in favor of a repeal. In the Senate, three Eastern Shore Counties voted for the repeal: Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset counties.
Despite this victory, segregation in other aspects of life were still practiced, but the Black community kept fighting for equality. They continued protesting and pushing segregation to its limit as was seen by the actions of the brave individuals in the 1961 Crisfield Freedom Rides and protests. Another victory was secured nationwide in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, outlawing segregation in public space. Lower Shore residents demonstrated that change was possible. Through their efforts, they helped bring an end to a nearly four decade old repressive law and brought Maryland a step closer to the American value of equality.
Primary Sources:
“The B.C. &A Must Not Discriminate: Equal Accommodations Must Be Accorded All Passengers of The Company.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 1, 1913.
“B.C. & A. Railway Before Public Service Board: They Are Charges with Giving Inferior Accommodations to Colored Passengers.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 1, 1913.
“Chapter 109.” In the Laws of the State of Maryland, Made and Passed. John Murphy Co., Publishers, 1904.
“Chapter 110.” In the Laws of the State of Maryland, Made and Passed. John Murphy Co., Publishers, 1904.
“Court Jim Crow Decision Defied.” The Baltimore Afro-American, July 6, 1946.
Dunbar-Nelson, Alice. “Maryland Where Jim Crow Begins.” The Baltimore Afro-American, October 22, 1927.
“Eastern Shore Citizens Do Not Want J.C. Repeal Says Salisbury Senator: David J. Ward Tells Committee Both Races are Satisfied with Jim Crow Law. Group Asks Shore Leaders to Write Him and Other Senators Letters,” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 11, 1933.
“House Committee Hears 17 Pleas for JC Repeal.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 1, 1945.
“J.F. Stewart and Principal T.H. Kiah Say People on Shore Resent J.C. Law.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 18, 1933.
“House Passes Jim Crow Repealer in Md. 70-40.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 10, 1951.
“Maryland Wipes ‘04 JC Travel Law Off Books.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 24, 1951.
“Pa. Woman Sues Greyhound Bus Line for Jim Crow: Driver Had Cop Eject Her on Lynching Shore and Threaten Her. Kept in Jail Entire Night She Declares. Judge Freed Her as J.C. Law is Not for Buses.” The Baltimore Afro-American, October 6, 1934.
Hutchison, Anne W. “Jim Crow Law Killed by Senate: No Segregation on Bay Ferry System After June 1.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 16, 1951.
“Shocking Conditions on B.C. & A. Railroad: Mr. Thomas W. Turner Complains to Public Service Commission, Hateful Discrimination is Practiced.” The Baltimore Afro-American, December 14th, 1912.
Secondary Sources:
Bogen, David S. “Precursors of Rosa Parks: Maryland Transportation Cases Between the Civil War and the Beginning of World War I.” Faculty Scholarship 70, vol. 63 (2004): 721-751.
Maryland State Archives. “Commission on Civil Rights.” Maryland Manual On-Line: A Guide to Maryland and Its Government. Accessed October 10, 2024, https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/html/44humanf.html.
“The B.C. &A Must Not Discriminate: Equal Accommodations Must Be Accorded All Passengers of The Company.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 1, 1913.
“B.C. & A. Railway Before Public Service Board: They Are Charges with Giving Inferior Accommodations to Colored Passengers.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 1, 1913.
“Chapter 109.” In the Laws of the State of Maryland, Made and Passed. John Murphy Co., Publishers, 1904.
“Chapter 110.” In the Laws of the State of Maryland, Made and Passed. John Murphy Co., Publishers, 1904.
“Court Jim Crow Decision Defied.” The Baltimore Afro-American, July 6, 1946.
Dunbar-Nelson, Alice. “Maryland Where Jim Crow Begins.” The Baltimore Afro-American, October 22, 1927.
“Eastern Shore Citizens Do Not Want J.C. Repeal Says Salisbury Senator: David J. Ward Tells Committee Both Races are Satisfied with Jim Crow Law. Group Asks Shore Leaders to Write Him and Other Senators Letters,” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 11, 1933.
“House Committee Hears 17 Pleas for JC Repeal.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 1, 1945.
“J.F. Stewart and Principal T.H. Kiah Say People on Shore Resent J.C. Law.” The Baltimore Afro-American, March 18, 1933.
“House Passes Jim Crow Repealer in Md. 70-40.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 10, 1951.
“Maryland Wipes ‘04 JC Travel Law Off Books.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 24, 1951.
“Pa. Woman Sues Greyhound Bus Line for Jim Crow: Driver Had Cop Eject Her on Lynching Shore and Threaten Her. Kept in Jail Entire Night She Declares. Judge Freed Her as J.C. Law is Not for Buses.” The Baltimore Afro-American, October 6, 1934.
Hutchison, Anne W. “Jim Crow Law Killed by Senate: No Segregation on Bay Ferry System After June 1.” The Baltimore Afro-American, February 16, 1951.
“Shocking Conditions on B.C. & A. Railroad: Mr. Thomas W. Turner Complains to Public Service Commission, Hateful Discrimination is Practiced.” The Baltimore Afro-American, December 14th, 1912.
Secondary Sources:
Bogen, David S. “Precursors of Rosa Parks: Maryland Transportation Cases Between the Civil War and the Beginning of World War I.” Faculty Scholarship 70, vol. 63 (2004): 721-751.
Maryland State Archives. “Commission on Civil Rights.” Maryland Manual On-Line: A Guide to Maryland and Its Government. Accessed October 10, 2024, https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/html/44humanf.html.
Article by Dr. Clara Small
COBBLER, MASTER CRAFTSMAN, BUSINESSMAN, ENTREPRENEUR, AND CIVIC-MINDED ACTIVIST
Jesse Hersley Turner was born December 19, 1930 in Craddockville, in Accomac County, Virginia to Emma Sample and Esley Turner. His first five years were spent on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, but at five years of age his grandmother, Hester Henry took him to live in Berlin, Maryland. His early education was in the Germantown Elementary School in Berlin, and in 1948 he graduated from Worcester County (Colored) High School.
Jesse Turner graduated from high school at the age of seventeen, but at the time there was very little opportunity for him to obtain gainful employment. After not being able to find a suitable job, one day as he was walking down the street in Berlin, he saw a help wanted sign that advertised for someone to work in a shoe repair shop. He was hired as a shoe-shine boy, and he carefully observed the work of the other employees as they repaired shoes for their customers.
Cobbling became his life’s work. It was not an easy job, and it took him about five or six years before he became proficient in the trade. After another eight or ten years, he was capable of running the shop alone because it also gave him the opportunity to practice on the machinery, and he also learned how to properly repair them. He rapidly learned that safety was important at all times because it meant that he had to be cognitive of wearing the right type of clothing, and thinking safety at all times. Even more important, he liked what he was doing.
He sincerely loved his job, but he was drafted into the United States Army and served from 1955 to 1957, which temporarily kept him from practicing his craft. The GI Bill benefits he earned during his tour of duty in South Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona were used in later years to help defray the cost of his education at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC), in Georgetown, Delaware. In the early 1970s, he took a business course at DTCC when he thought of possibly becoming a radio and television technician. However, he soon realized that was not to have been his occupation or mission in life, so he continued to work as a cobbler.
When Jesse began his journey to become a cobbler and shoe repairman, shoes were made of leather, the “good stuff,” as he called it, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s, twenty-five or thirty years ago, the soles of most shoes were composed of rubber or other materials that could not be repaired in the traditional manner. As a result, a majority of his work consisted of the construction and the rebuilding of orthopedic shoes, as well as the repair of very expensive shoes worn by doctors, nurses, and lawyers. Most of that work was prescriptive from doctors and it consisted of building up shoes by one-half or one-quarter of an inch.
The repairing of shoes was a labor of love for Jesse Turner, and he was in business for over sixty years in the same shop and in the same location, The Berlin Shoe Box, on Main Street in Berlin. In 1977, he purchased the shop from his second employer and continued the business under the same name. Mr. Jesse Turner became the town of Berlin’s first African American owner of a shoe repair business. He believed that he had been in the shoe repair business longer than anyone else south of Dover to Cape Charles, Virginia. For many years, he was the only African American to have a shop on the plaza. He was also the second African American in town who worked on the plaza.
Cobbling became his life’s work. It was not an easy job, and it took him about five or six years before he became proficient in the trade. After another eight or ten years, he was capable of running the shop alone because it also gave him the opportunity to practice on the machinery, and he also learned how to properly repair them. He rapidly learned that safety was important at all times because it meant that he had to be cognitive of wearing the right type of clothing, and thinking safety at all times. Even more important, he liked what he was doing.
He sincerely loved his job, but he was drafted into the United States Army and served from 1955 to 1957, which temporarily kept him from practicing his craft. The GI Bill benefits he earned during his tour of duty in South Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona were used in later years to help defray the cost of his education at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC), in Georgetown, Delaware. In the early 1970s, he took a business course at DTCC when he thought of possibly becoming a radio and television technician. However, he soon realized that was not to have been his occupation or mission in life, so he continued to work as a cobbler.
When Jesse began his journey to become a cobbler and shoe repairman, shoes were made of leather, the “good stuff,” as he called it, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s, twenty-five or thirty years ago, the soles of most shoes were composed of rubber or other materials that could not be repaired in the traditional manner. As a result, a majority of his work consisted of the construction and the rebuilding of orthopedic shoes, as well as the repair of very expensive shoes worn by doctors, nurses, and lawyers. Most of that work was prescriptive from doctors and it consisted of building up shoes by one-half or one-quarter of an inch.
The repairing of shoes was a labor of love for Jesse Turner, and he was in business for over sixty years in the same shop and in the same location, The Berlin Shoe Box, on Main Street in Berlin. In 1977, he purchased the shop from his second employer and continued the business under the same name. Mr. Jesse Turner became the town of Berlin’s first African American owner of a shoe repair business. He believed that he had been in the shoe repair business longer than anyone else south of Dover to Cape Charles, Virginia. For many years, he was the only African American to have a shop on the plaza. He was also the second African American in town who worked on the plaza.
His work was a challenge because he worked mainly on saddles, golf bags, leather-made gun holders, and other objects. He was basically self-taught, even though there was a cobbler repair school in Philadelphia, but it was not feasible for him to attend at the time. The machinery in his shop was nearly 150 years old, but he learned to repair it because there were so few people who knew the trade and how to repair the machinery.
Mr. Turner was also involved in other enterprises as well. He also owned a grass cutting business. It was in that business that he hired young males in order to teach them monetary responsibility and to learn “the Protestant work ethic.” It was a profitable business for approximately five years, and the young males and one young lady worked for him until some parents took their hard-earned money and the incentive to work was taken away from the young workers. Mr. Turner served as a mentor to those young men, who continued to work in the grass cutting business and eventually established their own businesses. Mr. Turner eventually gave up the grass cutting business at the age of 65.
As a shop owner, Mr. Turner was a member of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce. He served as the first African American Chamber member, and he served as president of the Chamber from 1993-1994. He was an active participant in many of its activities, and one of his favorite events was the Annual Bathtub Race, which he won for nearly twenty years. In order to compete in the races, he built his own bathtub and his competitors anxiously waited for him to retire so that they could win. He won more races in the history of the Berlin Bathtub Races than anyone.
Mr. Turner was also involved in other enterprises as well. He also owned a grass cutting business. It was in that business that he hired young males in order to teach them monetary responsibility and to learn “the Protestant work ethic.” It was a profitable business for approximately five years, and the young males and one young lady worked for him until some parents took their hard-earned money and the incentive to work was taken away from the young workers. Mr. Turner served as a mentor to those young men, who continued to work in the grass cutting business and eventually established their own businesses. Mr. Turner eventually gave up the grass cutting business at the age of 65.
As a shop owner, Mr. Turner was a member of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce. He served as the first African American Chamber member, and he served as president of the Chamber from 1993-1994. He was an active participant in many of its activities, and one of his favorite events was the Annual Bathtub Race, which he won for nearly twenty years. In order to compete in the races, he built his own bathtub and his competitors anxiously waited for him to retire so that they could win. He won more races in the history of the Berlin Bathtub Races than anyone.
He was also actively involved in the reformatting of the Berlin Christmas Parade that has been called Turner’s greatest achievement. For over twenty-plus years, he was in charge of Berlin’s Old Fashioned Memorial Day Celebration, with the assistance of Emma Briddell, Sandra Oliver and Gabe Purnell. Some of his other projects included the Fiddler’s Convention and the renovation of the Germantown School.
The Germantown School project was near and dear to Mr. Turner’s heart because his early education began there. The Germantown School had remained in active use until 1962, eight years after the United States Supreme Court rendered the Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas decision of May 17, 1954. With the Brown decision and the “all deliberate speed” decision of May 1955, the belief that American society and the quality of education would be equalized and that black schools would have received the same quality of books, equipment, school structures and the salaries of all teachers would be the same, did not materialize, at least for the next 20 years. The reality was that most formerly all-black schools were vacated or abandoned, and most African American principals and teachers lost their jobs or were demoted.
Germantown School, as many other all-black schools nationwide, had provided the rudiments of an education for hundreds of children and had spurred their growth, and that thirst for knowledge to succeed despite the odds that had been against them. In spite of its contributions to society and the education of multitudes, Germantown School was closed because the Worcester County Board of Education no longer needed it as a school. On December 11, 1962, for the sum of one dollar, the school was turned over to the County Highway Association, and it converted the former school into a county road barn. The Association removed the front wall, the floor and windows, installed four garage bays and a ground level concrete floor and made it a truck and storage garage.
Some former students of the Germantown School, including Jesse Turner, former teachers, and concerned citizens recognized the value of their heritage, and the struggles they endured in order to have obtained an education, as well as the heroic efforts that had been made by their teachers and concerned others to obtain those goals, in spite of the racism and discrimination that prevailed at that time. In 1995, some of those concerned citizens met, organized, and five years later, established an article of incorporation as the Germantown School Community Heritage Center. In 2000, the Germantown School, a Rosenwald School, was designated as a historic site, and through the insistence of James Purnell, the committee was granted ownership of the school for the purpose of preserving it. After a series of grants, and the corporation of Worcester County and the State of Maryland, the Germantown School Committee successfully completed the renovation of the school. James Purnell served as the first president of the committee for ten years. The second president of the Committee, as well as a member of the Board of Directors was Jesse Turner. By 2010, the Committee held a ground breaking ceremony that officially began the renovation of the school. The renovation was completed in May of 2013, and Jesse Turner and the other members of the committee continued to work and preserve the school that had provided their earliest rudiments of an education and provided the foundation of their educational and life experiences.
The Germantown School project was near and dear to Mr. Turner’s heart because his early education began there. The Germantown School had remained in active use until 1962, eight years after the United States Supreme Court rendered the Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas decision of May 17, 1954. With the Brown decision and the “all deliberate speed” decision of May 1955, the belief that American society and the quality of education would be equalized and that black schools would have received the same quality of books, equipment, school structures and the salaries of all teachers would be the same, did not materialize, at least for the next 20 years. The reality was that most formerly all-black schools were vacated or abandoned, and most African American principals and teachers lost their jobs or were demoted.
Germantown School, as many other all-black schools nationwide, had provided the rudiments of an education for hundreds of children and had spurred their growth, and that thirst for knowledge to succeed despite the odds that had been against them. In spite of its contributions to society and the education of multitudes, Germantown School was closed because the Worcester County Board of Education no longer needed it as a school. On December 11, 1962, for the sum of one dollar, the school was turned over to the County Highway Association, and it converted the former school into a county road barn. The Association removed the front wall, the floor and windows, installed four garage bays and a ground level concrete floor and made it a truck and storage garage.
Some former students of the Germantown School, including Jesse Turner, former teachers, and concerned citizens recognized the value of their heritage, and the struggles they endured in order to have obtained an education, as well as the heroic efforts that had been made by their teachers and concerned others to obtain those goals, in spite of the racism and discrimination that prevailed at that time. In 1995, some of those concerned citizens met, organized, and five years later, established an article of incorporation as the Germantown School Community Heritage Center. In 2000, the Germantown School, a Rosenwald School, was designated as a historic site, and through the insistence of James Purnell, the committee was granted ownership of the school for the purpose of preserving it. After a series of grants, and the corporation of Worcester County and the State of Maryland, the Germantown School Committee successfully completed the renovation of the school. James Purnell served as the first president of the committee for ten years. The second president of the Committee, as well as a member of the Board of Directors was Jesse Turner. By 2010, the Committee held a ground breaking ceremony that officially began the renovation of the school. The renovation was completed in May of 2013, and Jesse Turner and the other members of the committee continued to work and preserve the school that had provided their earliest rudiments of an education and provided the foundation of their educational and life experiences.
Due to his involvement in the local community, Mr. Jesse Turner was the recipient of many awards and accolades. One award was the 40th Annual Berlin Award (2005), which is presented annually to an individual who has by unselfish effort and dedication, made outstanding contributions to community service in the town of Berlin. In 2010, he received the Omega Psi Phi Award for Businessman of the Year. He was one of the original members of the Go-Kart Unit of ABACAHAB, the award-winning unit that traveled across the county and country. He was a 33rd Degree Life member of the Prince Hall Masons, Lincoln Lodge # 53. He was Past Master of Lincoln Lodge No. 53 Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall affiliation in Berlin where he had been a member for 57 years. He was also recognized for nine years as Imperial Deputy of the Oasis of Prince Hall Shriner of Abulahab Temple No. 206. Mr. Turner was Past Commander-in-Chief of King David Consistory No.284, Past Potentate of Abulahab Temple and many other honors. He also held the distinction of having been the first African American Potentate in Berlin and served in that capacity in 1984. In 2006, Mr. Jesse Turner was named Grand Inspector General by the United Supreme Council No. 33 of Freemasonry.
After more than 60 years as a cobbler, Mr. Turner still loved his craft but was concerned that it was a dying profession because of the type of materials of which the shoes and soles were made. He was also concerned that there were almost no young people desirous of entering or taking the time to become a cobbler. Despite those concerns, Mr. Turner had celebrity customers who attested to the quality of his work. One customer, the country singer and musician, Johnny Cash, his wife, June Carter Cash, and a bodyguard walked into Mr. Turner’s shop in 1994 and asked him to stretch Johnny’s boots, because they were too tight. Cash pulled off his boots, walked down Main Street, Berlin, in his socks and ate lunch, while his boots were stretched. Johnny Cash had been performing in Ocean City at the time, but before he left the shop he signed a picture for Mr. Turner. Cash’s picture and autograph were proudly displayed on the wall of Mr. Turner’s shop. Another celebrity and politician, Spiro Agnew, who as Governor of the State of Maryland once owned a home in Ocean City, often visited Mr. Turner’s shop. When Spiro Agnew became Vice President of the United States, he and his wife continued to visit Mr. Turner’s shop for the repair of their shoes and other items, but he did not like to be announced to the customers in Mr. Turner’s shop, as he wanted to remain anonymous. The Agnew portrait and signature were also displayed on Mr. Turner’s wall, as well as others.
During the filming of the movie “Runaway Bride,” Julie Roberts’ shoes from the movie were prominently displayed close to a mounted poster of the movie in his shop. Other stories of Mr. Turner’s craftsmanship spread beyond Berlin and prospective customers searched him out to repair their items. For instance, on September 1, 2015, a lady entered the shop and inquired if Mr. Turner could repair a man’s toiletry case that formerly belonged to President Woodrow Wilson. Mr. Turner took the prized object, inspected it and gave the lady a date on which to retrieve her case. She left with the assurance that her case would be given the best of care and that it would be restored to its former condition.
After over sixty years as a cobbler, Mr. Turner still had all of his fingers. He loved his craft, but he did not know who would continue his work after his retirement. Unfortunately, he was not able to find anyone he could have trained or leave his business. Mr. Turner had a fantastic career, a rewarding business, had an excellent reputation as the only cobbler in the Berlin area, and had practiced a craft that required an immense amount of skill, patience, and love. In early 2017, he retired and as a testament to his service to the community, the Germantown School Community Heritage Center Executive Board presented to Mr. Turner a plaque in recognition of his 68 years of service to the Berlin community on March 7, 2017. Sadly, March 31, 2017, a mere 24 days later, Mr. Jesse Hersley Turner passed away, and he was eulogized on April 8, 2017 at First Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. His remains were interred at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Hurlock, Maryland. Mr. Jesse Turner will be remembered as a community activist, a businessman, and an entrepreneur, but most of all, he will be remembered as a master craftsman.
After more than 60 years as a cobbler, Mr. Turner still loved his craft but was concerned that it was a dying profession because of the type of materials of which the shoes and soles were made. He was also concerned that there were almost no young people desirous of entering or taking the time to become a cobbler. Despite those concerns, Mr. Turner had celebrity customers who attested to the quality of his work. One customer, the country singer and musician, Johnny Cash, his wife, June Carter Cash, and a bodyguard walked into Mr. Turner’s shop in 1994 and asked him to stretch Johnny’s boots, because they were too tight. Cash pulled off his boots, walked down Main Street, Berlin, in his socks and ate lunch, while his boots were stretched. Johnny Cash had been performing in Ocean City at the time, but before he left the shop he signed a picture for Mr. Turner. Cash’s picture and autograph were proudly displayed on the wall of Mr. Turner’s shop. Another celebrity and politician, Spiro Agnew, who as Governor of the State of Maryland once owned a home in Ocean City, often visited Mr. Turner’s shop. When Spiro Agnew became Vice President of the United States, he and his wife continued to visit Mr. Turner’s shop for the repair of their shoes and other items, but he did not like to be announced to the customers in Mr. Turner’s shop, as he wanted to remain anonymous. The Agnew portrait and signature were also displayed on Mr. Turner’s wall, as well as others.
During the filming of the movie “Runaway Bride,” Julie Roberts’ shoes from the movie were prominently displayed close to a mounted poster of the movie in his shop. Other stories of Mr. Turner’s craftsmanship spread beyond Berlin and prospective customers searched him out to repair their items. For instance, on September 1, 2015, a lady entered the shop and inquired if Mr. Turner could repair a man’s toiletry case that formerly belonged to President Woodrow Wilson. Mr. Turner took the prized object, inspected it and gave the lady a date on which to retrieve her case. She left with the assurance that her case would be given the best of care and that it would be restored to its former condition.
After over sixty years as a cobbler, Mr. Turner still had all of his fingers. He loved his craft, but he did not know who would continue his work after his retirement. Unfortunately, he was not able to find anyone he could have trained or leave his business. Mr. Turner had a fantastic career, a rewarding business, had an excellent reputation as the only cobbler in the Berlin area, and had practiced a craft that required an immense amount of skill, patience, and love. In early 2017, he retired and as a testament to his service to the community, the Germantown School Community Heritage Center Executive Board presented to Mr. Turner a plaque in recognition of his 68 years of service to the Berlin community on March 7, 2017. Sadly, March 31, 2017, a mere 24 days later, Mr. Jesse Hersley Turner passed away, and he was eulogized on April 8, 2017 at First Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. His remains were interred at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Hurlock, Maryland. Mr. Jesse Turner will be remembered as a community activist, a businessman, and an entrepreneur, but most of all, he will be remembered as a master craftsman.
Article by Dr. Clara Small
Louis Matthew Jones
Louis Matthew Jones was born February 15, 1948 to Gilbert and Alene Jones at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Called “Jewboy” by his family, he was reared in Mount Vernon, Maryland. The grandchild of share-croppers, he was inspired to acquire an education and to learn as much as possible.
Louis attended the public schools of Somerset County, Maryland and graduated in 1966 from the former Somerset High School in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was very popular in school and often served as an escort for school queens and their courts, and the teachers often commented about his good behavior and the manner in which he carried himself. He also played baseball with the legendary Oaksville baseball team which was located just outside of Princess Anne.
Upon graduation from high school, Louis decided to pursue his dream of becoming a mailman, something he wanted to do from his youth. It was something he wanted to do even though there were no local African American mail carriers in the area. He thought that it was a “cool” job, so he went to the Princess Anne post office, but could not even obtain an application, but three months later he got a draft notice.
Louis attended the public schools of Somerset County, Maryland and graduated in 1966 from the former Somerset High School in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was very popular in school and often served as an escort for school queens and their courts, and the teachers often commented about his good behavior and the manner in which he carried himself. He also played baseball with the legendary Oaksville baseball team which was located just outside of Princess Anne.
Upon graduation from high school, Louis decided to pursue his dream of becoming a mailman, something he wanted to do from his youth. It was something he wanted to do even though there were no local African American mail carriers in the area. He thought that it was a “cool” job, so he went to the Princess Anne post office, but could not even obtain an application, but three months later he got a draft notice.
Kiah Hall at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Formerly the segregated Somerset High School
Formerly the segregated Somerset High School
Oaksville Eagles
c. 1970s
Nabb Research Center Online Exhibits & Courtesy of Dr. Kirkland Hall
c. 1970s
Nabb Research Center Online Exhibits & Courtesy of Dr. Kirkland Hall
Upon the receipt of the draft notice, Louis joined the United States Army. He served in the Army from March of 1967 to July of 1973 with foreign duty in Vietnam and received a Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. While in the service, he attained the rank of Sergeant and received a Certificate of Retirement from the Army dated July 1, 1973. Under the GI Bill, he later received certification from Robinson’s Clock Repair School in Salisbury. Louis also worked as a Tower Operator at the Chesapeake Plywood Company in Pocomoke, Maryland. However, he is best known as “Mr. Louis, the Postman.”
It was through the United States Veterans Affairs program which encourageed the hiring of veterans that helped Louis to obtain his position with the Postal Service. For the first eighteen years at the post office, Louis served on the “midnight shift,” as he processed mail and unloaded trucks. During the last ten years on the job, he delivered goodwill at the drive thru window, one of only two drive thru windows in Maryland. The Route 50 Post Office was the only one with a drive-thru on Delmarva. Louis claimed it and it became known as “Mr. Louis Window,” because he manned it since it opened. As “Mr. Louis, the Postman,” Louis’s smiling face greeted everyone at the window. He believed that “if the post office had more drive-thru windows, it (the Post Office) would make tons of money because the aging population loved it.”
The drive-thru window was scheduled to open at 8:30 a.m., but by the time Louis opened the window for business, a long line had already formed. During the course of the day, hundreds of cars and patrons would pass through the drive-thru window spaces, and he knew most of the patrons by name. They too, were also very familiar with him and his personnel file was filled with letters from appreciative customers who referred to him as “Mr. Personality,” “Mr. Congeniality,” and the post office’s “Mr. Wonderful.” He was so beloved and appreciated by some patrons that if he was on vacation, they would pass through the window space without stopping.
It was through the United States Veterans Affairs program which encourageed the hiring of veterans that helped Louis to obtain his position with the Postal Service. For the first eighteen years at the post office, Louis served on the “midnight shift,” as he processed mail and unloaded trucks. During the last ten years on the job, he delivered goodwill at the drive thru window, one of only two drive thru windows in Maryland. The Route 50 Post Office was the only one with a drive-thru on Delmarva. Louis claimed it and it became known as “Mr. Louis Window,” because he manned it since it opened. As “Mr. Louis, the Postman,” Louis’s smiling face greeted everyone at the window. He believed that “if the post office had more drive-thru windows, it (the Post Office) would make tons of money because the aging population loved it.”
The drive-thru window was scheduled to open at 8:30 a.m., but by the time Louis opened the window for business, a long line had already formed. During the course of the day, hundreds of cars and patrons would pass through the drive-thru window spaces, and he knew most of the patrons by name. They too, were also very familiar with him and his personnel file was filled with letters from appreciative customers who referred to him as “Mr. Personality,” “Mr. Congeniality,” and the post office’s “Mr. Wonderful.” He was so beloved and appreciated by some patrons that if he was on vacation, they would pass through the window space without stopping.
Post Office, Salisbury MD
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture
Walter Thurston Photograph Collection (2016.096)
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture
Aerial Photo: Post Office Rt 50, Salisbury MD
c. 1960s
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture
Walter C. Thurston Jr. Collection (2016.096)
c. 1960s
Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture
Walter C. Thurston Jr. Collection (2016.096)
Some patrons so admired his mild manner and personal touch that they had not been inside of the post office in years. Others would only visit the Route 50 post office because of Louis’ friendly demeanor to conduct their business instead of visiting their nearest post offices. If he were at lunch, in a meeting, or away from the post office for a couple of days, some patrons simply waited for his return, and that also included some political figures and Senatorial staffers.
Mr. Louis was so admired by so many people that he became “Mr. Louis” to them and many people thought that Louis was his last name. For many patrons, a trip to Mr. Louis’ window meant more than a three-minute therapy session to calm the soul and lift the spirits because he embodied the spirit of optimism, since no one left his window in a bad, evil mood.
Mr. Louis was dearly loved by young people because he got to know them and called them by name. As their family’s car approached his window, they began to laugh and they loved him, often waving and blowing kisses at him. When they saw him at the grocery store, or some other place, they often yelled, “Mom, he’s got legs.” As they grew and aged, those same young children, as young adults and older, still called him “Mr. Louis,” still as if that was his last name.
As patrons got to know him, he also knew them as well, as he often knew of many of their experiences, accomplishments, and difficulties. As such, his mild temperament and congenial manner exemplified a generous love of mankind or simply just doing the right thing, as he often went beyond the call of duty in his interactions with them.
Mr. Louis Jones became a legend for his upbeat personality among city postal patrons, his legion of fans. By March of 2008, he had manned the drive-thru window for ten years since it opened. His tenure at the post office was from September 1981 to January 2013, and he had completed 32 years of federal ser-vice. He had completed 28 years at the post office, alone, when he retired at the end of January 2013. His colleagues told Reverend Brenda Hughey-Jones, his wife of 37 years, that in all of those years at the post office, there was “never a missed stamp, a missed penny from his drawer, or missed delivery.” When he retired, it was never the same for most of his loyal patrons. After his retirement, Mr. Louis’s window did not remain open for very long, as many patrons no longer desired to visit the “drive-thru” window because he was no longer there.
Retirement from the United States Postal Service afforded him more time to spend with his family and friends, the care of his meticulous lawn and playing cards. He was an avid Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders) football fan and Baltimore Orioles baseball fan. He also spent time at the Shorebird’s games. He was also very active in the community and held membership in various veteran organizations and participated in numerous civic activities.
Mr. Louis Matthew Jones was highly respected and beloved by children and adults alike. Sadly, at the age of 70, he passed into eternal rest on August 28, 2018. His smile and demeanor will be forever missed by all who came in contact with him. His celebration of life was held on September 8, 2018 at First Baptist Church in Salisbury and interment was at Springhill Memory Gardens in Hebron, Maryland.
As a testament of devotion to his job, the manner in which he performed it, and those who came to love him for his diligence and dignified style, a street was named in his honor. The newly named Louis M. Jones Way is located at the corner of Grace and Naylor Street. During the street naming ceremony, Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes presented to Louis’s widow an Official Citation from the Maryland General Assembly, dated September 2, 2021. Jacob “Jake” R. Day, Mayor of the City of Salisbury, also presented a proclamation from the City of Salisbury to Louis’ family. The naming of the street at the entrance of the Route 50 post office, where Mr. Louis worked, is an assurance that Mr. Louis Matthew Jones will not be forgotten.
Mr. Louis was so admired by so many people that he became “Mr. Louis” to them and many people thought that Louis was his last name. For many patrons, a trip to Mr. Louis’ window meant more than a three-minute therapy session to calm the soul and lift the spirits because he embodied the spirit of optimism, since no one left his window in a bad, evil mood.
Mr. Louis was dearly loved by young people because he got to know them and called them by name. As their family’s car approached his window, they began to laugh and they loved him, often waving and blowing kisses at him. When they saw him at the grocery store, or some other place, they often yelled, “Mom, he’s got legs.” As they grew and aged, those same young children, as young adults and older, still called him “Mr. Louis,” still as if that was his last name.
As patrons got to know him, he also knew them as well, as he often knew of many of their experiences, accomplishments, and difficulties. As such, his mild temperament and congenial manner exemplified a generous love of mankind or simply just doing the right thing, as he often went beyond the call of duty in his interactions with them.
Mr. Louis Jones became a legend for his upbeat personality among city postal patrons, his legion of fans. By March of 2008, he had manned the drive-thru window for ten years since it opened. His tenure at the post office was from September 1981 to January 2013, and he had completed 32 years of federal ser-vice. He had completed 28 years at the post office, alone, when he retired at the end of January 2013. His colleagues told Reverend Brenda Hughey-Jones, his wife of 37 years, that in all of those years at the post office, there was “never a missed stamp, a missed penny from his drawer, or missed delivery.” When he retired, it was never the same for most of his loyal patrons. After his retirement, Mr. Louis’s window did not remain open for very long, as many patrons no longer desired to visit the “drive-thru” window because he was no longer there.
Retirement from the United States Postal Service afforded him more time to spend with his family and friends, the care of his meticulous lawn and playing cards. He was an avid Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders) football fan and Baltimore Orioles baseball fan. He also spent time at the Shorebird’s games. He was also very active in the community and held membership in various veteran organizations and participated in numerous civic activities.
Mr. Louis Matthew Jones was highly respected and beloved by children and adults alike. Sadly, at the age of 70, he passed into eternal rest on August 28, 2018. His smile and demeanor will be forever missed by all who came in contact with him. His celebration of life was held on September 8, 2018 at First Baptist Church in Salisbury and interment was at Springhill Memory Gardens in Hebron, Maryland.
As a testament of devotion to his job, the manner in which he performed it, and those who came to love him for his diligence and dignified style, a street was named in his honor. The newly named Louis M. Jones Way is located at the corner of Grace and Naylor Street. During the street naming ceremony, Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes presented to Louis’s widow an Official Citation from the Maryland General Assembly, dated September 2, 2021. Jacob “Jake” R. Day, Mayor of the City of Salisbury, also presented a proclamation from the City of Salisbury to Louis’ family. The naming of the street at the entrance of the Route 50 post office, where Mr. Louis worked, is an assurance that Mr. Louis Matthew Jones will not be forgotten.
Proclamation Renaming Grace St. to Louise M. Jones Way
2021
City of Salisbury
2021
City of Salisbury
Dedication of Louis M. Jones Way
Article by Dr. Clara Small
Orrensy William Hull
(1919 - 2013)
(1919 - 2013)
Orrensy William Hull, Jr., also called “William,” was born November 2, 1919 to the late Lottie Conway Hull and Orrensy William Hull, Sr., in Wetipquin, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The oldest son and the second-born of nine children, Orrensy grew up on his parent’s farm and spent much of his time growing and trucking produce to markets in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas.
William’s early education was in a three-room school building in Nanticoke, Maryland, where he finished second in his class from Nanticoke High School. Upon graduation from high school, William matriculated to Lincoln University, in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, the school he later credited as helping “to make him the man that he became.” At Lincoln University, he served as manager of the track team, and also pledged Phi Beta Sigma, a service fraternity in which his membership spanned over 75 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physics with a minor in Chemistry from Lincoln. He later obtained a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. William Hull also received a Master of Science degree in Physics and an Electrical Engineering Equivalency degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. equivalency in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
His career goals and thirst for knowledge were interrupted when he was drafted and served in the United States Army during World War II. He served as a Signal Supply Officer, while stationed overseas in Italy. Classified as a Tech 4 (Technician 4), he received an Army Commendation for his work with the 92nd Infantry Division, and he was honorably discharged in 1946.
Upon the completion of his military obligations and discharge from service, William began his career as a lifelong educator. From 1946 to 1962, William served as a teacher and Vice Principal at Salisbury High School. He was appointed by Governor Spiro Agnew to the Wicomico County Board of Education and served from 1966 to 1971. He also became the first African American who served in that position in Wicomico County. Upon the resignation of another board member, Orrensy became Vice President of the Board. At the time of his appointment in 1967, the Board of Education consisted of one African American, one woman and three Democrats and three Republicans.
William’s early education was in a three-room school building in Nanticoke, Maryland, where he finished second in his class from Nanticoke High School. Upon graduation from high school, William matriculated to Lincoln University, in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, the school he later credited as helping “to make him the man that he became.” At Lincoln University, he served as manager of the track team, and also pledged Phi Beta Sigma, a service fraternity in which his membership spanned over 75 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physics with a minor in Chemistry from Lincoln. He later obtained a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. William Hull also received a Master of Science degree in Physics and an Electrical Engineering Equivalency degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. equivalency in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
His career goals and thirst for knowledge were interrupted when he was drafted and served in the United States Army during World War II. He served as a Signal Supply Officer, while stationed overseas in Italy. Classified as a Tech 4 (Technician 4), he received an Army Commendation for his work with the 92nd Infantry Division, and he was honorably discharged in 1946.
Upon the completion of his military obligations and discharge from service, William began his career as a lifelong educator. From 1946 to 1962, William served as a teacher and Vice Principal at Salisbury High School. He was appointed by Governor Spiro Agnew to the Wicomico County Board of Education and served from 1966 to 1971. He also became the first African American who served in that position in Wicomico County. Upon the resignation of another board member, Orrensy became Vice President of the Board. At the time of his appointment in 1967, the Board of Education consisted of one African American, one woman and three Democrats and three Republicans.
Salisbury High School Exterior
Linda Duyer African-American History Collection (2012.021)
Nabb Research Center
Linda Duyer African-American History Collection (2012.021)
Nabb Research Center
Mr. Hull was an advocate for better schools, equality education, and training for all children, and, as such, served on numerous committees. One of those committees was the Vocational Advisory Council which was established to analyze the Wicomico County’s vocational program, to examine its strengths and weaknesses, and to advise the board. He also noted that there were few African Americans on the council and suggested that there should be others. After the completion of his term on the board on June 30, 1970, the Board of Education on July 14, 1971, commended Mr. Hull for his service, but he was not reappointed to another term.
After twenty-one years of service in secondary education, William Hull turned his passion for educating others to higher education. He spent over 21 years of service from 1960 -1982 as a professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). He was also a faculty member at Salisbury State College, now Salisbury University, from 1968-1970, and was the first African American professor to teach at the college. In 1975, as an Associate Professor of Physics, he received awards for distinguished service to the University (UMES), including the title he loved, “Most Helpful Teacher,” which was based on votes from students and staff. He was also recognized for his teaching ability by then President Dr. William P. Hytche.
During his tenure at Old Maryland State (UMES), Mr. Hull also served as the Advisor to the Cooperative Education Program. He taught several generations of families and was frequently invited to attend class reunions of his former students. Upon his retirement on May 16, 1982, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor Emeritus by the University of Maryland Board of Regents. Mr. Hull was a strong supporter of UMES’ efforts to raise funds for program development and scholarships important to the perpetuation of academic excellence. After retirement from UMES, he continued to serve on the university’s fundraising campaigns.
After twenty-one years of service in secondary education, William Hull turned his passion for educating others to higher education. He spent over 21 years of service from 1960 -1982 as a professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). He was also a faculty member at Salisbury State College, now Salisbury University, from 1968-1970, and was the first African American professor to teach at the college. In 1975, as an Associate Professor of Physics, he received awards for distinguished service to the University (UMES), including the title he loved, “Most Helpful Teacher,” which was based on votes from students and staff. He was also recognized for his teaching ability by then President Dr. William P. Hytche.
During his tenure at Old Maryland State (UMES), Mr. Hull also served as the Advisor to the Cooperative Education Program. He taught several generations of families and was frequently invited to attend class reunions of his former students. Upon his retirement on May 16, 1982, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor Emeritus by the University of Maryland Board of Regents. Mr. Hull was a strong supporter of UMES’ efforts to raise funds for program development and scholarships important to the perpetuation of academic excellence. After retirement from UMES, he continued to serve on the university’s fundraising campaigns.
Postcard of Maryland State College's "Dormitory for Women"
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
c. mid-1950s
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
c. mid-1950s
Trigg Hall, Maryland State College Post Card
c.1940s-1960s
HipPostcard
c.1940s-1960s
HipPostcard
Mr. Hull was also very much involved in the civic activities of the local community. Some of those activities included the following:
Mr. Hull was committed to education, his family, and his community. He was very aware of racism and discrimination on Delmarva, and he was determined to find ways to lessen the sting. He found ways to help create opportunities for African Americans to receive a good education and he actively advocated for underserved residents of the community and made the entire community better for everyone. An example of his beliefs began in the 1940’s, when he began selling cars part-time with Oliphant Chevrolet to help put automobile purchases within reach for area African American families. His affiliation with the local Chevrolet dealer, as an esteemed consultant and salesman, continued for many years as a member of the Courtesy Chevrolet family of dealerships.
- President of the Wicomico Nursing Home Project, Inc.
- Chairman of the Building Committee to secure funding and construction of the area’s first nursing home that served the African American community
- President of the Eastern Shore Chapter of the Maryland Credit Union League, where he was able to create policies that provided more home and automobile financing opportunities for all Eastern Shore residents
- Election Judge
- Served with a diverse group of interested citizens that researched and developed a means to improve race relations in Cambridge, Maryland in the 1960’s, which was highlighted in a Life Magazine issue where he and the group were pictured in the photo that accompanied the article
- President of the Wicomico County Retired Teachers Association
- Member and Senior Chairman of the Salisbury Area National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ), from 1974-1975
- Council Member of the Wye Institute.
Mr. Hull was committed to education, his family, and his community. He was very aware of racism and discrimination on Delmarva, and he was determined to find ways to lessen the sting. He found ways to help create opportunities for African Americans to receive a good education and he actively advocated for underserved residents of the community and made the entire community better for everyone. An example of his beliefs began in the 1940’s, when he began selling cars part-time with Oliphant Chevrolet to help put automobile purchases within reach for area African American families. His affiliation with the local Chevrolet dealer, as an esteemed consultant and salesman, continued for many years as a member of the Courtesy Chevrolet family of dealerships.
Oliphant Chevrolet Advertisement
The Daily Times, 1968
Newspapers.com
The Daily Times, 1968
Newspapers.com
Mr. Hull was also very active in a couple of service organizations for which he was exceptionally proud. He was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and in January of 2013, he was honored with the Living Legacy Award for 75 years of service to his fraternity. He was a charter member and founder of the local Delta Gamma Sigma Chapter, in which he held many positions and mentored many of its younger members. A second fraternity in which he was also a founder and charter member was Gamma Theta Chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., which is the oldest Greek organization among African Americans. Due to his leadership, service, and scholarship, the fraternity established in his honor the O. William Hull Boule Scholarship Program, a scholarship and mentoring program for young men on Delmarva.
Mr. Hull’s passion for teaching and learning carried over into his leisure time and retirement years. He learned to swim at the age of 65, golf at the age of 75, and he was well aware of local and world affairs throughout his lifetime. His hobbies included gardening (the fruits of his labor which he shared with family and friends), photography, golfing, and vacationing with his family throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Italy and Monaco.
Mr. Orrensy William Hull, Jr., was a highly respected, very active member of the community and his church, Wesley Temple United Methodist Church in Salisbury, Maryland, in which he served on numerous committees, until his health declined. He passed into eternal rest on November 26, 2013 and his celebration of life services were held at Wesley Temple on December 7, 2013. His interment was at the Eastern Shore Veteran’s Cemetery, Hurlock, Maryland.
Mr. Hull is remembered as a lifelong learner who never lost his thirst for knowledge, and he encouraged others to do the same. One of the lasting examples of his legacy is the Wicomico Nursing Home on Booth Street, which showed his concern for others, especially for the African American community. His hope for the betterment of the entire community and commitment to others was possibly the force which compelled him to strive for excellence and encouraged others to do the same.
Mr. Hull’s passion for teaching and learning carried over into his leisure time and retirement years. He learned to swim at the age of 65, golf at the age of 75, and he was well aware of local and world affairs throughout his lifetime. His hobbies included gardening (the fruits of his labor which he shared with family and friends), photography, golfing, and vacationing with his family throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Italy and Monaco.
Mr. Orrensy William Hull, Jr., was a highly respected, very active member of the community and his church, Wesley Temple United Methodist Church in Salisbury, Maryland, in which he served on numerous committees, until his health declined. He passed into eternal rest on November 26, 2013 and his celebration of life services were held at Wesley Temple on December 7, 2013. His interment was at the Eastern Shore Veteran’s Cemetery, Hurlock, Maryland.
Mr. Hull is remembered as a lifelong learner who never lost his thirst for knowledge, and he encouraged others to do the same. One of the lasting examples of his legacy is the Wicomico Nursing Home on Booth Street, which showed his concern for others, especially for the African American community. His hope for the betterment of the entire community and commitment to others was possibly the force which compelled him to strive for excellence and encouraged others to do the same.
Article by Andre Nieto Jaime
Donzelle and Melvin Hutt in an issue of The Baltimore Afro-American
The Baltimore Afro-American
1957
The Baltimore Afro-American
1957
Salisbury’s Mainlake Building, first built in 1930, has housed several businesses over the 94 years it has been standing at the corner of West Main and Lake streets. This building sat at the heart of what was once a bustling Black business district containing theaters, clubs, restaurants, service stations, and more. While there was some crossing of the color line, this was for the most part, a Black entertainment district. Nearly 70 years ago, the Franklin Hotel was part of that thriving community. Originally opened in 1955 by Melvin Clifton Hutt, a born and raised Salisbury local, the Franklin Hotel contributed to this robust district in Wester Salisbury and represented a step towards integration by opening with the intention of serving all people regardless of color in an era where segregation was the norm.
Mainlake Building
University of Virginia
University of Virginia
Mainlake Building in the 1980s
Office of Publication Photographs SUA-031
c. 1982-1983
Office of Publication Photographs SUA-031
c. 1982-1983
Melvin C. Hutt (1921 – 1986) was the eldest son of Harrison and Ella Hutt. Melvin Hutt, judging from census records and newspapers, spent most of his life in Salisbury, living within the city in both the 1930 census as well as the 1950 census. However, he appears to be absent from the 1940 census along with his father. However, his mother and his siblings are recorded in the 1940 census in Fruitland living with Ella Hutt’s 60-year-old parents Ross and Ida Harmon. Melvin’s draft registration and military records provide some insight into his young adult life. Hutt registered for the military draft in February of 1942 and his registration lists him as living on Route 4 in Salisbury, the same address he lists for Ella Hutt. The same document also reveals that he is working for Maurice Sadick, a Polish immigrant who owned and operated Eastern Shore News in Salisbury. A month later, Hutt’s name was drawn in a draft lottery. His enlistment record confirms that he was a newsboy and shows his education level as “grammar school” and that his service was to last the duration of the war, plus six months afterward.
Melvin Clifton Hutt's Military Draft Card
FamilySearch
1942
FamilySearch
1942
When Melvin Hutt returned from his service, he married Addie Donzelle Fant (1921 – 1970) from South Carolina in 1946. At the time of his marriage, Hutt had been living on 510 East Church Street, but a few years later in 1951, Hutt purchased a home on 219 East Church Street for $8,000. Addie, usually referred to as Donzelle, came to live in Salisbury with Hutt and became a teacher in Somerset and then Wicomico County. Having a background in education after attending Temple University and Bowie State Teachers College, she began a teaching career in Wicomico County. Donzelle spent a considerable amount of time tending to special education needs in the county and helped special education children secure job training for full-time employment after graduation. After teaching for twelve years, Donzelle was assigned to be the assistant supervisor of special education at the State Board of Education.
A year after Hutt’s marriage to Donzelle, he opened the Veterans Service Station alongside David G. Jones on Lake and Gordon Street. Hutt and Jones extensively advertised their service station in newspapers such as The Salisbury Times and while some troubles did arise, such as a break in in 1952, the station seemed to be a successful business in the district. At some point, Hutt appears to have stated his own service station, as noted by an advertisement for a Texaco Station operated by Hutt on Main and Fitzwater Street in 1954. Hutt’s Texaco likewise appeared in several newspaper ads, including one in 1960 promoting the free Texaco Fire Chief Hats for children. Hutt’s service station was involved with the surrounding community and participated in a series of talks on community helpers with Salisbury Elementary School in 1958.
Besides his service station, Melvin Hutt is also remembered for opening the Franklin Hotel, an important step towards integration in Salisbury. The hotel, named after Donzelle’s father Benjamin Franklin Fant, was opened on June 12th, 1955 in the Mainlake Building when the Black business and entertainment district was reaching its climax. Boasting 23 rooms equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, TVs, radios, telephones, tiled floors, carpeted halls, and 24 hour service, Hutt took great pride in the Franklin Hotel and saw it as a symbol of integration, stating that “we worked together, lived together, played together, men who were black, brown, yellow, and white, and we soon found there need be no trouble if you make up your mind about it.” While it is often referred to as a “hotel for negroes” or a hotel catering specifically towards Black patrons, Hutt makes it apparent that it was a hotel for everyone.
Others also looked towards the Franklin Hotel with hopeful eyes. A 1957 article from The Baltimore Afro-American by Elizabeth Oliver begins by recalling the lynching of Matthew Williams in the courthouse lawn only 26 years earlier, but then transitions to the present, stating that “Today, it’s a different story” where there is now peace and intermingling between races in Salisbury. Oliver uses the Franklin Hotel as proof that times have changed and suggests that the opening of this hotel is a stride towards integrating society. Additionally, the Franklin Hotel appeared in the The Negro Travelers' Green Book, a guidebook listing locations nationwide that served African Americans, from 1956 to 1964 as a safe place for Black travelers to seek lodging.
A year after Hutt’s marriage to Donzelle, he opened the Veterans Service Station alongside David G. Jones on Lake and Gordon Street. Hutt and Jones extensively advertised their service station in newspapers such as The Salisbury Times and while some troubles did arise, such as a break in in 1952, the station seemed to be a successful business in the district. At some point, Hutt appears to have stated his own service station, as noted by an advertisement for a Texaco Station operated by Hutt on Main and Fitzwater Street in 1954. Hutt’s Texaco likewise appeared in several newspaper ads, including one in 1960 promoting the free Texaco Fire Chief Hats for children. Hutt’s service station was involved with the surrounding community and participated in a series of talks on community helpers with Salisbury Elementary School in 1958.
Besides his service station, Melvin Hutt is also remembered for opening the Franklin Hotel, an important step towards integration in Salisbury. The hotel, named after Donzelle’s father Benjamin Franklin Fant, was opened on June 12th, 1955 in the Mainlake Building when the Black business and entertainment district was reaching its climax. Boasting 23 rooms equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, TVs, radios, telephones, tiled floors, carpeted halls, and 24 hour service, Hutt took great pride in the Franklin Hotel and saw it as a symbol of integration, stating that “we worked together, lived together, played together, men who were black, brown, yellow, and white, and we soon found there need be no trouble if you make up your mind about it.” While it is often referred to as a “hotel for negroes” or a hotel catering specifically towards Black patrons, Hutt makes it apparent that it was a hotel for everyone.
Others also looked towards the Franklin Hotel with hopeful eyes. A 1957 article from The Baltimore Afro-American by Elizabeth Oliver begins by recalling the lynching of Matthew Williams in the courthouse lawn only 26 years earlier, but then transitions to the present, stating that “Today, it’s a different story” where there is now peace and intermingling between races in Salisbury. Oliver uses the Franklin Hotel as proof that times have changed and suggests that the opening of this hotel is a stride towards integrating society. Additionally, the Franklin Hotel appeared in the The Negro Travelers' Green Book, a guidebook listing locations nationwide that served African Americans, from 1956 to 1964 as a safe place for Black travelers to seek lodging.
Franklin Hotel Listed in the 1956 Green Book
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
1956
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
1956
Hutt continued to operate the Franklin Hotel through the late 1950s and early 1960s, with some incidents like a small fire in the boiler room, a federal narcotics investigation, rowdy patrons, and declining business in the district posing challenges. Despite these hiccups, Hutt continued to operate the hotel, even opening the Franklin Hotel Beverage Store selling an assortment of alcohol in 1966. That same year, Hutt married Florine Victoria Hall at the Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Laurel, Maryland, seemingly having parted ways with Donzelle. A few years later, Melvin Hutt began operating the Miami Hotel in North Salisbury. In 1969, a notice in The Daily Times informed readers of Hutt’s application for a permit to operate the Miami Motel on 1804 North Salisbury Boulevard. This move was likely prompted by the decline of the business district owing to several factors, one of which was the construction and opening of the Salisbury Mall in October of 1968 and police harassment of residents. Hutt operated the Miami Motel until he passed from an apparent heart attack on Christmas day, 1986 while at Peninsula General Hospital.
Miami Motel - Salisbury, Maryland
The Cardboard America Motel Archive
The Cardboard America Motel Archive
Salisbury MD Miami Motel Antiques Shop US Maryland Vintage Postcard
Melvin C. Hutt Funeral Service
The Daily Times
December 28, 1986
The Daily Times
December 28, 1986
While Melvin Hutt is remembered for his business endeavors such as his Texaco station and the Miami Motel, the Franklin Hotel was his most influential. It was one of the few locations, if not only locations, that provided boarding to Salisbury visitors without regard to race prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The hotel was so memorable that the City of Salisbury made efforts to preserve the building as the last vestige of a once flourishing Black business district. When Hutt moved on to his next venture, the Miami Motel, Larmar Corp. sold the building to Earl Church in 1972. After Church’s death in 1985 the city bought the property from Church’s widow, Gladys, to have greater control over redevelopment of the area before deciding to sell the property. However, before putting the Mainlake Building back on the market, Salisbury imposed restrictions to preserve the building for generations to come. A building once constructed to house white only businesses was turned into a space open to all people regardless of their color by Melvin Clifton Hutt. It is this dream that this building has been remembered by.
References:
Primary Sources:
“Director.” The Salisbury Times, June 10, 1954.
“Florine Victoria Hutt, Melvin C. Hutt Are Wed.” The Daily Times, August 24, 1966.
“Guns Stolen in Bureau’s Store: Loss Estimated at $300 by Manager.” The Salisbury Times, March 28th 1952.
“Hotel Franklin Opens In Md. on Mixed Basis.” The Pittsburgh Courier / The Baltimore Afro-American, 1955.
“Jury Awards $20,000 for Road Property.” The Salisbury Times, January 21, 1959.
“Narcotics.” The Salisbury Times, October 1, 1960.
“New! Just Open Franklin Hotel Beverage Store.” The Daily Times, July 14, 1966.
“Notice.” The Daily Times, June 1st, 1969.
“Make the Youngsters Happy with the New Texaco Fire-Chief Hat.” The Salisbury Times, August 5th 1960.
"Maryland, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29H-JXNP : Thu Mar 07 14:28:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Melvin Clifton Hutt and Ella Hutt, 1942.
"Melvin C. Hutt." The Daily Times, December 28, 1986.
Oliver, Elizabeth. “There’s A Small Hotel.” Afro-American, August 10, 1957.
Pirnazar, Zhila. “Donzelle & Melvin Hutt.” Archive for Racial & Cultural Healing Exhibit. Charles H. Chipman Cultural Center. June 18, 2023. https://www.chipmancenter.org/residents/donzelle-and-melvin-hutt
“Policemen Help Put Out Fire Here.” The Salisbury Times, March 1, 1957.
“$75,000 Hotel for Negroes to Open Here.” The Salisbury Times, June 11, 1955.
“School Group Hears Service Station Man.” The Salisbury Times, March 31, 1958.
“Teacher Here Given State School Post.” The Daily Times, July 14, 1967.
“These Advertisers Wish You & Yours A Very Merry Christmas.” The Salisbury Times, December 24th, 1954.
"United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3H3-XP2 : Sat Mar 09 09:07:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Harrison Hutt and Ella Hutt, 1930.
"United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7FY-32K : Sat Mar 09 00:46:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Ross Harmon and Ida Harmon, 1940.
"United States Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F96-ZHLQ : Tue Oct 03 09:34:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Melvin C Hutt and Donzelle F Hutt, 19 April 1950.
"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8TM-JZ5 : 5 December 2014), Melvin C Hutt, enlisted 20 Jun 1942, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
"Washington, Naturalization Records, 1850-1994", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPL-Q8LK : Mon Apr 29 18:56:33 UTC 2024), Entry for Moisha Or Maurice Sadick and Cecile, 1935.
“Wicomico Names Drawn in Draft Lottery.” The Salisbury Times, March 19, 1942.
“Youth Arrested on Disorderly Charge.” The Daily Times, September 8, 1967.
Secondary:
“Franklin Hotel,” The Architecture of The Negro Travelers' Green Book, University of Virginia, accessed June 3, 2024. https://community.village.virginia.edu/greenbooks/content/franklin-hotel
Ian Post on behalf of Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. "The Entertainment District." Clio: Your Guide to History. January 24, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://theclio.com/entry/142091
Primary Sources:
“Director.” The Salisbury Times, June 10, 1954.
“Florine Victoria Hutt, Melvin C. Hutt Are Wed.” The Daily Times, August 24, 1966.
“Guns Stolen in Bureau’s Store: Loss Estimated at $300 by Manager.” The Salisbury Times, March 28th 1952.
“Hotel Franklin Opens In Md. on Mixed Basis.” The Pittsburgh Courier / The Baltimore Afro-American, 1955.
“Jury Awards $20,000 for Road Property.” The Salisbury Times, January 21, 1959.
“Narcotics.” The Salisbury Times, October 1, 1960.
“New! Just Open Franklin Hotel Beverage Store.” The Daily Times, July 14, 1966.
“Notice.” The Daily Times, June 1st, 1969.
“Make the Youngsters Happy with the New Texaco Fire-Chief Hat.” The Salisbury Times, August 5th 1960.
"Maryland, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29H-JXNP : Thu Mar 07 14:28:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Melvin Clifton Hutt and Ella Hutt, 1942.
"Melvin C. Hutt." The Daily Times, December 28, 1986.
Oliver, Elizabeth. “There’s A Small Hotel.” Afro-American, August 10, 1957.
Pirnazar, Zhila. “Donzelle & Melvin Hutt.” Archive for Racial & Cultural Healing Exhibit. Charles H. Chipman Cultural Center. June 18, 2023. https://www.chipmancenter.org/residents/donzelle-and-melvin-hutt
“Policemen Help Put Out Fire Here.” The Salisbury Times, March 1, 1957.
“$75,000 Hotel for Negroes to Open Here.” The Salisbury Times, June 11, 1955.
“School Group Hears Service Station Man.” The Salisbury Times, March 31, 1958.
“Teacher Here Given State School Post.” The Daily Times, July 14, 1967.
“These Advertisers Wish You & Yours A Very Merry Christmas.” The Salisbury Times, December 24th, 1954.
"United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3H3-XP2 : Sat Mar 09 09:07:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Harrison Hutt and Ella Hutt, 1930.
"United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7FY-32K : Sat Mar 09 00:46:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Ross Harmon and Ida Harmon, 1940.
"United States Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F96-ZHLQ : Tue Oct 03 09:34:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Melvin C Hutt and Donzelle F Hutt, 19 April 1950.
"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8TM-JZ5 : 5 December 2014), Melvin C Hutt, enlisted 20 Jun 1942, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
"Washington, Naturalization Records, 1850-1994", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPL-Q8LK : Mon Apr 29 18:56:33 UTC 2024), Entry for Moisha Or Maurice Sadick and Cecile, 1935.
“Wicomico Names Drawn in Draft Lottery.” The Salisbury Times, March 19, 1942.
“Youth Arrested on Disorderly Charge.” The Daily Times, September 8, 1967.
Secondary:
“Franklin Hotel,” The Architecture of The Negro Travelers' Green Book, University of Virginia, accessed June 3, 2024. https://community.village.virginia.edu/greenbooks/content/franklin-hotel
Ian Post on behalf of Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. "The Entertainment District." Clio: Your Guide to History. January 24, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://theclio.com/entry/142091
Article by Dr. Clara Small
Newell E. Quinton (1944 - )
Newell Emerson Quinton was born in 1944 to Mary Louise Stanley Quinton and George Bernard Quinton in San Domingo, Maryland. San Domingo, located between Mardela Springs and Sharptown, Maryland, is a rural, isolated, small community situated in northeastern Wicomico County. San Domingo was created by free African Americans in the early 19th century and Newell is a 5th generation descendant of the earliest settlers.
Map of Sharptown from the 1877 Atlas of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties
San Domingo can be seen south of Sharptown
1877 Atlas of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties
Internet Archive
San Domingo can be seen south of Sharptown
1877 Atlas of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties
Internet Archive
Newell Quinton, also known as “Sky,” grew up in this rural, segregated, tight-knit community and attended a two-story school known as the Sharptown Colored Elementary School. His boyhood memories were of farm chores, school and softball games and Methodist revivals. Those childhood memories also included neighbors working together to prepare the fields for the cultivation of crops for spring planting. In the fall near Thanksgiving, families gathered together for the task of slaughtering hogs and the preservation of hams, scrapple, sausage and the remainder of the meat for the winter. Those rituals were a way of life for the Quinton family and their neighbors for more than 200 years.
As a child, Newell attended the segregated Sharptown Colored Elementary School that had the traditional pot belly stove which provided uneven heat, the outside pump that provided cool water, and the outside toilets as rest rooms. His books were often outdated, tattered and torn, hand-me-downs from the students in the white schools. His memories also included chores that had to be completed prior to leaving home for school. School was not an option because his parents emphasized the importance of education. Upon graduation from Sharptown, Newell attended high school at Salisbury High School in Salisbury, Maryland, and graduated in 1962. After graduation, Newell attended Morgan State College (MSC), now Morgan State University, in Baltimore, Maryland.
As a child, Newell attended the segregated Sharptown Colored Elementary School that had the traditional pot belly stove which provided uneven heat, the outside pump that provided cool water, and the outside toilets as rest rooms. His books were often outdated, tattered and torn, hand-me-downs from the students in the white schools. His memories also included chores that had to be completed prior to leaving home for school. School was not an option because his parents emphasized the importance of education. Upon graduation from Sharptown, Newell attended high school at Salisbury High School in Salisbury, Maryland, and graduated in 1962. After graduation, Newell attended Morgan State College (MSC), now Morgan State University, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Salisbury High School
Photo from the Baker Family papers (2012.200)
Salisbury University Nabb Research Center
Photo from the Baker Family papers (2012.200)
Salisbury University Nabb Research Center
Even though Newell and the group did not know of Rosenwald’s connect-ion to the school, Newell did know “that his grandpa and his neighbors’ grandpa-rents had built it.” Newell also found that the San Domingo community had also contributed $800 for the building of the school. Newell was also joined in the res-toration project by his wife, Tanja R. Henson-Quinton. Rudolph Stanley also pho-tographed and filmed the progress of the restoration project for posterity. That core group believed that the rural area and farming culture of San Domingo had taught them discipline, and their fight for an education taught them to value it. They also believed that the restoration and preservation of Sharptown Colored Elementary School was their effort to pass those same ideals on to the next generation and to save their history because they also believed that it was their responsibility to continue the legacy of their ancestors. Their focus on the school’s restoration was exceptionally important to them because it was their belief that their education at the school had instilled in them the idea that in order to get something one had to work for it and put time and labor into it to earn it.
With Newell at the helm, the group began to study the history of the com-munity, which proved to be an arduous task because most elders of the commun-ity had died and others had no memory of the past. They turned their complete focus on the Sharptown Colored Elementary School because their families trea-sured the opportunity for their children to obtain an education, even though it was segregated, and, therefore, taught their children that if they got an educa-tion, no one could take it from them. In 2002, the group learned that the Nation-al Trust for Historical Preservation had named Rosenwald Schools to its list of most endangered places. With that knowledge and other information they had gathered, in 2004, Newell Quinton and the group officially began efforts to renovate the school to its original state. After numerous grant applications, the school was restored with about $200,000 in grants from the National Historic Trust, the Maryland Historic Trust, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, and local donations. Preservation Maryland also provided $5,000 for school roof repair. The project reached fruition and on August 23, 2014 the school was dedicated as the San Domingo Community and Cultural Center
In 1966, Newell graduated from Morgan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, and he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and began his military service in the United States Army. He was trained as a Signal Officer and worked with computers and communications. He completed a twelve-month tour in Vietnam (September 1967 to September 1968), and received a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement. After Vietnam, Newell served as the Post Signal Officer at Fort Drum, New York, and served as a Research Analyst at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, in Aberdeen, Maryland. After nearly five years on active duty with the United States Army, he continued to serve as a member of the United States Army Reserves in various capacities for a total of 28 years of service.
After five years of active duty with the Army, Newell returned to graduate school at Morgan State College (MSC) and earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 1978, with a concentration in Management. In 1971, he began his career with the Federal government as a Research Analyst at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. In 1974, he transferred to the National Institutes of Health where he worked as a Management Analyst and later as an Administrative Officer with the Department of Research Services. He later transferred to the Office of Administration, Executive Office of the President, where he was Chief of the Administrative Services Division, until 1982 when he transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
In 1982, Mr. Quinton began his career as Assistant Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Administrative Services Staff. He was named Ad-ministrative Officer in 1985 and in 1987 became special assistant to the Deputy Chief Benefits Director for Automated Data Processing (ADP) Systems Management. He returned to the Administrative Services Staff as Director and served in that capacity from 1988 to 1989. From November of 1989 to September of 1994, he served as Director of the Baltimore Regional Office, where his concern was the overall efficiency of the programs that were formulated at headquarters and how effectively those programs served the needs of the veterans. That task involved the management of a $53 million budget and the delivery of direct services to veterans. In 1992, Newell Quinton was promoted into the Senior Executive Service, and he returned to the Veterans Affairs (VA) headquarters as Director of the Veterans Assistance Service.
In 1995, Newell Quinton was named Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). There he managed a budget of approximately $120 million with a host of responsibilities, including the maintenance of the VBA information network and the telecommunications program, which provided toll free telephone service as the primary access for the nation’s veteran community. In June of 1999, he returned to the position of Director of the Baltimore Regional Office, and was responsible for the administration and delivery of veteran benefits and service for veterans and their beneficiaries who resided in Baltimore City and 21 of the 23 counties in the State of Maryland. In August of 2002, Mr. Newell Quinton retired from the Department of Veterans and returned to San Domingo and his roots on the Eastern Shore.
Newell Quinton had a stellar career in the military and received numerous awards and honors. He received an award for having served as a member of the Senior Executive Service with the Department of Veterans Affairs from 1992 to 2002; in August of 2002, he received the Distinguished Career Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs; in 1996, he received the Service Award for 30 years of Service to the United States Government from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and in 1968, he was the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal.
Upon his return to San Domingo, Newell built a home on land once owned by his great-grandparents. He was soon involved with a new project and profession- a preservationist. He found that there were very few reminders/memories of the local church, the Sharptown Colored Elementary School, and the tight-knit community that had sustained him in his youth and had encouraged him to succeed. Upon that realization, he enlisted the aid of his cousin, Rudolph Stanley, who taught mathematics in Salisbury, and others. They began to interview elders in the community, collect oral histories, and established a mission to preserve and protect the memories of San Domingo’s past. They also developed a plan to renovate the Sharptown Colored Elementary School where Newell obtained his early education.
From their research, Newell and the core group of volunteers who joined him in the venture to renovate the school, found that the school had been built in 1919. They also discovered to their surprise that the school had been a Rosenwald School, which had been built as a partnership between Julius Rosenwald, a rich Jewish businessman and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Rosenwald had partnered with Booker T. Washington, the first principal and leader of Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama, and together they had created a program that helped to build over 5,300 schools, teachers’ quarters and other educational facilities for African Americans across 15 southern states.
Even though Newell and the group did not know of Rosenwald’s connection to the school, Newell did know “that his grandpa and his neighbors’ grandparents had built it.” Newell also found that the San Domingo community had also contributed $800 for the building of the school. Newell was also joined in the restoration project by his wife, Tanja R. Henson-Quinton. Rudolph Stanley also photographed and filmed the progress of the restoration project for posterity. That core group believed that the rural area and farming culture of San Domingo had taught them discipline, and their fight for an education taught them to value it. They also believed that the restoration and preservation of Sharptown Colored Elementary School was their effort to pass those same ideals on to the next generation and to save their history because they also believed that it was their responsibility to continue the legacy of their ancestors. Their focus on the school’s restoration was exceptionally important to them because it was their belief that their education at the school had instilled in them the idea that in order to get something one had to work for it and put time and labor into it to earn it.
With Newell at the helm, the group began to study the history of the com-munity, which proved to be an arduous task because most elders of the commun-ity had died and others had no memory of the past. They turned their complete focus on the Sharptown Colored Elementary School because their families trea-sured the opportunity for their children to obtain an education, even though it was segregated, and, therefore, taught their children that if they got an educa-tion, no one could take it from them. In 2002, the group learned that the Nation-al Trust for Historical Preservation had named Rosenwald Schools to its list of most endangered places. With that knowledge and other information they had gathered, in 2004, Newell Quinton and the group officially began efforts to renovate the school to its original state. After numerous grant applications, the school was restored with about $200,000 in grants from the National Historic Trust, the Maryland Historic Trust, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, and local donations. Preservation Maryland also provided $5,000 for school roof repair. The project reached fruition and on August 23, 2014 the school was dedicated as the San Domingo Community and Cultural Center
In 1966, Newell graduated from Morgan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, and he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and began his military service in the United States Army. He was trained as a Signal Officer and worked with computers and communications. He completed a twelve-month tour in Vietnam (September 1967 to September 1968), and received a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement. After Vietnam, Newell served as the Post Signal Officer at Fort Drum, New York, and served as a Research Analyst at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, in Aberdeen, Maryland. After nearly five years on active duty with the United States Army, he continued to serve as a member of the United States Army Reserves in various capacities for a total of 28 years of service.
After five years of active duty with the Army, Newell returned to graduate school at Morgan State College (MSC) and earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 1978, with a concentration in Management. In 1971, he began his career with the Federal government as a Research Analyst at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. In 1974, he transferred to the National Institutes of Health where he worked as a Management Analyst and later as an Administrative Officer with the Department of Research Services. He later transferred to the Office of Administration, Executive Office of the President, where he was Chief of the Administrative Services Division, until 1982 when he transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
In 1982, Mr. Quinton began his career as Assistant Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Administrative Services Staff. He was named Ad-ministrative Officer in 1985 and in 1987 became special assistant to the Deputy Chief Benefits Director for Automated Data Processing (ADP) Systems Management. He returned to the Administrative Services Staff as Director and served in that capacity from 1988 to 1989. From November of 1989 to September of 1994, he served as Director of the Baltimore Regional Office, where his concern was the overall efficiency of the programs that were formulated at headquarters and how effectively those programs served the needs of the veterans. That task involved the management of a $53 million budget and the delivery of direct services to veterans. In 1992, Newell Quinton was promoted into the Senior Executive Service, and he returned to the Veterans Affairs (VA) headquarters as Director of the Veterans Assistance Service.
In 1995, Newell Quinton was named Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). There he managed a budget of approximately $120 million with a host of responsibilities, including the maintenance of the VBA information network and the telecommunications program, which provided toll free telephone service as the primary access for the nation’s veteran community. In June of 1999, he returned to the position of Director of the Baltimore Regional Office, and was responsible for the administration and delivery of veteran benefits and service for veterans and their beneficiaries who resided in Baltimore City and 21 of the 23 counties in the State of Maryland. In August of 2002, Mr. Newell Quinton retired from the Department of Veterans and returned to San Domingo and his roots on the Eastern Shore.
Newell Quinton had a stellar career in the military and received numerous awards and honors. He received an award for having served as a member of the Senior Executive Service with the Department of Veterans Affairs from 1992 to 2002; in August of 2002, he received the Distinguished Career Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs; in 1996, he received the Service Award for 30 years of Service to the United States Government from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and in 1968, he was the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal.
Upon his return to San Domingo, Newell built a home on land once owned by his great-grandparents. He was soon involved with a new project and profession- a preservationist. He found that there were very few reminders/memories of the local church, the Sharptown Colored Elementary School, and the tight-knit community that had sustained him in his youth and had encouraged him to succeed. Upon that realization, he enlisted the aid of his cousin, Rudolph Stanley, who taught mathematics in Salisbury, and others. They began to interview elders in the community, collect oral histories, and established a mission to preserve and protect the memories of San Domingo’s past. They also developed a plan to renovate the Sharptown Colored Elementary School where Newell obtained his early education.
From their research, Newell and the core group of volunteers who joined him in the venture to renovate the school, found that the school had been built in 1919. They also discovered to their surprise that the school had been a Rosenwald School, which had been built as a partnership between Julius Rosenwald, a rich Jewish businessman and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Rosenwald had partnered with Booker T. Washington, the first principal and leader of Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama, and together they had created a program that helped to build over 5,300 schools, teachers’ quarters and other educational facilities for African Americans across 15 southern states.
Even though Newell and the group did not know of Rosenwald’s connection to the school, Newell did know “that his grandpa and his neighbors’ grandparents had built it.” Newell also found that the San Domingo community had also contributed $800 for the building of the school. Newell was also joined in the restoration project by his wife, Tanja R. Henson-Quinton. Rudolph Stanley also photographed and filmed the progress of the restoration project for posterity. That core group believed that the rural area and farming culture of San Domingo had taught them discipline, and their fight for an education taught them to value it. They also believed that the restoration and preservation of Sharptown Colored Elementary School was their effort to pass those same ideals on to the next generation and to save their history because they also believed that it was their responsibility to continue the legacy of their ancestors. Their focus on the school’s restoration was exceptionally important to them because it was their belief that their education at the school had instilled in them the idea that in order to get something one had to work for it and put time and labor into it to earn it.
WI-676 San Domingo School Northeast Elevation
Paul Touart Photograph
WI-676 Architectural Survey MD Historical Trust
Paul Touart Photograph
WI-676 Architectural Survey MD Historical Trust
San Domingo School, Front
Preservation Maryland
2005
Preservation Maryland
2005
WI-676 Second Floor Hall
Paul Touart Photograph
WI-676 Architectural Survey MD Historical Trust
Paul Touart Photograph
WI-676 Architectural Survey MD Historical Trust
With Newell at the helm, the group began to study the history of the community, which proved to be an arduous task because most elders of the community had died and others had no memory of the past. They turned their complete focus on the Sharptown Colored Elementary School because their families treasured the opportunity for their children to obtain an education, even though it was segregated, and, therefore, taught their children that if they got an education, no one could take it from them. In 2002, the group learned that the National Trust for Historical Preservation had named Rosenwald Schools to its list of most endangered places. With that knowledge and other information they had gathered, in 2004, Newell Quinton and the group officially began efforts to renovate the school to its original state. After numerous grant applications, the school was restored with about $200,000 in grants from the National Historic Trust, the Maryland Historic Trust, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, and local donations. Preservation Maryland also provided $5,000 for school roof repair. The project reached fruition and on August 23, 2014 the school was dedicated as the San Domingo Community and Cultural Center.
Numerous volunteers also gave of their time, energy and effort to help restore the school. In the process, in 1998, the Quinton siblings established the John Quinton Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization named after their great-grandfather for the purpose of providing educational support to youth through the granting of educational scholarships, awards and tutorials to some college-bound students from San Domingo and the surrounding areas, and the gathering of oral traditions.
Numerous volunteers also gave of their time, energy and effort to help restore the school. In the process, in 1998, the Quinton siblings established the John Quinton Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization named after their great-grandfather for the purpose of providing educational support to youth through the granting of educational scholarships, awards and tutorials to some college-bound students from San Domingo and the surrounding areas, and the gathering of oral traditions.
San Domingo School
Photograph by Jimmy Emerson, DVM
May 11, 2016
Photograph by Jimmy Emerson, DVM
May 11, 2016
The school has become a beacon to the community and is a testament to the hard work of Newell Quinton and the other supporters who worked on the project. The second floor of the school serves as a community meeting place and entertainment venue and is also a home to a small Masonic Lodge. The renovation is complete, but Newell Quinton is still very active in preserving other vestiges of the community because he believes that it is his responsibility to continue the legacy of his ancestors. As such, each fall near Thanksgiving, Newell, Rudolph Stanley and others gather for the daylong ritual of slaughtering hogs and the preparation of everything from the salting of hams to the making of scrapple, and sausage for the winter. The processing of the meat is a time-worn memory of years prior to integration, refrigerators and the purchasing of meat from supermarkets, or other food chains. The slaughtering of hogs and other animals as well as the raising of chickens, goats, etc., are also taught by Newell to youngsters and other interested persons in order to pass on to them the values of a community that believed in self-help, independence as well as support and cooperation with one’s neighbors, and “it takes a village to raise a child.” Newell Quinton’s goal is to preserve those memories and the culture of San Domingo, as well as the values he was taught in his youth and helped to sustain him throughout life. In order to spread the word about those values and the slaughtering of animals, he has spoken at the Ward Museum in Salisbury and various other venues.
Mr. Newell Quinton is very well-known for his military career, but locally, he is also known for his outstanding community service and his desire to preserve survival skills and pride in self that were learned from his ancestors. As such, he believed that he must pass those ideals and values onto the next generation or the culture would be lost forever. For his work in the local community, he was the recipient of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Achievement Award from the Tri-County Organizations’ Coalition, Inc., in 2012.
Mr. Newell Quinton is still very active in the community. He presently operates Gran’ Sarah’s Hill, a 40-acre farm with 50 goats. The farm is named after his great-grandmother Sarah, the granddaughter of the community founder James Brown. He cares for the farm because it is a labor of love. He also continues to raise and care for hogs so that he can demonstrate the manner in which his ancestors provided for their families during the winter months--survival. As Newell and others continue the ritual of slaughtering animals and teaching others, they offer the food to friends and neighbors who decide to stop by. No portion of the animal is wasted. It is that care of the animals and the land that is so near and dear to him, and that motivates him to continue to follow a way of life that help-ed the San Domingo community to survive for all of those years.
As a testament to his hard work in the preservation of the culture of the community, but specifically for the renovation of the school, in 2023 the San Domingo School was selected and honored as one of two examples of Rosenwald Schools throughout the State of Maryland. Newell Emerson Quinton is truly a preserver of culture.
Mr. Newell Quinton is very well-known for his military career, but locally, he is also known for his outstanding community service and his desire to preserve survival skills and pride in self that were learned from his ancestors. As such, he believed that he must pass those ideals and values onto the next generation or the culture would be lost forever. For his work in the local community, he was the recipient of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Achievement Award from the Tri-County Organizations’ Coalition, Inc., in 2012.
Mr. Newell Quinton is still very active in the community. He presently operates Gran’ Sarah’s Hill, a 40-acre farm with 50 goats. The farm is named after his great-grandmother Sarah, the granddaughter of the community founder James Brown. He cares for the farm because it is a labor of love. He also continues to raise and care for hogs so that he can demonstrate the manner in which his ancestors provided for their families during the winter months--survival. As Newell and others continue the ritual of slaughtering animals and teaching others, they offer the food to friends and neighbors who decide to stop by. No portion of the animal is wasted. It is that care of the animals and the land that is so near and dear to him, and that motivates him to continue to follow a way of life that help-ed the San Domingo community to survive for all of those years.
As a testament to his hard work in the preservation of the culture of the community, but specifically for the renovation of the school, in 2023 the San Domingo School was selected and honored as one of two examples of Rosenwald Schools throughout the State of Maryland. Newell Emerson Quinton is truly a preserver of culture.
Newell Quinton Making Scrapple
From Savoring Scrapple, Saving San Domingo
Tom Horton
c. 2020
From Savoring Scrapple, Saving San Domingo
Tom Horton
c. 2020
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