The Glee Club of East Palestine, Ohio - part 2

 

After their subjects are arranged,

the lighting adjusted,
and the lens sharpened one last time,
the photographer takes a pause
to quickly survey what the camera sees.

Is everyone agreeable and attentive?
Any potential sneezers or gigglers?
Only if everyone looks good
does the shutter click.

Sometimes a smile will trigger it.
If you are lucky, maybe more.
In any case, you don't want the resulting picture
to look like it's at a funeral.

Simple and easy is best.

Faces relaxed, shoulders back,
eyes on the camera,
it's over in a heart beat.

This is a postcard photo of a small 10-piece school orchestra composed of one flute, one clarinet, two cornets, three violins, one cello, a drummer, and seated center holding a curious cylindrical leather satchel, a pianist. Handwritten in vertical letters by the photographer is a caption.

Orchestra   Ohio   EPHS

Regular readers should recognize one face that they met last weekend in The Glee Club of East Palestine, Ohio - part 1. The young Black man seated left with a violin is James Aaron Washington. [His middle name will come later in this story] In the previous story he was pictured in the Glee Club of East Palestine High School holding a trombone. This musical ensemble is also from EPHS as evident by the triangular school pennant attached to the snare drum. The postcard was never mailed but it has a neat signature on the back of Ethel V. Lipp. Unfortunately I've been unable to find her name in census or civil records for East Palestine, Ohio, so she merits only a brief mention here for the benefit of any descendants doing family research. 

Of these ten musicians, besides James, only the drummer seated lower right is clearly in the Glee Club photo too. Possibly the cornet player top right is in it too, as he shares a similar ear and nose to the boy in the Glee Club holding a pennywhistle, standing next to the bass drum. 

But the standout in both photos is the young Black man whose gentle smile and bright eyes immediately engage the attention of the viewer, as it surely did of the photographer. Since both photos use the same backdrop I presume they were taken at the same photographer's studio, but not at the same time, I think. 

Last weekend I described how I identified James Washington and what I learned of his school life in East Palestine. This second photo of James in the East Palestine High School orchestra is what inspired me to do more research. It takes a good ear to play the infinitely tunable trombone and even more dexterity to master the four strings of a violin. James must have had a great deal of  talent to play both. Reports in East Palestine of the high school orchestra were less frequent than  those of the Glee Club, but what I could find suggests they played music for ceremonial events like graduations and indoor holiday events. The pianist also may have accompanied the school choir and perhaps James, too, whenever he sang solo pieces. 

A short paragraph in the East Palestine newspaper for 17 April 1913 provided a clue that after his high school graduation in 1910 James became a student at Shaw University, one of 11 Historically Black colleges and universities in North Carolina. Since his birthplace in the 1910 census was North Carolina this was not too surprising, but it was curious that this young Black man chose to move back to a place that had many more restrictions and limitations on people of color than anywhere in Ohio.

Shaw is located in Raleigh, the state capital, and I found James Washington's name in two bulletins for the university on a list of freshmen for 1911-12 and sophomores for 1912-13. But both times his hometown was Asheville, N.C. —not East Palestine. O. This raised a new question about his background that was especially intriguing to me as I live in Asheville, North Carolina. No matter what his talent or awards might be, it seemed highly unlikely that I could find his name in the archives of Asheville's newspaper.

I was wrong.

Asheville NC Citizen-Times
25 June 1910

Reception at Y. M. I.

(Contributed)

A public reception was given at the Y. M. I. last evening in the honor of James Washington, by the younger people.  James is an Asheville boy who has recently graduated from the East Palestine High School at East Palestine, Ohio.  A short but interesting program was rendered, after which refreshments were served.

Like the East Palestine report on his connection to Shaw University, this short report confirmed James Washington's attachment to Asheville, too. In that summer of 1910 when he was 19 years old, James enjoyed a homecoming that must have felt exhilarating. Just three weeks after his graduation at East Palestine High, he appears in an Asheville report about a three-day fair at the Y.M.I. where at an evening concert he sang a solo that "was much applauded." A few weeks after his special reception at the Y.M.I. he participated in athletic games at another weekend fair where he won a hurdle race and the 100-yard dash. Clearly he was back among friends if not family too in Asheville. 

Young Men's Institute Building,
Asheville, North Carolina, January 2019
Source: Wikipedia

The Y. M. I. was shorthand for the Young Men's Institute a public hall serving Asheville's African-American community that was established in 1892 by Mr. Isaac Dickson, the first Black man appointed to the Asheville City School Board, and Dr. Edward Stephens, the principal of Asheville’s first public school for Black students. Their original purpose was to provide a place to educate the Black construction workers hired to build George Vanderbilt's fantastic Biltmore House and vast estate which is just 3 miles from Asheville's city center. Vanderbilt generously put up the loan needed to build the Young Mens' Institute on a block near Asheville's city hall, plice and fire departments, and Buncombe county hall. The architect was Richard Sharp Smith, an Englishman who managed the construction of the Biltmore House and also happened to design many homes in my neighborhood including my own. Though on a much more modest scale, to be sure.

The building is a multipurpose facility with a large assembly hall suitable for small concerts, dances, lectures, etc., several meeting rooms, a library, and a gymnasium. The ground floor was designed as retail space for black-owned businesses. In 1906 the Y.M.I.'s Board of Directors purchased the building from the Vanderbilt Estate for $10,000. It  quickly became the central hub for Asheville's Black businesses and community. Recently the building has been renovated and is now known as the YMI Cultural Center. It's mission statement reads: "The YMICC’s mission is to promote cultural preservation and elevate Black Excellence through community engagement, advocacy, leadership development and economic justice." 

1908 Brass Band of the Young Men's Institute
Asheville, North Carolina
Source: Digitalnc.org

Learning to play a slide trombone is more challenging than other brass instruments that are equipped with valves because the slide's action requires careful placement to get the right notes. Similarly a violin is even more complicated with its delicate finger positions and string tunings. How did James Washington learn these two difficult instruments in East Palestine? While it's possible he might have found an instructor there, it's more likely that he picked up his skills at the Young Men's Institute in Asheville. This portrait of the Y.M.I.'s brass band in 1908 shows 12 Black men in formal suits who clearly take their music seriously. 

This brass band was featured at almost every event held at the Institute, as it was called then. Some of its members were teachers, pastors, and other professionals in Asheville. Unlike most band photos in my collection, here the leader, Dr. Trent, is not standing or seated center, but instead sits cross legged on the floor in front. Dr. Trent also ran the Y.M.I. drug store, the only pharmacy then available for Asheville's Black community. 

The Y.M.I. also regularly hosted concerts by noted African-American musicians who gave recitals there since they were excluded from the city's civic auditorium. Had James been in Asheville in January 1910 he might have heard a concert given by violinist Joseph Henry Douglass (1871–1935), grandson of Frederick Douglass, the great abolitionist, orator, and writer. Besides the Y.M.I. there were several Black churches nearby that all included choral and instrumental music in their services. Music was such an integral part of the Black community that any child with talent like James would be encouraged from a very early age to learn an instrument and sing in a choir. 

The 1910 census in East Palestine recorded James' age as 19, so I knew he was born in 1891. However his name was not in any other records, earlier or later, for East Palestine or even Ohio. When I checked the 1900 census for Asheville I found a boy named James Washington living in the home of Rena Armistead, a widow, age 30, who worked as a Laundress. James was listed as her Foster Son, and supposedly age 11, born May 1889. But as I learned in later records this was mistaken, and though the month was correct his true birth year was 1891. Rena Armistead lived at 129 Valley St. a short distance from the Y.M.I. and very close to where James went to school.

Asheville NC Citizen-Times
30 March 1900

Every few months Asheville's school principals presented a public report on their students and classes. In March 1900, E. H. Lipscombe, principal of the Catholic Hill School for "colored" children, reported that James Washington made the "Roll of Honor" in Miss Earle's second-grade class. She was responsible for 44 children, of whom 85% made attendance with only 12 tardies. James Washington would make the "Roll of Honor" for 3rd and 4th grade too. 

In 1900 Asheville, North Carolina had a population of 14,694 citizens, roughly 6 times the population of East Palestine. Though surrounded by the tallest mountains of the Appalachian range, Asheville is in a valley at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers. Rail service did not reach the city until the 1880s. Culturally it is part of the Southern states, though its African-American community has never been as large as in central and eastern North Carolina. Nonetheless all statutory and social rules of racial segregation were firmly entrenched in Asheville's white and Black communities. Just like churches, stores, and professional businesses, "colored" schools were separate from those for white folk. Its teachers were employed by Asheville's public school system, but paid only half of what white teachers earned. 

A 1902 report published in the Asheville Citizen produced a table showing "the number of white persons in the city, 6 to 21 years of age—males 1,299, females 1,376, total 2,675; number of colored persons in the city, 6 to 21 years of age—males 579, females 670, total 1,249; number of white children who attended public school—males 301, females 876, total 1,686; number of colored children who attended public school—males 301, females 311, total 612." There were 4 school houses for white children and 2 for colored. The per capita cost of each child of the average number attending daily in Asheville was $13.97. This compared to the expenditure on the same basis of $22.24 in Washington, D.C.; $22.61 in Kansas City, MO; $38.36 for cities in New York state; $16.95 for cities in Georgia; $20.48 for Tennessee; and $37.49 for Massachusetts.

1904, Catholic Hill School
Asheville, North Carolina
Source: Buncombe County Special Collections

The Catholic Hill School was a three-story brick building situated on a hill above Valley St. It was built in 1892 as the first school for Black children in Asheville. The plans were drawn by Richard Sharp Smith who, at that time, was still working on the Biltmore House which would take another three years to complete before the George Vanderbilt and his family officially took residence there on Christmas Eve 1895. 

Biltmore House, circa 1900

This grand  Châteauesque-style mansion was (and still is) ridiculously huge at 178,926 sq ft (16,622.8 m2) of floor space which is filled with lavish architectural details and furnishings. Smith managed over 1,000 workers and 60 stonemasons in its construction. The project required a brick kiln onsite which produced 32,000 bricks a day. It seems quite possible that the bricks for the Catholic Hill School were made there. [I've played on the Biltmore front lawn a few times for springtime events. However musicians are not permitted to go inside.]

1902, View of Asheville, NC from Beaucatcher Mountain
Source: Buncombe County Special Collections

In this 1902 birds-eye-view of Asheville's city center, taken from a hilltop east of the city looking west, the Catholic Hill School can be seen just right of center. Houses on Valley Street (now South  Charlotte St.) are just beyond and below the school going left/right. I think the Y.M.I. is the first large building just above/beyond the school. My house, which will not be built for another 13 years, would be in the nearest misty line at top center. A brisk walker can go from one side of photo to the other in about 15-25 minutes. 

The total number of students enrolled at the Catholic Hill School varied each year, of course, but in December 1900 when James was entering third grade, the school reported 371 students from 1st to 10th grade. The older children were taught in a combined 6th to 10th grade, 10th being the upper limit of public education for Black children in North Carolina.

6th grade class, Catholic Hill School
Asheville, NC
circa 1910
Source: DigitalNC

This photo came from a Buncombe County digital archive and shows a 6th grade class at Catholic Hill School around the time when James Washington made his return to Asheville in 1910. There are 39 children and two female teachers. The man standing left is the Principal, W. S. Lee. The children appear to be a  mix of younger and older kids, so I think this must include the older grade students, too. In December 1901 when James was in 4th grade, there were over 300 children attending this school, with 47 in his combined 4th and 5th grade class, achieving 98% in attendance with only 17 tardies.  

By now it should be obvious that James Washington was very fortunate to somehow transfer to schools in East Palestine, Ohio. After December 1901 his name disappears from reports on the Catholic Hill School and doesn't reappear until his "homecoming" reception in June 1910. Though it's possible he could have transferred to a private church school or maybe just had a downturn in his attendance and studies, I think he left Asheville in early 1902 for East Palestine. He would have been age 11 then and attended the North Avenue School, as seen in this next postcard dated 1906. 

In East Palestine James Washington's name first appears on a commencement program for the Grammar School in May 1906 where he is listed as singing a solo, "Down in the Deep Let me Sleep when I Die." Unfortunately the East Palestine newspaper archive does not have any editions before 1904, so I was unable to search for any mention of him in the years 1902-1903.

But the big question is how did an African-American boy from western North Carolina
get to go to elementary and high school in eastern Ohio in 1902-1910?

I don't know, but I have some ideas.

East Palestine OH Reveille-Echo
16 April 1908

Mrs. Louise Sims who has been in the service of W. S. George for nearly four years has accepted a position with a Boston family and will go from there to Toronto, Canada for the summer. Her son, James Washington and his cousin William Mitchell will join her about the 15th of June and go with them to Canada for the summer.

I find several things interesting about this April 1908 report of James and his cousin going to Canada for a summer holiday. First is that even though his mother Louise Sims had taken another position for a family in Boston evidently she still had a good relationship with her former employer that allowed her son to remain in East Palestine for two more years. Second is an implication that James' cousin, William Mitchell, may have lived and gone to school in East Palestine, too. William is not in the 1910 census for East Palestine, and I can't find him in Asheville's records but it's intriguing to imagine the two boys sharing an experience of living in East Palestine. And third, and most striking, is that there is a complete absence of race in this report. That's a very progressive journalistic style that in 1908 was unthinkable for a newspaper report in Asheville. 

Louise Sims' former employer was William Shaw George (1865–1925), one of the wealthiest men in East Palestine. In 1904 he purchased a controlling interest in the East Palestine Pottery Company, renaming it the W. S. George Pottery Company. At its peak his factory employed 750 workers who produced semi-porcelain dinnerware, hotel ware, and toilet wares marketed all across the country. In 1910 the company expanded by building another factory in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and in 1914 another opened in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. The company continued after his death in 1925 until finally going bankrupt in 1955.

William S. George seems like a model industrial businessman of the 1900s but I can't really explain his interest in Asheville because all that remains of his breadcrumbs of history are short reports with few details. But I can think of two possibilities. The first is that in the 1900s Asheville was acquiring a national reputation as a tourist destination and its growing number of hotels and restaurants needed lots of dinnerware which Mr. George's company could provide. The second is that many of those tourists came to Asheville for reasons of bad health, specifically consumption, i.e. tuberculosis, which Asheville's dry mountain climate was reputed to alleviate if not cure. It's quite possible that Mr. George or someone in his family came to Asheville to stay at one of the many sanatoriums that were built here in the 1890s and 1900s. 

When I did a search of the word "Asheville" in the East Palestine newspaper, and "East Palestine" in the Asheville newspapers, the majority of references were for Mr. and Mrs. W. S. George, or later, their adult children. Two daughters married and lived in Asheville in the 1910 and 1920s. It was only forty+ years since the War between the States and I don't think there were many Ohioans visiting North Carolina or vice versa. However the George family seemed to like staying in Asheville during its mild spring and summer seasons. In 1916 W. S. George bought a large house in my neighborhood that was practically across the street then from  one of the largest sanatoriums. [As an aside, in this era many upscale hotels in Asheville included the reassuring phrase "No Consumptives" in their advertisements.]

Last week I listed the five people of color that I found in the 1910 census for East Palestine. One of them was a black woman, Lawd Snoden, age 45, born in North Carolina, and employed as a servant in the household of William S. George. There was also a white nurse who helped care for the nine children in the George family, five sons and four daughters, ages 1 to 19. 

In the 1900s, servants  were, of course, a very common occupation bound to America's wealthier classes and it seems very plausible that Mr. and Mrs. George met Louise Sims here in Asheville and hired her to work in their home in Ohio. Understandably they probably objected to her bringing a child, so she was forced to find a place for James in Asheville, hence he became Rena Armistead's "foster son". After some time establishing her value to the Georges, they must have agreed to bring him to East Palestine to get a better education. Of course, it wouldn't be proper for him to live with the Georges, so James became a "servant" for another businessman's family in a house ½ mile away. [The house that now occupies the George family's address in East Palestine,  192 East Main St., looks old enough, but in contrast to the Vanderbilt house, it is quite modest in size considering the number of people in the family. Their house in Asheville, 450 Montford Ave. was much larger and grander.]

Looking at my two photo postcards I like to imagine that James' affable face and his musical talents allowed him to be quickly accepted by his new neighbors and fellow students in East Palestine. But imagination is not reality and we must accept that he likely endured far more abuse and racist bigotry in East Palestine than we can ever know. I also fully accept that in telling James Washington's story I've offered a lot of unproven conjecture. But I believe it fits the few facts I've discovered about his family and his school life in both East Palestine and Asheville.

Yet I still believe James must have learned something about the value of friendship, equality, and education by living in a community that was not predisposed to adversely judge his ability and potential by the color of his skin. 

I have one more chapter in his life that I want to tell
but it will have to wait another week.
Most of my stories are about
the history behind a photograph.
This next chapter will be about
the history in front of a photo. 
America's history.

I finish with the 1917 document
that gave me James' middle name—Aaron.
That name proved to be a very important clue
that let me discover James Aaron Washington's legacy.

But it wasn't in Asheville or East Palestine.

To Be Continued Next Week.

This was the end of part 2.
For the beginning go to
The Glee Club of East Palestine, Ohio - part 1.  

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday

where traffic congestion is never a problem.