South Pittsburg's African American lodges

 This is the second in a series of posts about African American lodges in some of Tennessee's smaller towns.

South Pittsburg is a small town located on the Tennessee River in the Sequatchie Valley. It is part of Marion County, which was established in 1817. The county became a haven for industry and mining during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The creation of a spur railroad line of the N. & C. Railroad from Bridgeport, Alabama to Jasper, Tennessee, completed in c. 1868, was a catalyst for the economic development of the area. Coal and iron mines began to open in the late 1870s, and a company town, Richard City, was created in the early 1900s for the Dixie Portland Cement Company.

Close up of Marion County. South Pittsburg is circled in red. From Rand, McNally & Co.'s map of Kentucky, 1892. Image from Library of Congress.

South Pittsburg, named for Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in the hopes it would become the same industrial mecca as its namesake, did become the home of a number of industrial and manufacturing companies, including the Lodge Cast Iron Company. The Lodge Cast Iron Company is still in operation today, and attracts a number of visitors to the area. The population of South Pittsburg grew from 1,479 in 1880 to 2,106 in 1910.

Map of South Pittsburg from the South Pittsburg City Company. This company was active in promoting the development of the town in the 1880s. Map dates from 1887. Image from Library of Congress.

In 1910, Marion County was home to 2,289 African Americans, which accounted for 12.16% of the Marion County population. South Pittsburg itself was home to a thriving African American community, made of up a number of churches, lodges, and a school. Churches included the Mt. Bethlehem Baptist Church, Randolph Chapel M.E. Church, a First Baptist Church, an A.M.E. church, and an A.M.E. Zion church. McReynolds High School was built in 1921, but there had been at least one African American school in town prior to this. There was at least one predominantly African American community in the town, located in the area bounded by Cedar Avenue, 2^nd Avenue, and Laurel Street.

1944 Sanborn Insurance Map of South Pittsburg, showing one of the African American communities. You can see McReynolds High School, Mt. Bethlehem Baptist, and Reynolds Chapel. Map from the Tennessee Virtual Archive (https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll23/id/9990/rec/1)

South Pittsburg has a rich history of fraternal and benevolent African American lodges. In addition to the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, and the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, there was also a lodge of the United Brothers and Sisters of Honor, the United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the Mysterious Ten, as well as the intriguingly named Ancient Order United Knights and Daughters of Africa.

The Masons and the Eastern Star (the ladies auxiliary associated with the Masons) were an active presence in South Pittsburg’s African American community in the early 20^th century; however, I have not been able to determine if they owned a lodge hall. In 1909, it was noted in the Nashville Globe that the Eastern Star Chamber held a bazaar at the Odd Fellows Hall which was a decided success. The bazaar included a quilt contest, which was won by Miss Janie Lightfoot. In 1912, the Eastern Star Ruth Chapter No. 10 held their anniversary sermon at the A.M.E. Zion church, at which they collected $10.75. In November 1913, the Ruth Chapter of the Eastern Star hosted a series of festivals at the Odd Fellows Hall, and they were “greatly enjoyed by a host of friends, as well as the order itself.”

"South Pittsburg Notes," Nashville Globe, December 5, 1913.

The Odd Fellows were very active in South Pittsburg, and it was noted in 1910 that the group “own a valuable hall at the corner of Cedar avenue and second street.” Also, in 1910, the group held their annual Thanksgiving service in May at Randolph Chapel, collecting $20 at the service. In 1911, seventy persons from South Pittsburg attended the Grand Lodge Session of the G.U.O.O.F. in Chattanooga, suggesting that there must have been quite a number of Odd Fellows in South Pittsburg.

Clip from the Nashville Globe, May 11, 1917, describing the Pythian rally. Mr. Luther Cummings is pictured.

The Knights of Pythias, along with the Courts of Calanthe (the female auxiliary) were also prominent fixtures of the African American community of South Pittsburg. In 1910, W.L. Miller, in his article, “South Pittsburg, The Metropolis of Sequachee Valley” in the Nashville Globe, noted that the Pythians, “own a fine two-storied building of pressed brick and steel right in the heart of town.” In 1911, the group celebrated their anniversary at the Opera House, located in South Pittsburg on Cedar Street, between Second and Third Streets. Mr. Luther Cummings of South Pittsburg was particularly active in the Pythians, even travelling to other towns for lodge business. In 1913, he set up a Pythian lodge in Tullahoma, and also travelled to Dunlap for “secret order work.” In 1917, the Pythians held a large rally in South Pittsburg at Mt. Bethlehem Church. The Knights marched from their hall to the church, where the joined the Courts of Calanthe ladies as well as the Juvenile lodges. There were several readings and speeches, and a charter member of the lodge spoke about “the trials and tribulations encountered during the early days of Pythianism in South Pittsburg.”

1907 Sanborn Insurance Map of South Pittsburg, Sheet 3. The Opera House is outlined in red.

The United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the Mysterious Ten were an active presence on the social life of South Pittsburg. The lodge was established in c. 1907, as an article in the Nashville Globe in 1908 indicates the group was to celebrate their first anniversary in July 1908. Miss Janie Lightfoot, a local teacher, was active in the U.B.F. and S.M.T., spending a week in 1910 in Pikeville, Whitwell, and Jasper for the order. She also led a choir of the U.B.F. and S.M.T., which performed at the 3^rd anniversary event in 1910, held that year at the A.M.E. Zion Church in South Pittsburg.

 

Logo of the United Brothers of Friendship. From the Nashville Globe, August 10, 1917.

The United Brothers and Sisters of Honor established a lodge in South Pittsburg in 1909. By 1910, when they were celebrating their first anniversary at the First Baptist Church, they had about 70 members. In August 1912, South Pittsburg hosted the state Grand Lodge of the organization. The Nashville Globe, in the “South Pittsburg Notes,” noted the event on August 16, 1912, stating, “The Grand Lodge of U. Brothers and Sisters of Honor is in session here this week. A large and representative delegation is present. S. Miller, G.M.; Jas. R. Ballard, G. Sec.; Ed. Johnson, G. Treas. This is the first Grand Lodge that this state can boast of the above mentioned order.” I have not studied this group in depth, but it appears they did offer death benefits, as the Nashville Globe noted in December 1912 that Mrs. Andrew Alley of South Pittsburg received $100 from the group following the death of her husband a few months prior.

 

"South Pittsburg Notes," Nashville Globe, July 15, 1910.

The most intriguingly named benevolent group active in South Pittsburg was the Ancient Order United Knights and Daughters of Africa. I have begun to study this group, and a separate blog will soon follow on this group. It was organized in Nashville in the spring of 1888 by Dr. Daniel L. Martin and Dr. Robert F. Boyd. According to the Daily American in 1889, the group was based “upon the principles of race pride and the general elevation of the negro race.” It was a benevolent organization and grew rapidly. By 1900, there were lodges in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, as well as a few lodges in Pennsylvania and New York.

The Knights and Daughters of Africa lodge in South Pittsburg must have been an early lodge of the order, as the group in South Pittsburg celebrated their 22^nd anniversary in 1910 at the Second Baptist Church. In 1907, the group held a “baby show” at the Pythian Hall, offering prizes for the winners. The Nashville Globe noted in 1917 that, “The Daughters of Africa Lodge in connection with the Juveniles, held their annual sermon at the A.M.E. church Sunday at 2:30 o’clock. It was an occasion of much interest. The daughters were clad in white with purple bands. The most excellent queen. Mrs. J.J. McElroy, with the assistance of the members have made this order one among the best.”

 

Clip from "South Pittsburg Notes," Nashville Globe, February 22, 1907

South Pittsburg’s African American community was home to an active fraternal and benevolent lodge scene, with several lodge halls, and multiple events hosted in the town. It is not clear how many of the groups continue to exist in South Pittsburg. Some of the churches, such as Randolph Chapel and Mt. Bethlehem, are still active. McReynolds High School burned in the 1960s.

 

Sources/For More Information: 

Patsy B. Beene, “Marion County,” Tennessee Encyclopedia, (https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/marion-county/)

Dennis Lambert, “The Birth of South Pittsburg,” South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society, Inc., (https://www.historicsouthpittsburgtn.org/SPHistory1.html)    

W.L. Miller, “South Pittsburg, The Metropolis of Sequachee Valley,” Nashville Globe, Sept. 2, 1910, pg 3 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064259/1910-09-02/ed-1/seq-3/).

Nashville Globe

Statistics for Tennessee - 1910 census (https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-tn.pdf).

Clifton's African American Lodges

 

This is hopefully the beginning of a series of posts looking at African American lodges in some of Tennessee’s smaller towns.

 

Clifton, Tennessee, is a town in Wayne County, Tennessee. It is situated on the Tennessee River, and is sixteen miles north of the county seat of Waynesboro. The town flourished in the decades following the Civil War. By 1876, it was described as “a flourishing little town of five or six hundred inhabitants, situated on the Tennessee River. It has five dry goods stores, two drug stores, two saloons, one saddler’s shop, one hotel, one foundry . . .”1 Despite its location on the Tennessee River, by 1920 the town’s growth slowed, and it was no longer considered as a bustling town.

Close up of Colton's Map of Tennessee (1876) showing Wayne County. Clinton is circled in red. Image from Library of Congress.

It may come as a surprise, but in the first two decades of the twentieth century, Clifton was home to a thriving African American community with at least 3 different African American lodges, 2 churches, and a school. The churches in the community were St. James M.E. Church, an A.M.E. church, and Mt. Tabor Baptist Church.

The Knights of Tabor had a lodge in Clifton. The Knights of Tabor was a fraternal group originally established in Independence, Missouri in 1871 by Rev. Moses Dickinson, an A.M.E. pastor. Both men and women were allowed to join the organization, with men meeting in “temples” and women meeting in “tabernacles.” The group paid sick and death benefits.2  In 1942, a Knights of Tabor hospital was started in Mound Bayou, Mississippi (http://knightsanddaughtersoftabor.com/taborian-hospital). In Clifton, the Knights of Tabor did things such as give a grand concert in 1910 and hold a picnic in 1912.

"Clifton Notes," from Nashville Globe, April 22, 1910

The United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the Mysterious Ten (also referred to as the U.B.F. and S.M.T.) were also a part of the African American community in Clifton. The U.B.F. started as a men-only benevolent organization in Louisville, Kentucky in 1861 and was made up of both the enslaved and freedmen. After the Civil War, the group reorganized and began to spread to states that bordered Kentucky. Women were allowed to join the group in 1878 when the Sisters of the Mysterious Ten were added to the U.B.F. There may have been as many as 250,000 members of the organization in 1906.3

Information on the United Brothers of Friendship from the Nashville Globe, December 29, 1911

In Clifton, members of the U.B.F. and S.M.T. held annual picnics and sermons. Local members of the U.B.F. were also active in both the Grand Lodge and in furthering the interests of the of the U.B.F. by setting up lodges in other towns. For example, in August 1911, it was noted that A.L. Warrington and Mrs. I.V. Mathes travelled to nearby Dixonville to set up a U.B.F. and S.M.T. lodge in that town. Also in 1911, several local Clifton members of the U.B.F. attended the Grand Lodge meeting in Memphis. Two of the members, Prof. M.C. Jones and George Johnson, were also elected to office at that meeting. 

Clip from the Nashville Globe, August 11, 1911

The Benevolent Society had 2 lodges in Clifton – Lodge No. 90 and Lodge No. 132. Lodge 90 met on the 1^st and 3^rd Monday nights of the month, and Lodge 132 met on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday afternoons of the month. In 1926, Lodge No. 90 had 46 members, and owned property valued at $125.

It appears that the Benevolent Society owned a lodge building in Clifton, known as Benevolent Hall. For Christmas 1909, students of the Clinton Training School held their Christmas exercises at Benevolent Hall, before quite a large crowd. Other groups, such as the High Art Club, used the building for entertainments as well. The Benevolent Society was active, hosting annual sermons and giving picnics for the members.

"Clifton Notes," Nashville Globe, January 14, 1910

In 1913, the Nashville Globe reported on the election of officers in the Benevolent Society, which gives us the opportunity to look at the people who were officers in the organization. Both men and women were elected to office, with a woman, Mrs. B.E. Spears, elected as president. In addition to officers such as Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, and head of Sick Committee, there was also a Board of Directors and an Advisory Board.

Clip from Nashville Globe, April 18, 1913, listing the officers elected to the Benevolent Society

Who were these officers? While I could not find information on all of them, I was able to find information on some. Mrs. Bettie Spears lived on Morris Avenue of Clifton in 1910, and was married to John Spears, a day laborer. Bettie did not work outside the home, which probably allowed her the time to preside over the Benevolent Society. The Spears family did own their home mortgage-free.  Mrs. Nannie Montague, the secretary, was aged 29 in 1910, making her approximately 32 when she served as secretary of the Benevolent Society. She worked as a cook in a private home. In 1910, Nannie was married but lived in a home on Elm Street in Clifton with her brother and her 3 children.

Miss Allena Hendricks, assistant secretary of the Benevolent Society in 1913, was approximately 20 years old in 1913. In 1910, she lived with her mother and stepfather on Elm Street in Clifton. Allena worked as a cook in a private home, as did her mother. 

Mart Mayberry, the treasurer and member of the Board of Directors, may have been one of the older members of the group. He was born in c. 1848, making him approximately 65 years old in 1913.  He was a farm laborer and married to Susan, who worked outside the home as a washerwoman.

Jerry Dillahay, the chief marshal and member of Board of Directors, was born in c. 1863, making him approximately 50 years old when he was elected to the Board of Directors. In 1910, he worked in a factory and lived in Clifton. By the time he died in 1918, he was working as a farmer/farm laborer.

Husband and wife Man and Luella Cook served on the Board of Directors (Man) and Trustees (Luella). Man was born in c. 1879 and Luella was born in c. 1881, making them approximately 34 and 32 when they served as a director and a trustee for the Benevolent Society.  In 1910, they lived on Pillow Street in Clifton, with Man working odd jobs and Luella working as a washerwoman in a private home.

So what does looking at the officers of the Benevolent Society tell us? It seems to indicate that many of the officers were solidly working class. They worked in odd jobs, in factories, and in private homes as cooks or washerwomen. They probably needed the sick benefits and death benefits that the Benevolent Society provided to their members as a safety net.

It is interesting to see that Clifton was home to a thriving African American community that contained a number of community institutions such as lodges, churches, and a school. When studying Tennessee history, places like Clifton are often overlooked. Clifton was not a large town. It never served as the county seat, home to the governmental workings of Wayne County. But it does highlight what life was like for a number of Tennesseans in the early twentieth century. They lived in small towns. They were members of churches and lodges. They worked in their community. They lived a life worthy of documentation.

Notes

1. J.B. Killebrew, Introduction to the Resources of Tennessee, Vol. 2 (Nashville: Tavel, Eastman & Howell, 1874), 977-978.

2. Theda Skocpol, Ariane Liazos, and Marshall Ganz, What a Mighty Power We Can Be: African American Fraternal Groups and the Struggle for Racial Equality (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006), 52-53.

3. Skocpol et al., What a Mighty Power We Can Be, 49-50.