The African American lodges of Tullahoma (Coffee County)

Tullahoma, located in Coffee County in Middle Tennessee, was established as a railroad town in the 1850s, and the railroad was key to the town’s growth and economic success. Both the Union and Confederate forces occupied the town during the Civil War, and as a result, many of the structures that existed at that time were destroyed. Following the Civil War, Tullahoma’s location on the railroad ensured that it was a busy, bustling town. By 1903, the town had 3,000 residents. According to the Handbook of Tennessee (1903), “Its schools are excellent; its church facilities are good; and it has numerous manufacturing industries, first-class hotels, a weekly newspaper, and a good electric light plant. It is a great summer resort.”

Close up of Coffee County from Colton's Map of Tennessee (1876). Image from Library of Congress.

Although the African Americans only made up 10.4% of Coffee County’s population in 1910, there was an active and thriving African American community in Tullahoma.  There were a number of churches, such as the Shorter Chapel AME, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist, and Howard Chapel M.E. Church. There was an African American baseball team for boys, which played teams from nearby towns, such as Shelbyville and Murfreesboro. There was a school, known as the Tullahoma Negro School (and later Davidson Academy), established at least by 1898. An early teacher at the school was John Work, Jr., who is regarded by some as the first African American collector of spirituals and folk music. The school continued in existence until 1964, when Tullahoma integrated their schools. The building later became a community center until it was demolished in 1998. This was replaced with a new community center in 2001. 

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Tullahoma. Photograph by author. 2021.

Describing the African American community of Tullahoma in 1910, W.L. Miller stated in the Nashville Globe that, “Lodges are Immaculates, Odd Fellows, Masons, and several other organizations. The first three have healthy women auxiliaries and own their buildings, which are very creditable.” The town also supported an African American businesses such as grocery store, owned by Green Edens, an ice cream parlor, owned by Rev. William Jenkins, and a park, Cherokee Park, described as  being, “just outside the city limits, a thing of joy and beauty.” The African American community also home to a billiard parlor and four choirs. In short, it was an active and thriving African American community.

Nashville Globe, March 11, 1910, pg. 3

As described, Tullahoma was home to a number of African American lodges, and there were at least two lodge halls in the town. The 1897 Sanborn Map identifies one building, at the corner of Lincoln and Wall, as a “Negro Lodge Hall.” It is unclear which lodge met here, but the building still stands in Tullahoma today. 

1897 Sanborn Insurance Map of Tullahoma. The African American lodge hall is circled in red.

Site of the African American lodge hall as it appears today. Photograph by author. 2021.

The Masons and the Eastern Star, the ladies auxiliary of the Masons, were an active presence in Tullahoma. In December 1907, the Zenith Lodge No. 98 celebrated St. John’s Day with “a grand Masonic banquet. Haley Lodge, No. 143, and Shelbyville Lodge, No. 82, sent representatives. Music was furnished by a string band from Winchester. Rev. N. P. Greggs (Knight Templar), Morning Star, No. 11, of Columbia, was the speaker of the evening. The speaker showed clearly that the Lodge is of Negro origin and that the Negro is the only race with prime authority of the 33rd degree. All kinds of refreshments of the season were served. The banquet was well attended.” In August 1910, the Masonic Lodge oversaw the laying of the cornerstone of the A.M.E. Church in town. In 1914, the Masons celebrated Palm Sunday at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church with a sermon preached by Rev. J.S. Swift.

The Independent Order of Immaculates were extremely active in Tullahoma and owned Immaculate Hall. They allowed their hall to be used by other groups, such as the Colored Fair Association, which held their business meeting at Immaculate Hall in 1907. In 1913, when the Knights of Pythias was trying to organize a lodge in Tullahoma, the Immaculates offered the Pythians free use of Immaculate Hall for 30 days. The Immaculates sponsored events, such as a picnic to nearby Estill Springs in 1910 and Easter celebration at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. In 1918, the Immaculates were described as “one of the best lodges in the city and a lodge that stands for something has not failed to carry out a rule in five years. Tom Duncan, George Davidson, Will Miller, J.W.M. Jenkins, stand at the head of this lodge and they are men who believe in bringing things to pass.”

From "Tullahoma Notes," Nashville Globe, March 14, 1913.

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows owned a lodge hall in Tullahoma, which they also allowed other groups to use. In 1910, a band used the Odd Fellows Hall to give an entertainment to benefit the local A.M.E. Church. A storm damaged their hall in 1913, but they must have rebuilt, because it was noted in 1917 that Mr. Coleman Scott had opened a lunch stand at the Odd Fellows Hall in Tullahoma. They must have struggled with regular meetings during World War I, as it was noted in February 1918 that the group, “have put on new clothes for the year 1918 and are meeting regular. They will always have a success if they follow the instructions and leadership of Amos Ryle, Henry Jenkins, and John Clendenen, who are chartered members.”

The Mutual Aid Association, a benevolent group, had a lodge in Tullahoma. In June 1917, the group celebrated their anniversary in Tullahoma with a sermon by Rev. D.S. Ransaw of Chattanooga. The “Tullahoma Notes” of the Nashville Globe for that June 22, 1917 article describes the Mutual Aid Society as “This society is one the leading ones of the town. Miss Paralee McGee, Mrs. Bettie Green and Mr. George Tally, are sparing no pains in pulling this society to the front, they are assisted by Mrs. M. E. Parker, the Chief Secretary.” In Tullahoma, the Mutual Aid Association was largely run by women. In September 1918, Tullahoma was home to the state grand lodge meeting of the Mutual Aid Association.

"Tullahoma Notes," Nashville Globe, June 22, 1917

The Knights of Pythias were a late addition to Tullahoma’s African American lodge scene. In 1913, it was noted that Mr. Luther Cummings of South Pittsburg was in Tullahoma “working up a K. of P. lodge.” As noted earlier, the Immaculates allowed the Pythians to use Immaculate Hall as their meeting place rent-free for 30 days to help the lodge get on its feet. In August 1913, twelve members were initiated into the new lodge.

"Tullahoma Notes," Nashville Globe, August 1, 1913.

While Tullahoma did not have a separate lodge cemetery, there was a separate African American cemetery just outside of town, known as Citizens Cemetery. This cemetery has a long and interesting history. It is believed that it began as a cemetery in the 1870s. In 1940, the U.S. Government acquired the site and made it part of Camp Forrest. From that time, burials were not allowed at the cemetery, and the cemetery fell into a state of disrepair. In 1996, a group of students of East Middle School cleaned the cemetery and repaired some of the broken stones. Visiting the cemetery recently, I noticed very few stone remaining. The site is full of old, large oak trees. The cemetery is in good maintenance now, and it is certain that many African American lodge members of Tullahoma are buried here.

Images from Citizens Cemetery. Photographs by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

Photograph by author. 2021.

For More Information/Sources:

Citizens Cemetery, Coffee Co. TN, TNGen Web Cemetery Database, https://www.tngenweb.org/cemeteries/#!cm=2096060.

G.W. & C.B. Colton & Co., “Colton’s Map of the State of Tennessee,” New York, 1876. Library of Congress, https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3960.ct010511. 

“History,” Davidson Academy Alumni Tigers. http://davidsonacademyalumni.org/History.html.

W.L. Miller, “Tullahoma and Coffee County,” Nashville Globe, August 26, 1910, pg 3.

Nashville Globe

Thomas H. Paine, Handbook of Tennessee. Nashville: McQuiddy Printing Company, 1903.

Sanborn Map Company, “Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Tullahoma, Coffee County, Tennessee,” September 1897, Sheet 4. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3964tm.g3964tm_g083871897.

Ian Skotte, “Old Cemetery holds key to city’s past,” Tullahoma News, June 29, 2013 (updated June 15, 2018), https://www.tullahomanews.com/news/local/old-cemetery-holds-key-to-city-s-past/article_7ed595b7-f332-51b2-9eb4-8c0c8c7add3e.html.

 Carroll Van West, “Coffee County,” Tennessee Encyclopedia, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/coffee-county/.

John Wesley Work, Jr., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley_Work_Jr.

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.

The Working People's Labor and Art Association (WPLAA)

I have written before about the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene, the successor group to the Working People's Labor and Art Association (WPLAA). Today I am going to discuss the WPLAA, the group that drew me into researching African American benevolent and fraternal groups.

Cover page to the Working People's Labor and Art Association 1901 Constitution. It was printed in Nashville at Walden University, an African American school.

According to the 1901 Constitution of the Working People's Labor and Art Association, Perry Morton and H.H. Bains formed the group in 1890. From the beginning the group prided itself on being different from other benevolent and fraternal groups. They did not wear regalia and did not create rituals for the membership. The introduction to their Constitution states that the group was "fitly adapted for the learned and unlearned for the city and country . . ."

Introduction to the Constitution 

The language of the document is a product of its time, and it progressive in its tone. It warns about the dangers of "wealthy capitalists" who "combine, consolidate, monopolize and control the world of wealth." The group was also concerned with the uplift of their race, stating in the Preface that, "The aim of the Association is to elevate, unite and give employment to the Negro youth, to establish and encourage charitable undertakings . . . to encourage and foster trades . . . that will guarantee the Negro livelihood . . . and to be of practical utility to race and state." In addition to creating and fostering trade, the WPLAA was a temperance organization, and no one who sold alcohol could be admitted to membership.

Preface to the Constitution

Although the organization wanted to become national, my research indicates that it's reach did not extend beyond Tennessee.  Indeed, most lodges appear to be located in Middle Tennessee, although the Nashville Globe reported on July 9, 1909 that J.N. Watkins had recently been in West Tennessee visiting lodges in that region.

Murfreesboro was the site of at least 1 lodge hall for the WPLAA. In 1918, the Working People's Labor and Aid Association (the group had tweaked its name) purchased a lot on South Maple Street, just south of Lytle's Creek from B.F. Gannaway for $350. You can find the lodge hall (labeled as "Lodge Hall Colored") on the 1924 Sanborn map of Murfreesboro in the location described in the 1918 deed.

1924 Sanborn map of Murfreesboro showing the location of the WPLAA lodge hall (sheet 6)

While it is not known how long the group endured, it is known that the Murfreesboro lodge had ceased existence by 1953. In that year, in an effort to clear the "slums" known as "The Bottoms," the Murfreesboro Housing Authority obtained title to the property on South Maple Street that housed the WPLAA lodge. In the Circuit Court Minutes, it is stated that, "for a number of years past the Lodge has been inactive, no regular meetings have been held and no payment of dues made or required."

In 2011, I presented a paper to the Ohio Valley History Conference about the WPLAA in Murfreesboro and a lawsuit that tore the group apart. You can read the paper here.

Sparta's Benevolent Society

I have posted before about finding the Proceedings of the Fifty-eighth Delegated Assembly of the Benevolent Orders State of Tennessee, dating to 1926.  Part of this treasure trove of information is a section in the back with the lodge number and town of each Benevolent Society lodge in the state in that year. Other information also includes the number of members for each lodge as well as the value of their cash holdings and property at that time. I'm slowly working my way through this list to gain a better understanding of the scope of the Benevolent Society.

One thing that stuck out was that Sparta, Tennessee, the county seat of White County on the Cumberland Plateau, was the home of 3 lodges.  Being that this is not a section of the state known for a large African American population, I was intrigued by the number of lodges.  Additionally, these 3 lodges reported a total of 143 members in 1926.

Since no census record exists for 1926, I looked at the 1920 Census for Sparta to learn more about the African American population of the town at the period.  Of the 1,517 people enumerated in that 1920 census in Sparta, 245 were identified as black or mulatto. The remaining 1,272 residents were identified as white. This means that 16% of Sparta's population in 1920 was African American.  It was more than I had anticipated.  Furthermore, this means that possibly something close to 58% of the African American community was a member of the Benevolent Society.

Looking more deeply at the census records, I noticed a pattern to where African Americans lived. While there were some white households with individual African Americans living in the home (usually as servants or cooks), the majority of the African American population lived along South Jail Street, North Main Street, West Church Street, West Bridge Street, and Sand Bottoms Street. It was clearly a segregated town, not unusual in Tennessee or the South during this period.

A section of the 1920 Census for Sparta showing a predominantly African American population in this part of town.

I then turned to the Sanborn Insurance Maps, hoping to get a better sense of where these streets were located in the 1920s. While the 1921 Sanborn Map did not show most of these streets, I did find the African American section on the 1931 Sanborn Map of Sparta.

1931 Sanborn Insurance Map (Sheet 7) of Sparta, TN showing an African American section of town.

In a section bounded by North Bridge Street, Klondyke, Church Street, and an unnamed street, was the African American section of Sparta. Three African American churches are located in this area as well as the African American school. And sitting beside the 1st Baptist Church (Colored) (as labeled on the map) was a building labeled "Hall." Lodges, churches, and schools were often located together in African American communities across the state, so it is very likely that this Hall is a lodge hall. A second Hall can be found 2 buildings away from the 1st M.E. Church (Colored) (as labeled on the map).  And given that the Benevolent Society in Sparta had 143 members in 1926, it is very possible (and quite likely) that the Benevolent Society lodges met in one of these buildings.

A cursory glance at Google maps suggests that these buildings (as well as the churches) no longer exist.  Wali Rashash Kharif and William Lynwood Montell, in Reminisces and Reflections: African Americans in the Kentucky-Tennessee Upper Cumberland Since the Civil War (2005) states that the African American population of Sparta and White County declined significantly during the 20th century, and that there were only 518 African Americans left in the entire county by 1930.  It seems likely that the Benevolent Society did not survive long into the 1930s.

The Benevolent Society after World War I

My initial thoughts on the Benevolent Society (and other African American benevolent groups) were that these types of organizations slowly died out in the 1920s due to a variety of factors, such as World War I, the Great Migration, and (in the 1930s) the Great Depression. However, recent research has shown that this is not entirely true.

Cover page of the 1926 Proceedings of the annual convention of the Benevolent Society.

While at the Tennessee State Library and Archives last week, I found a copy of the Proceedings of the Fifty-eighth Delegated Assembly of the Benevolent Orders State of Tennessee. This assembly took place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee between August 9 and August 12, 1926. In addition to listing the speakers, what they spoke about, and the business of the annual meeting, a list of all of the presidents of every Benevolent Society lodge in the state can be found near the back of the book. This treasure trove lists the number of the lodge and the town it was located in. I am excited to spend some time in the near future combing through the proceedings to glean as much information about the structure and spread of the organization.

Another interesting insight from my initial look at the Proceedings is that this group was not solely confined to Middle Tennessee. Although the majority of lodges were located in towns across Middle Tennessee, there are also lodges in West Tennessee towns such as Humboldt and Jackson and East Tennessee towns such as Dayton and Chattanooga. I hope very soon to create a general map of all towns with lodges in 1926.

A partial list of lodges from the 1926 Proceedings

Beyond the 1926 Proceedings, I have found evidence of Benevolent Society lodges in Nashville well into the 1930s and beyond. The 1933 Nashville City Directory shows at least 4 Benevolent Society lodge halls still present at that period.

The 1933 Nashville City Directory shows the location of at least 4 Benevolent Society lodges.

In fact, one lodge listed as being located at 1338 Lewis Street can be found in the 1955 Nashville City Directory, making a strong argument for the persistence of the group well past World War I and the Great Depression.

1955 Nashville City Directory showing a Benevolent Society Hall remained at 1338 Lewis Street

While I am still working through various materials, I believe a strong argument can be made for the continuance of African American benevolent groups, and specifically the Benevolent Society, beyond the Great Depression and both World Wars.

Benevolent Society No. 84 Cemetery, Hamilton Church Pike, Antioch

One of my favorite Benevolent cemeteries, and one of the smallest, is Benevolent Society No. 84 on Hamilton Church Pike in southeast Nashville. One reason it is my favorite is pure bias - it is located not far from where I grew up. I also love it because it has an abandoned lodge building on site.

What is likely an abandoned lodge building located on the property of the cemetery.

The cemetery is small, not marked, well maintained, and backs up to a suburban neighborhood. I feel that some graves may actually be located in the back yards of the houses behind the cemetery. The cemetery was a bit overgrown at the rear when I visited it, and it seemed to possibly extend into the neighborhood behind it. There were not very many marked graves (not more than 20), although it is always possible there are unmarked graves at the rear of the cemetery. There is at least one veteran buried here.  Many of the stones dated from the last half of the 20th century.

Tombstone located in an overgrown area at the rear of the cemetery.

Tombstone at the cemetery

Graves at the cemetery.

There are several mentions of the lodge in the Nashville Globe.  It often met with Benevolent Society No. 107 of Una, another small community in southeast Davidson County. For example, that paper noted in August 1909 that the two groups met together at B.O. No. 84 on "Hamilton Hill" (what the community located around what is now Hamilton Church Pike was once called).

From the Nashville Globe, August 27, 1909

I have done a bit of research on the members buried at this cemetery, using the cemetery transcription from findagrave.com. (http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2300072) I was hoping to see what I could learn about what types of people were members of this lodge.  I learned that Albert Miller (1854-1939) rented a home in the community and worked as a road laborer in 1930. His death certificate, however, lists his occupation as farmer. Mr. Miller was literate and was not a veteran. His wife, Victoria Trimble Miller (1874-1941) was born in Rutherford County.  After his death, Victoria lived at 54 Trimble Street in Nashville.

I also researched Bernettie Whitsey (1875-1968).  Mrs. Whitsey was a laundress in 1930, married to John Whitsey, a farmer. Living with them in their home were two stepdaughters and two grandchildren, ages 6 and 8.  Like the Millers, the Whitseys rented their home. John has been born in Williamson County, and he died in 1943 at the age of 74.

I hope to do more genealogical research of the people buried in the Benevolent cemeteries. It humanizes the group, and it gives me a much better idea of what the members were like.  It also gives me a better sense of the importance of the group to the members.  These members listed here likely did not enjoy great financial prosperity, so a group like the Benevolent Society, which offered sick and death benefits at a time when the government did not, was likely very important to the Whitseys and the Millers. In time, I also hope that I learn about the fate of the lodge, and whether there are any members alive who remember meeting in this building.

Side view of the building. It is a concrete block building with a gable front roof, brick chimney, and several windows.

Interior of the building as it appeared in late 2012.