Names of Prominent Blacks Topeka people and organizations from Cox's Blacks in Topeka

Names of Prominent Blacks

 from Cox’s Black in Topeka, Kansas 1865-1915

Nick Chiles --“”resident of the Third Ward, editor of the Plaindealer, and a party to sundry legal and illegal business ventures, also exercised considerable influence in the city and state Republican councils.  Throughout the 1900s, Chiles had a reputation as a ward heeler, as one through whom elections could be bought and who meted out patronage, primarily to the Third Ward.  ..not documented “

William Carter-- Principal of Lane School

Martin Oglesvie,--Tennessee Exoduster, came to Topeka in 1878, gardener, laborer, 1/3 owner of the Apex Theatre, member of St. John AME and charter member of the NNBL

Dr. Seth Varnella –Topeka’s first black physician, his wife taught sewing classes at Topeka Industrial

J.C.S. Owens—pastor, his wife taught sewing classes at Topeka Industrial

Lutie Lytle-- lawyer, Populist campaigner

Pearle McNeal-- stenographer in the county clerk’s office

Lena Thompson--bread maker

Mack Walker--barber

William Schroud--janitor at the State House

John W. Barber-- black minister of the North Topeka Baptist Church, involved in real estate and insurance business.  Supported by black independents in a unsuccessful bid for state representative.

Thomas W. Henderson,--assistant editor of the Colored Citizen

John Wright--from Michigan, came to Topeka at 15 in 1882, graduated from THS, postal clerk, 1897 appointed deputy county clerk from 1897 to 1901, NNBL, St. Simon’s, many social and political groups.  An accountant who served as city treasurer and country clerk off and on between 1900 and 1916.

John M. Brown—gentleman farmer, emigrated from Mississippi in 1877, was responsible for the management of the Barracks and superintendent of the Kansas Freedman’s Relief, member of the Colored State Emigration Board

Mabel Jeltz (daughter of Fred)

Fred Jeltz—editor-publisher of the Kansas State Ledger

William Carter-- first superintendent of operations/principal of Topeka Industrial, 1900, student of Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee

George Bridgeforth--former director of the agricultural department at Tuskegee became principal of Topeka Industrial in 1917

Elizabeth Cooper

William Damascus Cooper

Lulu  Harris--president of National Colored Women’s Club federation state convention 1906 and 1916

Willliam Eagleson-- political iconoclast, editor of the Colored Citizen, leader of black independents in Topeka until death in 1901 . (Colored Citizen ended in 1905), had been the editor of the Colored Citizen in Ft. Scott

E.H. White-- founded the Topeka Tribune, a short run newspaper

David Ware-- was in the 1^st Kansas Colored, worked at the State House, member of Second Baptist, Great Western Lodge and Shawnee County Colored Horse Fair Association

--in 1906 wrote a pamphlet “Thoughts for Careful Consideration” –pro Republican

Spencer and Lucinda Hawkins--11 kids, Exodusters, carpenter, and trash collector, municipal garbage collector , streetcleaners and watchman for the city dump.  NNBL, St. John’s AME

William B. Townsend--municipal coal inspector

William Sharp-- messenger at the mayor’s office

James Boyd-- overseer of the rock pile at the Topeka jail

Wesley Jamison--the Squire, 1885 Tennessee—some legal training in Nashville at the central college, served three terms as justice of the peace and was  a criminal lawyer

Robert Buchner--born in Canada, carpenter for the Santa Fe, member St. John’s AME, well to do, single minded advocacy of education for trades

Dr. Oliver A. Taylor-- physician

Julia Roundtree-- elementary school teacher at Douglass Elementary, member of Alpha Assisi Charity Club and St. John’s. 

Rev. C.G. Fishback-- pastor Shiloh Baptist

Solomon G. Watkins--Topeka's second Negro teacher arrives from Tennessee, protested segregated schools and with the Anti-Taft league, later NAACP , Colored Republican's Club and St. John.   He and his wife both taught at Quincy school. Member of the Populist Democrats

Tolliver Byrd-- laborer, founding member of the Prayer Circle which later became ST. John AME, member of the Freemason’s, worked at the State House

Henry Clay Wilson—house painter, barber, restaurateur, operated a 15- chair barber shop across from the capitol, controlling interest in a recreation park on the eastern outskirts of the city, business membership in Second Baptist Church

James H. Stuart--Topeka’s first black lawyer came from Tennessee and began practicing in 1878

John J. Jennings--a professor and tonorialist, operated a barbershop on Kansas Avenue adjacent to the Taft House

C.C. de Randamie--Topeka’s first black real estate agent, his office and home was at 106 E. Kansas Ave.

Alonzo D. DeFrantz--partner with Benjamin Singleton and the Tennessee Real Estate and Homestead Association, barber, and founded the United Colored Links with Singleton, president of the Southern Kansas colonization Society, Colored State Emigration Board

Columbus M Johnson--partner with Benjamin Singleton and the Tennessee Real Estate and Homestead Association, member of the Colored State Emigration Board

Nathaniel Sawyer-- teacher, Exoduster, wrote articles for the black press, involved in Interstate Literary Assoc.

Sarah Malone--supervisor of the black Florence Crittendon Home, attended annual conferences on charities and corrections

James Guy-- from Ohio, lawyer, came to Topeka in 1885, charter member of St. Simon’s, deputy county attorney 1896, many and varied social, political and protest organizations,

Ira Guy-- barber, James Guy’s brother, first vice president of national organization of NNBL

William McKnight-- 1895 from Tennessee, custodian at the KS state house

Benjamin Perkins-- laborer from Kentucky

George Hagan--stonemason from Missouri, NAACP and Populist Party member

William O. Lynch-- pastor of the Asbury AME church, presiding elder in the black Kansas Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, involved with KFRA

Andrew Jordan, owner of Tennessee town tavern, made available to house Sheldon’s Tennesseetown library

Edward Stephens--co-founder of Kansas Industrial, 1895

Lizzie Reddick--co-founder of Kansas Industrial, 1895

Rev George Shaffer-- St. John’s AME

B.C. Duke--came from Tennessee.  First librarian of the Tennessee town library, member of the Second Christian Church , later a pastor at St. Mark’s Christian Church, member of 1905 governing board of black and white Kansas Christian churches.

Rev.  J. Barrett--pastor of the North Topeka Baptist Church

George Wellington Gross-- journalist, Republican 

 

From King's History of Topeka, 1905

  

Black Elementary School Principals:

Washington	J. L. Harrison
Monroe	Fred Roundtree
Douglas	Mary E. Langston
Buchanan	C. F. Clinkscale

Oct. 28, 1908--The Carbondalian.

Teachers:

E. Ridley, Mrs. Sadie McClain, Mrs. WI Jamison, Miss Lillian Jeltz, Miss Irene Smith, Fannie Foster, Inez Wood, Etta McClain, Bessie Hawkins, Mary Jordan, Effie Burge, Lily Cooper and Missouri Bennings