1
Page 8-The Chronicle,
Qdell Clantc
Hun
As Chronicle researcher*
went oat lq search of Information
about blacks In the
early 20th century, all roads
led to one man ? Odeli
Clan ton of 3652 Carver
Road. Numerous persons
called him the single most
knowledgeable person in
the city about local black
history.
We soon found out why
during an oral history lnterview
with Clan ton. He
memory for people, places
and dates and a vivid
descriptive style that made
the history come to life.
Clan ton was the third
child of John Clanton
[Clenton, by one account],
reputedly one of the
strongest men In the city.
The alder Clantnn'a
strength caused the
Reynolds family to bring
him from Virginia to work
? ? 1? 1
tii we mqnTi imt'ivnrt m
approximately 1800.
Od?n Cimnton went to
work In the tobacco factory
at the age of six* By the
age of eight, he had begun
working full time, a Job held
until Joining the U.S. Army
at the onset of America's
Involvement In World War
1.
All told, Clan ton spent 30
years In the factories, be
fore Joining the Veterans
Administration fottoWhygthe
Second World War. He
retired from the VA In
?I960.
Excerpts from the interview
follow:
A. When did your family
come to Winston-Salem?
A. 1 was born here. My
father came here in 1879.
Q. When were yon born?
,A. May 20, 1894. About
my father, R.J. Reynolds'
brother broug h t my fathei
here from Patrick County,
Va. His name was H.H.
Reynolds, Harvey Harley
Reynolds.
Q. Had they worked together
In Virginia?
A. Yes. He worked in
Spencer or Horse Pass. Va.
?V Ve been there twice.
Q. Was your father a slave
there?
A. No, my grandpeople
were. Now, my father was
a slave. He was born in
slavery I guess. My father
was born Dec. 13, 1859.
Q. Where did yon live In
Winston-Salem ?
A. 1 was born on Broad
Street, right below the Modern
Chevrolet place. You
know where that is? Thev
tore the house down about
15 years ago. I used to
carry my nieces and nephews
out there to show
them where their father
and mother were born.
Q. Was It behind Modern
Chevrolet or towards the
old Sears building?
A. The graded school
was right on the corner of
Fourth and Broad. It was
on the north side. I was
._ L JJ
born on the south side of
Broad Street.
Q. Records show that
there wu a Clinton who
was part of the black (Ire
company.
A. Well, it was organized
in 1890 but I didn't join
until 1914. My older brother,
William H. Clanton,
joined in 1912.
Q. Yon had responsibility
for whit nirt a# *Kj? rlhr 0
v r "W *"*<7
A. It was all oyer, the cityT
both parts of the city. We
were in Salem. You see, we
moved to Columbian
Heights. My father moved
there the second day of
March, 1902. It was when
fegiv -flurf- there.
fMlftriy'''i>Wii H I mmmvm > i rw^? m ^iWnp ^ >fiiiiMWWPi?WWW
Slater School. Had just one
little brick building.
Q. How many men did
VAn W ?> v I"* ?fc?
it
)
aiuii k a" noi^ Uuu
wagon. We had a reel and I
reckon it was about 18 of
h
?
Saturday, February 10,
>n And Famih
dred us.
It was me and my
friend -- I had a house on
Vargraves Street, 519 Vargraves
-- his name was
Archie Scales, he lived
beside me at 521. He and I
are the only two living of
our company.
Q. When did you end the
volunteer company?
A. 1915 for Winston and
1916 for Salem.
Q. When you moved aver
to Colombian Heights, you
the Slater Institute and the
Slater Hospital? Where
was the hospital located In
relation to the present
campus.
A. Do you know where
the library is? It was south
of the library, about 150
yards.
CoukL yon describe
the building?
A. It was a frame building.
I remember a lot of
the floor was cement. * It
had two stories. Every
doctor in town practiced
4herer 4>otfv colored and
white. It was very nice,
the yard and everything. It
was just pretty scenery.
They kept it up nice.
Q. Did yoa say there
were black and white patients
there?
A. No, they didn't have
any white patients, just
black and white doctors.
V* ow-'R in umih aayst
people weWn^t entirely
used to the idea of going to
the hospital...
A. Colored people especially.
Colored people
wouldn't go to the hospital.
They wouldn't go until the
city hospital was built over
on 4th Street in 1914.
?Q, Wk wftwM go to the
Slater Hospital.
A. Any colored person.
Q. They wouldn't go
voluntarily, they'd go when
they got sick?
A. There were a couple of
other hospitals over there.
Dr. Williamson had one
and Dr. Ray had one on
13 th Street. Dr.
~dium Drive and Vargraves
Street. It was a boys'
dormitory when we moved
there. Dr. Williamson got
out and a young lady who
graduated- from Slater
School bought it and turned
it into a home.
Q. Is It still standing?
A. Yes. The house
number is 930, I think.
Now, let me explain to you.
My father came here in
1R7Q TVlic hncnifat uroc at
AW' " M *? nvr^^/l TT W?J l?i
one time a hotel. I don't
know but one person alive
now who could tell you the
name of it. His name is
Enus Wright,? the oldest
member of Mt. Zion Baptist
Church. He got a plaque
some time ago for being a
member of their Sunday
School in 1872. Bethel
Hotel, that's what it was.
Q. Which black doctors
used the Slater Hospital?
A. When we moved to
Columbian Heights, 1 don't
remember but three doctors
then. There was Dr.
Hall, he was the first one.
Dr. W.A. Jones and Dr.
Hargraves. Hargraves
didn't stay there long, he
went to Wilmington. Dr.
Bruce, he came here in
1907 or 1908.
Q. Did you ever hear
anyttting about the riot of
1895?
A. Well, that was before
my time. I wasn't born
then. But from what I
heard, there was a family of
people here by the name of
Tuttles. They were pretty
tough. They didn't bother
anybody, but don'tH>other
them. Now, I'm just telling
you what 1 heard.
-There, were three or four
' four I
killed
tfrrc. x,* m?m, so 1 was told.
Something happened and
one of the Tuttle brothers
*
1979
I
Year H
was arrested for it. A white
man was killed and they
tried to lynch him.
A policeman named
Vickers, now somebody
shot him, and there was
another policeman named
Frank Martin and Vickers
^said, "Aw Mr. Martin, you
shot me." and Martin said,
"No I haven't shot anybody."
Well, the man who
had the pistol. They were
^tanding along side of the
people, the Negroes just
passed that pistol on like
that.
Now, I was told that to be
a fact. They were united
better than they are now.
You used to couldn't run
* over Negroes in WinstonSalem,
no kind of way.
Even after I came here,
after I was born, I knew
that.
They arrested this fellow
Tuttle and were trying to
lynch him. His sister, now I
saw her in my lifetime,"1 son,
she was a great big woman
and would fight you in a
minute. ' The Negroes got
together and went down to
iimiiiiiiiimimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiitm
IIMHIIIIIIttlllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI
the jailhouse and run the
white people away,
One man named Sam
MitcheM got up on the top
of the jail where he could
~see?the?white?people
coming. They kept the jail
guarded. They kept him
here. You see, Charlotte
was the only city with a
mob-proof jail. The Home
Guard they came out.
A bunch of men, real stout
men, stood the military off
with rocks. Now, my daddy
was said to have been one
of them. 1 know my daddy
was said to be the stoutestman
in Winston-Salem. I
never saw a man any
stouter than he was.
Q. How tall was your
father?
A. How tall are you?
-6T\ He had you by two
inches. The most he ever
weighed was 211 or 213 lbs.
He could carry... where the
Graded School was on
Fourth and Broad Streets,
they cut down some trees in
the Graded School lot. Oak
trees. They were great big,
tall trees. They trimmed
them up and said that if the
colored people could haul
them away, they could have
them.
My grandfather came by
that Nnigh't and told my
father about it. He said... I
was four years old at the
time, but it's just like it was
last night... 'John, they cut
down some trees up there
in the Graded School lot
? .? ? ?
ana irimmea tnem ana saia
if the colored people could
cut them up and haul them
away, they could have
them. I come Hfere to see
about renting Luke Carter's
horse and wagon. I b'lieve
you could bring one here in
two loads.'
Well, my father, he ate
his supper and went on out,
in vi 111 kj 11 ii g auuui 5U1IICthing.
I thought he was
going to the store, but he
went up to where the old
Sears building was, that's
where tin Qrgth rl School"
was. Uaci WenV up~tff?7?
and got a tree and brought
it back on his shoulder.
ThejaR was; ? n#mert
J.T. Joyner, who operated
a grocery store at the
corner of Burke Street and
Fourth Street. Joyner lived
up over his store. He just
-?' i
?
leritage Reto
happened to be looking out now, with one exception,
the window and he saw my Men prizft the tobacco
daddy with that tree. then.
He called up R.J. Q.Priredlt?
Reynolds, who wasn't mar- A. Yes, prized it. They
ried then, and Mr. Walker, put pressure on it and put it
who wasn't married then. into shapes. A lump about
They answered the tele- six inches long and three
phone and he said this is and a half inches wide. The
J.T. Joyner. They said, men made that with their
"Yes, Mr. Joyner, what hands. "Now, they had
can we do for you." shaping of steel and wood
He said, * 'Not nothingr t and^they~~would put that
it before.". Well, they Q. Wu It treated?
thought he had seen some A. My grandfather, he
kind of wild animal or cased tobacco.' Casing it
something.. ' was treating it with licorice,
He said, 'John Clanton peach flavor, and they had
just passed here with an some stuff to drink* make
oak tree on his shoulder you drunk, rum. Now,
and I can't think of four Reynolds started making
men in town that would cigarettes. He started out
even try to cany it. Arid he with Key no. He made that
was walking just as uncon- about 1907 or somewhere
l %.r
Lcrnea. iou Know now ne along in there.
walks.' They had a park over
They asked Joyner,r*Is there on Happy Hill named
that what you called us for Reyno Park, after that
^ a man carrying a tree like Reynolds ctgarette. The
he was carrying.' They told next thing that came out
him, that's., why he's in was Red Camel and they
Winston-Salem. They changed that to Camel,
brought him here to prize The started making Camels
iiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiiiiimiiiiimiiiiimmuHi sure 'nough then, and now
Xthey make everything.
Q. How many blacks
S_ worked In the tobacco
factories?
_ ...___ _ A. In 1900, it was a good
- m Tnzrny oiacKS. Ut course,
* ' there *were more whiles
II ^ here than there were
\J blacks, but he worked more
. blacks. Not many people
IH.NIIIIIIIIHIIINIIIN.III kn()w th^ but Reyno,ds
tobacco. and Ford worked more
We had this one man, colored people tharl anyFate
Hairston, nobody can body else in the United
prize with him. But we States.
know what John can do Q* Henry Ford?
'cause he prized for us in A-?Yes,?Reynolds?had
Patrick County, Va. __??
They brought him here ^|
either the last night in Feb. .
or the first Saturday night
in March. He siad it was 1, t&9 |
the coldest times he ever 1
saw in his live. II 1
That Sunday, they had a II I
funeral for a colored fellow. | 1 M
He said he never saw a f ^
a white man like the one ~
thic fpllnw rU~A U
vi?w iviiv/tt ^IVIIllllUUO uau*
Q. This was the man who I
was an alderman.? <
A. Yea, this was him. I
There were going to put I
him on the police force at I
first, but he wouldn't take I
it,-so they-made him an I ? _
alderman. There were I
going to vote him in for I
mayor the next year, but he I
died.
My father said he had I
never seen such of crowd I
of people for a colored I
funeral. ^
Q. How was It that I
Oemmons almost became I
mayor? I |^| fQ,
A. He was smart. He I R %ll'
was a school teacher, 1 I
think. He came up with so I
many good thoughts that I
they were going to make I CROWN DRUG
him mayor. . I OPEN MONDA
Ji-EtTE : I PROFE^ION/
with? * I OSTOMATES.
A. Well, 1 can't give you I MARY PULLI/
that because that was be- CERTIFIED Ef
fore my time. I was born in HAS OVER 17
9Q. What did the blacks I NURSING PRC
do in the factories? I BE AVAILABL
A. Everything except FITTING, COl
boss and they're bosses I OR APPLIANC
now. You know that plug I
tobacco that they make. I ALONG WITH
made that for 30 years. It's I AVAILABLE 1
made by machine, but it 1
used to be hand work. THE CENTER
Thev aot the machines, but I r>rrn unr * h
they kept the handworkers I
on until just a few years I rAllfcNT oU
ago. I
?Thitt miii'hinf d?
fvi
ever saw get his hand cut I
off left just his three fingers 1 l^*PA I
was in the factory. I I I
Q. Rtrk In the 190Q?, I
what wm the procww th?t LOCATER IN
they a ted to torn the leaf I HANES MALL
into chewing tobacco? I Winston-Salem
A. It's jijst like it is right
\
< , ' . i FT
? 1
Ferrell Realty Co.
PreteoU NEW HOME In Beautiful - j
' ^ Winston Lake Estates
LOT # 25 WALUNGFORD ROAD
9,000 and Ford had 11,000
q (j|at wor Fashionable Tudor-atyle Ranch Home In one
kers or 9.000 black of the dty'* Bne,t realdentlaJ areaa.
workers?
A. 9,000 colored workers, Bllturing Living room with slate decorator fire_
_ place, formal dining room, kitchen-family
eynolda room combination with fireplace, 2 1/2
recruit the worker, from baths and one.ha)f basement. 2-car
Virginia, eastern North Ca- , . ,
rollna and South Carolina?
Reynolds had a freight train j^Wl fl
brought from South Caro- I MM'~
went to work in the
oTtaWO#? When you Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101
were six years old? ? 723-3641 < ....
A.J was six years old. I( Ray Whitley Agent 766-5680
was at the main plant at 5th I .
and Church. I remember r???
when they were building
that. I went there and
stayed about three days.
The next time I went I RoOtS Of P10010SS '
stayed a week. The next w* m BWifAVOO
time I went I was seven
years old. When I got eight
years old, I stayed in there As the black members of Western
practically until I went to ~ EJectric's employee force in Winston
the war. -Salem have contributed appreciably
1 went to the /\rmy in to the Pro8ress of this company and
1918 the telecommunications industry, so
Q. How much did blacks has the bllck community of Winstonwho
worked In the tobacco Salem played important roles in the
factories make? progress of this city. We applaud the
A.-Those that did the Winston-Salem Chronicle's current se- . >
same kind of work I did. ries on. The Roots of Black Winston
they got the same kind of Salem."
wages I "got.- Now, -the 7 ~ ~ ~?
foremen got $12 a week. . ^
We only paid off every two - ~~ u =====
weeks at that time. . They
would draw $24.-? There ^ *? f1
were very few colored.
people making $12 a week.
o,br" Western Electric
did who could have made Equal Opportunity Employer
$12 a week. His name was
See Pige 13
DOWN DRUGS, INC. HtH I
ANNOUNCES B!
1 THE - I
OPENING
Of ITS I
ostomy care | [
T center | I
OWN DRUGS, HANES MALL
IS OSTOMY CARE CENTER WILL B .
Y JANUARY 22ND TO PROVIDE M k ^ 1 |
\l PATIENT CARE FOR AREA m
TUC PPMTCP VA/II I OC CTACCCn DV M
m matthews, r.n., who is a /hh hi
jterostomal therapist, and ' vhi
years experience in the
ifession. mrs. matthews will if h
.e for proper ostomy appliance iv w
inseling, and treatment of skin w 11 w
;e problems on a fee basis. jg jg, m
the center's services, ostomy supplies will be
"hrough any crown drugs. . ,
WILL OPERATE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND DOES NOT I
APPOINTMENT, ALTHOUGH AN APPOINTMENT, FOR THE
ONVENIENCE, IS SUGGESTED. |
TOWNTBMUGS ~""*fl?Br"j
WY CARE CENTER t^l I
OST^M :1 I . .
U??E?. (919) 765-3180 flfflM I
MON.-FRI. FOR APPOINTMENT gBEBDH [^jpUdKCI J
"X