Julia Dobbins appears in the 1920 Census as a home owner and a widow living with her adult daughters and a couple of boarders. She lived at 1413 3rd St NW, on square 553 lot 54. The daughters were Emma J., Gertrude V., and Ethel L. Dobbins.
In 1910, Julia was renting 1609 Cooksey Place. I believe this was on the block bounded by Florida Ave, R, 1st, Q and 3rd Streets NW, or square 551. She was a widow laundress living with her 3 daughters and her mother Mintie Smith. The 1911-1915 city directories have her on Cooksey.
The land records are sort of helpful. The earliest is from 1923 where Gertrude transferred her one third interest in the property to Julia Smith and Emma Taylor.
Is Julia Smith also Julia Dobbins?
There is a mortgage with the Perpetual Trust Building and Loan Association for 1926 and there are many names.
Julia A. Smith, aka Julia M. Smith; Emma J. Dobbins, aka Emma J. Taylor; Gertrude V. Dobbins, aka Gertrude V. Watson. None of the records say if Julia Smith is also Julia Dobbins.
Julia Smith Dobbins died January 19, 1929. So she did not make it to the 1930 census. After their mother’s death, Gertrude Watson and Ethel L. Herron transferred their interest in the property to Emma in 1930. Between 1930 and 1931 Emma Jeannette Taylor used the property to borrow money from the Perpetual Building and Loan Assoc, as well as individual lenders for an amount over $2,000. William Henry Smith, who may have been Julia’s grandson listed in the 1920 census, transferred 1413 3rd St NW in 1946 to Leonard Taylor. This quit claim signed by Smith noted that Emma Taylor’s will left him an interest in the property. Leonard Taylor then sold the property that year to Newman Coxson.
I’m just going to assume Julia Smith and Julia Dobbins are the same person.