Mari – Truxton Is In Shaw

Truxton Character- Garland E. Carr(1887-1972) 1520 1st St NW

I’ve featured Mr. Carr before in Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Garland E. Carr pt.1 and pt. 2. This will be an attempt to look into more information about the man.

Garland Carr (center) arrested for trying to blow up Veterans Bureau, 6/21/22 SOURCE: Library of Congress. National Photo Company Collection.

He was a property owner, but apparently not a resident. So let’s call him a Truxton “character”. Using Ancestry to pin his ID down, I used his mother’s and sister’s first names from the deed for 1520 1st St NW. There was a family tree, where his sister Genevieve or Geneva Ruth Carr was married to a William Taft Patrick. Hoping the family tree wasn’t complete fiction (as some are), here goes.

Garland Eugene Carr was born on December 29, 1887, in Raleigh, North Carolina to Nathaniel Carr and Elizabeth Blakely. He showed up twice in the 1900 census. First he was with his father and brother Henry living in Asheville, NC. working as a laborer. Then with his mother and eight brothers and sisters in Raleigh, NC.

June 1917 Garland filled out his registration card for World War I and noted he was 30 and had been wearing glasses for 20. He was enlisted in the Army in 1918 and was discharged in 1919, one whole year. In June of 1919 he traveled from France on the USS Ed Luckenbach with the Medical Detachment 340th Service Battalion (Colored). He was to return to his father in Charlotte, NC.

His one year military adventure is why he had his photo taken. He was apparently unhappy with the VA.

It seems like attempted arson, but other news outlets accused him of bombing.

Bombing used to be a destructive form of protest favored by anarchists.

According the the VA’s records he died in 1972.

Thousands of people have lived in the Truxton Circle neighborhood for over 100 years and they have thousands of stories. The goal of the Truxton Circle History Project is to find every man, woman, and child who lived in the neighborhood using every available source. The Project uses the 1880-1950 censuses, the power of Ancestry and every other online resource to discover and uncover neighborhood history.

Truxton Residents- The William Youngs of Truxton Circle-4th St NW

Sometimes people have the same name. In 1940 there were two, two William Youngs in Truxton Circle. The first lived as a lodger at 1619 3rd St NW. The other was also a lodger at 1633 4th St NW. Both men were laborers. They both were African American men. Third St William was from South Carolina, whereas 4th St William was from neighboring Maryland.

Let’s start with 3rd St William. He was born July 8, 1906 in Fairfield, South Carolina. He moved around because by October 1940, he had moved to 715 6th St NE where he lived with his wife Ethel, if this is the correct William Young.

The 4th St William Young, William Esmond Young was born May 26, 1905 in St. Mary’s County, MD to John and Cassie (?) Young. In 1928 he married Emma Johnson. So he is the same William Young who lived at 1626 4th St NW in 1930. Yes, this is a different house number than 1633 4th St NW.

In 1930 this William Young, married to Emma, was 25 years old working as a porter in a drug store. His wife, Emma, was 32, and she worked as a domestic for a private family. They shared the household with Lula King, a lodger, a 35 year old domestic servant.

By 1940, he and Emma are the lodgers as they moved across the street and over a few houses to 1633 4th St NW. The couple moved in with Sarah and her daughter Mamie Coles. Emma somehow became 19 years older than her husband. William worked as laborer for a private company. His draft card revealed it was E P Noyland Construction. Emma still worked as a domestic.

They remained on the 1600 block of 4th Street relocating to 1615 4th St NW. William and Emily were two of five roomers in the house of Ella Pearson, a domestic servant. Their old landlady, moved to 1617 4th St, Sara C. Coles was then living with her widowed father and her brother. Emma, then Emily, was still 19 years her husband’s senior and even in her 60s worked as a domestic servant.

And there is no more after that for the Youngs.

Truxton Resident-Horace Dyer (1841-1927) 1st and O St NW

Because the 1880 census was the first to have addresses, one of the few things the 1870 census could tell us about Horace Dyer, was that he was a 29 year old married illiterate Black man who worked as a porter in a store and lived in Washington, DC. He was born in Maryland around 1841, so there is a possibly that he was not born free.

He lived at 1402 1st St NW in 1880. His job was listed as 40 year old laborer. His wife Emily worked as a laundress, a kind of work a woman could do from home while caring for their 3 sons, Joseph (6), Phillip (3) and Theodore (1).

An 1890 city directory had him living at 119 O St NW. He also was listed as a fireman and had a middle initial “J”.

Something interesting happened between the 1870 and the 1900 census. According to the Ancestry family tree (take with a grain of salt) Emily/Emilia Galloway Dyer died in April 1886. November 1887, more than a whole year, he married Mary Jane Simmons, another laundress. He gained three daughters, Ida (19) from Emily and Lucinda (11) and Mary (7) from Mary Jane. He was a homeowner. He could read but he could not write. The census clarified he was a fireman for a store.

When he was 69 during the 1910 census he lived with his wife, who remained a laundress, even at the age of 55, two unmarried adult children and his 95 year old mother. Horace worked as a government fireman. The son under his roof, Phillip Augustus Dyer (32) worked as laborer. With the exception of his wife, all the other women in the household were not employed.

1402 1st St NW does not exist anymore. Armstrong sits and sat there. By 1917 he had moved to 1420 5th St NW, so his ownership would not show up in the online records of the Recorder of Deeds. But his ownership can be confirmed in the DC General Assessment 1902-1903. He owned a lot on Square 553, lot 4, West 19. If I am understanding it correctly, the home was 2,565 square feet and the lot was 770 sq. ft.

He died March 30, 1927. According to his obituary in the Evening Star, May Jane had already passed away. He was survived by his three sons, Joseph H., Phillip A., and Edward T. and three dollars Ida C. Duvall, and Lucinda C. and Cora E. Dyer. He was Roman Catholic and his requiem mass was at St. Augustine’s.

Horace Dyer Ancestry-Library Edition Family Tree

Truxton Resident- James F. Saffell (1867-1935) 217 Q St NW

James F. Saffell claimed to have owned 217 Q St NW on the 1920 census. This requires investigation. A quick look shows that an Ellen M. Saffell owned lot 0008 on square 551. There was another James Saffell running around DC at the time, but his parents were Irish. Truxton James Saffell’s parents were locals.

Strangely there were two Franks, that’s the middle name of James, Francis, or Frank, Saffells whose dads were named Charles. They were born around 1866-1867. So we’ll just jump to his obit in 1935 and work our way backward.

This J. Frank Saffell died in 1935, his wife was Ellen M. Dee Saffell, he was Catholic, being that his mass was at St. Martin’s, and he lived at 217 Q St NW in Truxton Circle.

Going to the 1930 census, James F. Saffell was the 63 year old head of household at 217 Q St NW. He lived with his wife Ellen, 59, and their son Frederick, 29. James claimed to own the home and worked as a tailor.

Similarly in 1920, the family is at 217 Q St NW, James is a tailor, but in addition to son Frederick, daughter Margaret A., 24, lived at home. James was 10 years younger, 53, as was his son, Frederick, 19. There were three adults working in the home. Son Frederick was a machinist and Margaret worked as a telephone operator.

Margaret was not in the home in 1930 because she had gotten married and was raising twin boys, aged 3. She had married Walter F. Carter.

Falling back 10 more years, the house is fairly full. Living with James Frank the tailor, his wife and children was James Dee, wife Ellen’s brother. James Dee worked as a roper hanger in a shop.

In the 1900 census James F. Saffell was a 32 year old White Tailor. He lived with his wife Ellen, their 4 year old daughter, and two brothers in law, Maurice and David F. Dee. The census tells us he was a DC native and his parents were too. He was born August 1867. His wife and brothers in law were also DC born with Irish parents.

James is assumed to be the owner of the property. When looking at the land records, Ellen sold the property in 1941. There are no mortgage papers or anything else and that is where this story ends.

The goal of the Truxton Circle History Project is to find every man, woman, and child who lived in the neighborhood using every available source. The Project uses the 1880-1950 censuses, the power of Ancestry and every other online resource to discover and uncover neighborhood history.

Truxton Resident- Albert I. Chew (1890-1945) Hanover Pl NW

Albert Chew was born September 14, 1890 in Washington, DC to Daniel Chew and Rebecca/Betty Parker. If his middle name was Ivan or Irving is a mystery as he used both. Chew lived on Hanover St in Truxton Circle from circa 1920 to 1945.

In his pre-Truxton census info, Albert was a Black/mullato and lived with his widowed mother. When he was about nine in 1900, his mother worked as a servant and his brothers, Daniel and James, worked as a bell boy and porter. He was still living with his mother and siblings in 1910. He worked as a driver for a department store.

By 1917 Albert was married with a child and living at 46 Hanover St NW. He had married Cecelia Mae Corbin and their first child, Irene/Aretha, was born in 1915.

He was still a driver in the 1920 census, but for a private family. But he was in a different house, 40 Hanover St NW. The property may have been a two flat house as there was another household at the address. He supported his wife, young son and daughter with his work.

Still a driver in 1930, his family moved a few doors down to 38 1/2 Hanover St NW. He was still supporting his family being the only employed adult in a family of six.

He was across the street from where he started in Truxton Circle, 45 Hanover St NW, by the 1940 census. This would be his last census. He was 49 and was a driver by trade, working for the federal government. The WWII draft revealed it was for the War Department, specifically, Ft. Meyer. The house must have been a bi crowded. Along with his wife Cecila, they lived with eldest daughter Aretha and her husband Bobby Williams, son William (20), and minor daughters Thelma (14) and Audrey (8). The son-in-law worked as a carrier. William was a new worker.

May 16, 1945 Albert Chew died. According to his obituary, his wife had already passed away. He was survived by daughters Thelma and Audrey Chew, Aretha Williams, Helen Beason and son William. Seeing that Audrey was a minor orphan with both parents dead, she was taken in by her sister Aretha and her husband on Rock Creek Church Rd NW.

Albert was a renter and we can see this in his movements. There must have been something about Hanover that kept him on that street. And why he bounced around from one house to the next is also a mystery.

Truxton Resident-Charles H. Aldridge (1891-1938) 214 Q St NW

Charles Henry Aldridge was born in New York City December 14, 1891 to William Frederick Aldridge and Mary Ellen Daly, to English and Irish-American parents. In 1900 his father was a painter and Charles as an 8 year old he lived with older sister Lucy (10) and baby brother William (1).

He had relocated to Truxton Circle at 214 Q St NW by 1917 when he filled out his WWI draft card. He was living with his wife and child and worked as a clerk for the War Department. He had married German-American Margaretha Geider in 1914 in New York City. In the 1920 census he was a government stenographer supporting his wife and two boys, Ralph (4) and Frank (1).

They remained in 214 Q St NW, a Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) home, through to the 1930 census. Since there is not a letter behind the number, they may have rented the whole property and it was not divided into two units. Charles died in 1938. He was the victim of a car accident three years prior and developed health problems as a result. He was the a section chief in the Adjutant General’s Office.

His widow remained at 214 Q St NW until it was sold off.

Truxton Resident- Grace J. Alsop (1900-1977) 30A Bates St NW

Grace J. Alsop appeared in three Truxton Circle censuses, 1920-1940. So let’s take a look at this TC resident from the past.

Grace was born a White female in Washington, DC on October 26, 1900 to Carrie V. McDonald and Lawrence H. Alsop Sr. Her father worked as a brewer. When she first appeared in the US census in 1910, she lived at 1143 5th St with her widowed father, her grandmother, and her two brothers and sister.

By 1920 she was living in a Washington Sanitary Improvement Co. unit at 30A Bates Street NW. She and her brother Lawrence Jr. were living with her sister Ida and Ida’s husband Andrew H. Smith and their 1 year old daughter. She was listed as working as a supervisor. Her brother worked as a driver and her brother in law was a shoe store salesman.

In the next census, 1930, Grace was still at 30A Bates living with her in-laws. Her brother had died in 1920 when his motorcycle was hit by a fire truck. He is buried at Arlington. Her sister and her husband gained a son, Richard. Grace still worked as a supervisor for the telephone company.

Lastly, in 1940, her occupation remained unchanged. As the same for her address and who she lived with.

In 1950 she was a lodger, living in an apartment with Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Hauphurst at 1231 Simms Pl NE in the Trinidad neighborhood. She was a service assistant for the telephone company.

Afterwards, at some point, she moved to Hyattsville, MD where she died in 1977. She never married.

Truxton Resident- James Adams (1883-1948) 1421 New Jersey Ave NW

Thousands of people have lived in the Truxton Circle neighborhood for over 100 years and they have thousands of stories. James Adams was just one of many. He was an African American man born in Charles County, MD. He shows up in the 1930 and 1940 census in Truxton Circle.

James Adams WWII Registration Card

James Adams was either born April 23, 1882 or 1883. His World War I draft documentation has 1882. He was the son of Amelia Matthews and John Adams, a farmer. In 1910 he was still on a farm when he was 27. In the next census he was 37, married to Matilda Florence Gray, and still on a Charles County farm.

As many have done before, he left the country and moved into the city and worked as a porter. In 1925 the Adams purchased 1421 NJ Ave NW ( W0553 lot 000S) from Laura Lee Beck. The money to purchase the home, may have come from Matilda’s inheritance. In 1924 she was listed as one of many heirs of John A. and Maria Gray in a legal matter. When the 1930 census came around the Adams were listed as the homeowners.

In his fifties, James still worked as a porter, handling baggage at Union Station, which is a fair walk from the 1400 block of New Jersey.

When he died at Gallinger Hospital after 33 days on June 9, 1948. On his death certificate his home was listed as 1421 New Jersey Ave NW. In the 1950 census, his widow, Matilda/ Florence lived as a widow (keeping house) with her 43 year old son Charles and an unemployed 75 year old woman lodger. Charles was separated from his wife (Maudestine Mitchell) and working as a baggage tender.

Truxton Resident- Mary Twine Adams (1893-1970)- 135 P St NW

Looking back at the 1880-1940 census (I’m still working on 1950), I’m looking for multi-census residents. Mary Twine Adams appears in Truxton Circle in the 1920-1950 censuses. Mary was an African American woman who lived at 135 P St NW with her husband Harry R. Adams. Her brother Charles A. Twine lived at 31 Q St NW.

Mary “Mamie” Anne Twine was born February 6, 1893 to Andrew Twine and Carrie Thomas Twine in Washington, DC. She had a brother, Charles, and half-sister Ida Twine Upshaw Ponton.

In 1913 she married Harry R. Adams. He was 38 and she was 20 years old. They purchased their home 135 P St NW in 1917. Logically, she appears in the 1920 census as Mary Adams. In all four censuses, she was a wife and homemaker. No children appear in any census to the couple. She remained married to Harry until his death in 1958.

According to the Social Security Death Index she passed away September 15, 1970. Looking at the land records, 135 P St NW was sold by her estate’s executrix Gertrude Farrar.

Truxton Resident-Thomas A. Cover 1904-1957- 1502 North Capitol NW

I enjoy looking up people and doing quickie genealogies. So I am getting back to that starting with Thomas A. Cover. Why him? He shows up in Truxton Circle in the census at least 3 times.

Born in 1905, he first appeared in the 1910 census. He was a five year old White male living at 1502 North Capitol Street NW. At that time he was living with his widowed father Charles Cover, a sister and two brothers, along with his aunt and uncle.

I should note he also shows up in Front Royal, VA in the 1910 census. It isn’t too unusual for people show up twice in different places. In Front Royal he was staying with his maternal grandparents, John and Mary Baublitz, on their farm.

He was born in Washington, DC to Charles Cover and Anna Iola Baublitz in June 27, 1904. His mother died in 1908 leaving his father to care for four minor children, two under the age of 6. Which might explain why Thomas A.’s maternal aunt and uncle, Minerva S. and Thomas A Baublitz lived with the family. His father worked as a clerk for the post office, and the uncle worked for a grocery store.

Thomas’ father married Aunt Minerva. It doesn’t seem she was really married to the other Thomas, as the record of a previous marriage is hard to find. In the 1920 census, Charles is married to Minerva and working as an accountant. Thomas is 15 years old and living at 1502 N. Capitol St. NW with adult sister, Cotta, and his two brothers Robert and Frank. He and older brother Robert worked as messengers for the Interior Department. The family had two roomers under their roof.

1930, the family is still at 1502 North Capitol. Charles was still the head with Minerva at his side. Thomas was 25 years old and worked as a clerk for the federal government. His younger brother, Frank, also worked for the federal government as a machinist. Frank was married to an Anna, and they had an infant son, Richard.

By 1940, Thomas had left Truxton Circle but still remained in Washington, DC. He was married and living at 2715 Cortland Pl NW in Woodley Park. He and his wife, Harriett, were both clerks for the Treasury Department, he an examining clerk and she a review clerk. They had an infant son and a White live in servant who was from the same state as Harriett.

They were still on Cortland Place in the 1950 census. By then Harriett had given up her government career for housewifery and they had a daughter. Thomas was an accountant working for the Reclamation Bureau.

Sticky Marriage Situation

Thomas was married twice and his first marriage wound up in the paper, but not in the wedding announcement section. In 1932, Thomas married Georgia V. Foster Mattingly, a woman who was previously married and two years his senior. Georgia’s marriage to Louis R. Mattingly was dissolved with a Mexican divorce, with their separation in 1932.

Apparently, Mexican divorces were not considered valid by the District Supreme court. A judge annulled the Mattingly and Cover marriage in 1934 and the matter made the newspapers. According to the reporting, Cover had paid for the divorce between Georgia and Louis in December 1932, and married her that same month. Exactly a year later, Thomas requested an annulment claiming the marriage invalid. The Evening Star, December 6, 1934 referred to it as a mail order divorce. The problem seemed to have been that no one had actually went to Mexico for the divorce.

The incident did not scare him away from marriage as he married Harriett Cecelia Mary Esse in 1936.

Thomas Austin Cover’s life ended in a Montgomery County driveway in 1957. He died of a heart attack in his car in his driveway at 4527 Rosedale Avenue, Bethesda, MD in the morning. He had nearly 40 years with the federal government. His first job, according to the Evening Star, was a messenger for Bureau of Mines.