Category: History

Redeux- WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 15 Bates Street NW

This is a redo of a previous post to add a little bit of more info.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of 15 Bates St NW, WDC

Let’s see what happens with 15 Bates St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the whole of 15 Bates St NW to Jessie I. Johnson, married and Maude Y. Ryles, widow.
  • Jan 1951 Johnson and Ryles borrowed $6,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1963 Ryles and Johnson borrowed $6,600 from the Perpetual Building Association with trustees Junior F. Crowell and Samuel Scrivener Jr.
  • October 1963 Ryles and Johnson were released from their Jan 1951 mortgage.
  • October 1963 Ryles and Johnson benefited from the release of a loan taken out by Evans, Levin and Taube in November 1950.
  • December 1976 Ryles and Johnson sold the property Cleveland R. and Harriette Chambliss.
  • May 1990 Harriette, who was Cleveland’s widow and her next husband, George W. Crockett Jr sold the house to Lincoln Jenkins.
  • September 1990 Ryles and Johnson were released from their 1963 mortgage…. long after they sold the house.

This appears to work as promised. No foreclosures, no slum lords, no redevelopment agencies.

I found the Maude Ryles lived at 15 Bates Street NW according to the 1954 city directory. The rest of her history, I am not 100% about, but here’s my best shot. She may have been Maude Ann Yancey as a 1961 obit for Mariah H. Yancey mentions Maude Ann Ryles as the stepmother to her and several other girls and the foster mother of George Jordon of New York. So that’s where I guess the Y is for. In the 1950 census she was living at 62 Q St NW, Apt. 2, with a roommate and working as some sort of operator for Veteran’s (Affairs?). She died June 1980 and according to the Social Security Death Index she was born May 13, 1902, however her grave differs saying she was born in 1903.

According to the obit on the Find a Grave site, Jessie Y. Johnson was her sister. So I looked for her in the 1954 city directory and found her at 15 Bates Street NW. It appears she was an examiner for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In the 1950 census, she too was living at 62 Q St NW, but Apt 1. She was living with her husband Chester Arthur Johnson and 20 year old daughter Iris.

Redeux- WSIC-1950s Sell Off- 43 Bates Street NW

This is based off a previous blog post for 43 Bates St NW.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

The 45 Bates St NW post had some confusion and hopefully in this update I can do a better job.

Let’s see what happen with 43 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 43 Bates St NW to Elizabeth and Neal Nelson.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951)the Nelsons borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 43 Bates St NW to Mrs. Irene Brown, James E. Rogers and his wife Perlina Rodgers.
  • January 1951 Brown and the Rodgers borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1952 Brown and the Rodgers lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction it returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • Sept 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the foreclosed half to Bernice and Hickman Leathers.
  • September 1952 the Leathers borrowed $3,173.94 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • March 1954 the Leathers lost their half to foreclosure, and like the last time, Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed it via an auction.
  • April 1954 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to Leotta Francis, Isabell Forde and Rosalie Forde.
  • April 1954 Francis and the Fordes borrowed $3,186.77 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • September 1956 (recorded 3/14/1958) the Nelsons lost their half to foreclosure and ownership went to to Colonial Investment Co partners Harry A. Badt, Evans and Taube, though an auction.
  • September 1956 (recorded 8/27/1958, Doc 1958025810) Harry A. Badt and wife Jennie, transferred their interest in 43 Bates and other properties to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
  • March 1957 Francis and the Fordes sold their half back to Badt, Evans and Taube.
  • March 1959 Francis and the Fordes were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1959 (doc# 1959019387) Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold the whole of 43 Bates St NW and other properties on the block to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Between 1971-1972 Basiliko was released from several mortgages and the next document has the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) as the owner, so we are left to assume around 1970 Basiliko sold the property to RLA.
  • Around 1978 the DC RLA sold/transferred this and other properties to the Bates Street Associates. A contract (doc #7800024140) DC RLA and Bates Street Associates, Inc suggests the property was transferred around this time.

It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 8 of many

This is the second look at 144-16-95 [Frank Ray, Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor, Roland L. Gay – Victims] for information about an incident that happened around the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue in 1952.

We’ll skip over a few witnesses. If you want to read their testimony go to the link above for DOJ file 144-16-95.

I’m picking Buster Key of 1715 1/2 7th St NW because he seems to be one of the less than reliable witnesses.

INTERVIEW WITH BUSTER KEY

BUSTER KEY, 1715 1/2 7th Street, N. W., was interviewed on October 29, 1952 in Marion Court and advised that he has know the victim for several years and had seen him on numerous occasions in Marion Court. He stated that on July 13, 1952, he was visiting in the Court and at approximately 9:00 AM, he had noticed ZEKE in the Court. He pointed out that at the time ZEKE was not drunk and had come to a point where he, BUSTER, was standing and had given him a drink of wine from a quart bottle. BUSTER stated that he later left the alley and returned sometime in the late afternoon, at which time he noticed that ZEKE was sitting in a doorway on the west side of the alley at approximately 1721 Marion Court. He explained that when the police officers came into the alley, he was standing at a position opposite to ZEKE across the alley and that he had seen the police officers take ZEKE by his arms and walk him down the alley in the direction of “R” Street, N.W. KEY stated that at no time while victim and police officers were in the alley did he see any fighting or scuffling and that ZEKE was not hit by either of the officers during the period that he was in their custody, in Marion Court.
Continue reading It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 8 of many

It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 7 of many- Smoke Drinkers

This is the second look at 144-16-95 [Frank Ray, Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor, Roland L. Gay – Victims] for information about an incident that happened around the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue in 1952.

In part 6 I had the testimony of Frances Bernice Smith. There was a little something extra after her signed statement. The smoke drinkers were the crack heads of the 1950s.

FRANCES SMITH advised that near the point where ZEKE was sitting when the police officers arrest im numerous “smoke drinkers” congregate. She stated that these individuals always built a fire and for all purposes lived sleeping on the spot both in rain and snow. She stated that these individuals, whom she referred to as “smoke drinkers”were people who had no fixed address and who spent their day drinking a mixture of paint remover and water which they shook in a coca cola bottle until it turned into a milky white substance. She advised that they then drink this liquid and always appear to be under the influence of this concoction.

FRANCES SMITH commented that through instinct these individuals, if they are able to navigate, would disappear around the block at the first sight of a police officer entering Glicks Alley. She added they no sooner would the officers be out of sight before these “smoke drinkers” would be in the alley.

FRANCES SMITH pointed out that on the day in question these individuals had disappeared when the police officers first came in the alley and that none of them would have seen anything which had transpired.

FRANCES SMITH further advised that she had seen ZEKE drunk on many occasions in Glicks Alley, that he was in her opinion a “smoke drinker”, and for all purposes was what was known as a “lush”, She explained that a person who got drunk and either locked up or went and layed down and slept his intoxication off . She pointed out
that he was not the type individual who became mean and nasty when intoxicated and that she had never seen him in a fight or possessing any type of a weapon.

FRANCES SMITH commented that the following individuals resided at 1707 Marion Court, NW:

AUDREY WESTER,

EDITH JOHNSON,

SAMUEL BURTON,

THOMAS CHRISTMAN.

These people were contacted and advised that they had not been present in the alley on the day that the victim was arrested.

1968 Map of Shaw’s Junior High Schools

I could make commentary. But I won’t. I’ve lacked skin in this game for about 4 years now.

Shaw School Urban Renewal- Elementary Schools Map 1968

I believe I’ve posted this before. Not sure. These are the elementary schools of Shaw.

Slater and Langston seem to be joint  schools.

It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 6 of many

This is the second look at 144-16-95 [Frank Ray, Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor, Roland L. Gay – Victims] for information about an incident that happened around the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue in 1952.

I’d been looking at the interviews fresh from the scene, however, I’m going to move to the final report that has all the interviews typed up. Reading cursive handwriting is too taxing.

So I’ll start with Mrs. Frances Smith who lived at 1707 Marion Ct/ Glicks Alley… which sort of no longer exists. She mention’s “Daddy Grace’s fence” this is the rear of the UHOP on the 1700 block of 7th St NW. Her words: Continue reading It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 6 of many

It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 5 of many

This is the second look at 144-16-95 [Frank Ray, Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor, Roland L. Gay – Victims] for information about an incident that happened around the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue in 1952.

The next statement comes from Frank E. Pinckney of 604 R St NW. The image is from a statement that someone wrote in cursive. The statement below that is from a report that compiled all of the witness statements. The two are slightly different.

From pp.94-96 of FBI 44-WFO-145, pp. 112-114 of DOJ 144-16-95:

“On Sunday, July 13, 1952, at about 6:30 p.m. I was sitting on the front steps of my residence at 604 R Street, N. W. There was no one else home at the time. My attention was attracted to the north side of R Street by loud talking and shouting. I looked up and at the west end of the hedge or the south side of the park I observed two white police officers with a colored prisoner. The officers were surrounded by about fifteen or twenty people. The people were shouting and hollering at the police officers and I thought that a riot was about to start as the people were crowding in on the officers and I didn’t know what might happen. I recall there were about six or eight cars parked on the north side of R Street.
I did not see any motorcycle parked. There were no cars parked on the south side of R Street, N. W. There were a few cars moving along R Street and some of them stopped and made the crowd larger.

The police officers each had a hold of an arm of the man and the man was between them. Because of the crowd and the cars my view was somewhat obstructed. The man was not walking but was being dragged along by the officers with his feet scraping along the ground. The man was pulling and twisting around and kicking out with his feet at the officers. They appeared to be having considerable trouble making their way along the sidewalk with the man. The police officers did not hit the man up to this time and were very busy trying to drag him along.

I do not know if the crowd touched the officers as I could
not see clearly because of the cars but the crowd was shouting abuse at the officers.

The officers continued struggling along with the man until they got just opposite my house between the second and third tree on the north side of R Street. At this point the man slumped down on the sidewalk. The police officers tried to get the man to stand up. The man was twisting and rolling around on the ground and kicking at the officers. The officers were struggling with him trying to get him to his feet, but could not get the man up. Because of the crowd and cars I could not tell whether any of the man’s kicks touched the officers, however, they were very close to the man and were wrestling with him and were rolling around on the sidewalk with him. Just at this point the man appeared to be getting out of
control entirely. One of the police officers, I didn’t know which one, then grabbed his night stick and struck at the man. I could not see where the blows struck the man but I could hear the man shouting “Don’t hit me anymore, don’t hit me anymore.” I estimate that the police officer struck only about three blows at the man. The other police officer did not strike at the man at all, he was engaged in trying to hold on to the man.

At this point my phone rang and I went into the house. I talked briefly on the phone to my brother, WARREN B. PICKNEY, of 428 Galt Street, N.E. I did not mention to him what was going on outside. While talking on the phone I heard one shot. I continued talking for a brief period and then when finished I came back out on my front steps. Just as I got outside on my steps again the patrol wagon got on the scene. There were then four officers present and a large crowd of 100 or more had gathered and people and cars were arriving from every direction. Because of the crowd I could not see the man. I continued to watch until the ambulance came and took the man away.

I would like to say that when I first saw the man he did not appear to have any blood on him or to be injured in any way. I could not see the man as he was being struck by the police officer. When the man was put in the ambulance I could see blood on his head. I could not see the man well enough at any time to tell if he had anything in his hands.

I would like to add that just before my phone rang one of the two officers ran to the call box at 6th and R Streets, N. W. I would not be able to identify either officer or the man if I were to see them again.
I did not notice if either officer had any blood or marks on, Him.

This statement was read to me as I forgot my glasses. It is true.

 

It happened on the 600 block of Rhode Island in 1952, part 4 of many

This is the second look at 144-16-95 [Frank Ray, Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor, Roland L. Gay – Victims] for information about an incident that happened around the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue in 1952.

The next statement comes from Annie Gardner of 614 R St NW. I will do my best transcription.

“saw situation when officer shot man said he was lying on sidewalk when I first saw them they were in front of the lamppost dragging him along beating one went for the patrol wagon and one continued to beat while he was lying on the groung [sic] helpless. The officer fired three shots.”