Blacks in Wayne County, Ohio

Anti-Slavery Newspaper Articles

"Anti-Slavery Meeting"
2 Aug 1837
"Anti-Slavery Meeting"
2 Aug 1837 continued
"An Anti-Slavery Meeting"
18 Jul 1838

Black Churches

Second Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio)

In 1887 people begin to organize a black church in Wooster, Ohio.
Laying of Second Baptist Church corner-stone in building on E. Vine St. in 1892.

Census Records

Directories

History

Oral History Interview of Laura Jackson

Newspaper Articles

Newspapers often include both positive and negative stories related to "Blacks". When viewing these newspaper clippings, please consider the possible mindset of the residents at the time the newspaper article was published. The views published in the newspapers do not reflect the views of the Wayne County Public Library.

"Outrage"
26 July 1838
Peter Barnes, black-american, selected to canvas Dalton for Democrats in 1855.
James/Jones Kelly of Allegheny City, PA, at the age of 8 has a book of his rhymes and poems published in 1878 and were sold by his brother S.H. Kelly of Wooster, Ohio.
James/Jones Kelly of Allegheny City, PA, at the age of 8 has a book of his rhymes and poems published and were sold by his brother H.S. Kelly of Wooster, Ohio in 1878.
"Detective" Marshall Cavil, who once worked in Wooster, is connected with a murder in Ashland, KY in 1883.
1885 Obituary for James Hicks, colored troops Civil War veteran.
Joe McPherson arrested, fined, and jailed by Wooster Mayor after binge drinking liquor in 1888.
Black community members attend wedding in Cleveland, Ohio of Samuel Boyd, private secretary to Judge Ricks, to Rosa Farmer in 1893.
Archie Fields reportedly killed a woman in 1895.
James Hicks buried in Wooster Cemetery as a Civil War veteran in the colored troops.
Black community members attend picnic of True Reformers at Silver Lake in 1903.
Reported age of black-american William Dorcus, a resident of Wayne County Infirmary in 1904.
Unknown man robs and tries to burn a woman alive in Sterling, Ohio in 1910.

Noted Black-Americans in Wayne County, Ohio

Berry Family

James Berry
John Berry

Newspaper Articles Related to Berry Family

John Berry is robbed by an employee in 1880.
John Berry forms a union of Wooster barbers in which they agree not to employ strangers in 1880.
John "Elmer" Berry commits miscegenation with Rosa Fisher in 1882.
John "Elmer" Berry charged with miscegenation in 1882.
James Berry forms business partnership with William Johnson in Wooster in 1883.
James Berry's wife died from heart disease in 1885.
Elmer Berry and Rosa Fisher obtain a Wayne County Ohio marriage license in 1886.
Henry Berry is jailed in Medina County on the charge of criminally assaulting a white girl at Seville, Ohio in 1887.
Rosa (Fisher) Berry applied for divorce from Elmer Berry on grounds of extreme cruelty in 1893.

Follis, Smith, Woods Family

Newspaper Articles Related to Follis Family

Rosie (Follis) Fisher of St. Paul MN, visits relatives in Wooster in 1901.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Smith celebrate 25th wedding anniversary in 1903.
1905 Marriage announcement of Peter Woods to Alice B. Follis.
Peter Woods and Alice B. (Follis) Woods announcement of birth of daughter, Laura (Woods) Jackson on October 23, 1908.
Obituary of James "Henry" Follis in 1910.

Johnson Family

William H. Johnson

Newspaper Articles Related to Johnson Family

William H. Johnson, tonsorial artist, birth of daughter announcement in July of 1874.
Nominations to Republican ticket showing Wm. H. Johnson for Wooster 1st Ward Assessor, Wayne County Democrat 1876-MAR-29 p.2
William H. Johnson runs on Republican ticket for Wooster 1st Ward Assessor, Wayne County Democrat 1876-MAR-29 p.2
April 1876 Wooster Election Results showing Johnson's defeat, Wayne County Democrat 1876-APR-05 p.3
William Johnson loses $2,000 in failed Cleveland bank in 1878.
William Johnson forms business partnership with James Berry in Wooster in 1883.
Johnson's barbershop is lighted by newly patented carbon oil gas in 1883.
W. H. Johnson for Wooster Postmaster, Wayne County Democrat 1889-JUN-05 p.2
James Johnson is employed by Richard Morrison barbershop in 1894.
William H. Johnson suffers a stroke at the home of his daughter in Cleveland, Ohio in 1897.
Samuel Johnson obituary, Wooster Republican dated 1900-APR-25 p.1
By 1901 the Wooster Republicans have not run any black-americans for political office since 1876, Wayne County Democrat 1901-AUG-21 p.2
1907 obituary for Charles "L'ad" Johnson, youngest son of William H. Johnson.