The Alphas of Black Columbus: Untold Stories of Resilience and Triumph

Welcome to "The Alphas of Black Columbus," a series dedicated to honoring the pioneers and trailblazers of Black history in Columbus, Ohio. In this series, we will explore the life stories of remarkable individuals and organizations who have significantly contributed to the fabric of our community. These narratives are essential for understanding our past and inspiring future generations to push beyond barriers and claim their place in history.

The Historical Context: Ohio's Role in Black Freedom:

Ohio's legacy as a free state began in 1803 when the state stepped into the national spotlight as an advocate for freedom. Situated at a crucial place of the Underground Railroad, Ohio became a sanctuary for many escaping the shackles of slavery. As the state capital, Columbus emerged as a focal point for Black culture, activism, and community building. As the 19th century progressed, the city became a melting pot of diverse Black voices and experiences, setting the stage for various leaders to rise and lay the groundwork for future generations.

Showcasing Pioneers: A Glimpse into the Lives of well-known Columbus' Alphas:

1. James Preston Poindexter: A prominent figure in the late 19th century, Poindexter was an early advocate for civil rights in Columbus. He made significant contributions as a minister and a politician, helping establish institutions that served the Black community, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His work laid the groundwork for future activism and social reform.

2. The Ohio Black Legislative Caucus: Established in the late 1960s, this group of legislators worked tirelessly to address issues affecting the Black community in Ohio. Their advocacy led to significant policy changes and helped empower the voices of Black citizens in the state government. Their legacy continues to inspire today’s leaders and activists.

3. Wil Haygood: A renowned journalist and author, Haygood's work illuminates the complex narratives of Black life in Columbus and provides a platform for marginalized voices. Through his writing, he has preserved the stories of many who have contributed to the city's rich tapestry of Black history.

Preserving Our Local Legacy:

As we delve into the rich Black history in Columbus, we are not merely recounting events but celebrating the resilience, contributions, and profound impact of Black individuals and communities throughout our city's history. The work of local historians such as William McWilliams, Nimrod Allen, Dr. Anna Bishop, Beatrice Murphy, Arnett Howard, and Wil Haygood serves as a crucial foundation for this endeavor. Their dedication to preserving and highlighting these narratives enriches our understanding of the past and its influence on the present.

As a native of Columbus, growing up in the heart of the segregated community on the east side on Long Street, I have learned that Columbus's black past was relative to a specific audience and left unknown to most. Although black history existed and was preserved, always sitting in an archive, book, magazine, or newspaper, it simply wasn’t easily accessible until the digital era and with the help of the Columbus Metropolitan Library database and archives. The Columbus Metropolitan Library and its digital archives represent a vital resource in this ongoing effort to uncover and disseminate black history. Making these archives available enables scholars, researchers, community members, and younger generations to connect with their heritage. This fosters a deeper understanding of the struggles and accomplishments that have defined black life in Columbus.

In “The Alphas of Black Columbus,” we will celebrate our community's rich and diverse history, paying homage to those who blazed trails despite the challenges they faced. We hope this series encourages young people to delve into their histories and write their narratives in the ongoing story of Black America. Let us ensure that the next generation knows not just the struggles but also the triumphs and legacies of Black excellence in Columbus.

Stay tuned to our upcoming stories as we explore the lives and contributions of the remarkable individuals who have shaped and continue to shape Black history in Columbus, Ohio. We will honor the past, celebrate the present, and pave the way for the future.

The story I’ll share today on this beautiful fall morning in November 2024 begins with a wealthy black man named Hanson Johnson, who resided in Columbus and established his wealth through real estate and entrepreneurship. I first discovered Hanson Johnson while reading a report created in 1953-54 by The Frontiers of America, titled “Advancement, The Negro Contribution to Columbus, Ohio 1803-1953.” 

In the article, the writer mentioned a successful Legacy; below is what was mentioned:

“Hanson Johnson, colored, died on October 15, 1877—a continuous resident of Columbus for 54 years. For 39 years, he kept a barber shop in the basement of the American House. He was a native of Petersburg, Virginia, came to Columbus in 1823, was a generous and zealous benefactor of his race, and at the time of his death, was the oldest colored mason in Ohio of the League of colored masons known as the national compact, famed at Boston, he was a prominent organizer. His son, Solomon Johnson, is said to have been the first of his race to receive an appointment in the treasury department in Washington, DC. Hanson Johnson died universally known and respected in the city.” 

Although the story shares significance about Hanson Johnson, the article that led to me desiring to understand more about Hanson and his family was from The Columbus Dispatch, written on January 1, 1875. The article expressed the following:

Hanson Johnson and FB Roney, colored, are worth $35,000 each.

I was curious to learn what the equivalent dollars of $35,000 were today (2024) and its assumptions with the CPI Inflation calculator, and it confirmed the following:

$35,000 in 1875 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $976,900.91 today, an increase of $941,900.91 over 148 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.27% per year between 1875 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,691.15%. https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1875?amount=35000#:~:text=%2435%2C000%20in%201875%20is%20equivalent,cumulative%20price%20increase%20of%202%2C679.01%25.

Once I discovered what I assumed was a significant dollar amount, I began researching how Hanson Johnson obtained his wealth and what life perspectives he taught his family to pass the knowledge and wealth to his children. I discovered some interesting facts while researching him and his family's history. Columbus Historian Ed Lentz mentioned Hanson Johnson in the Columbus Dispatch on February 24, 2019: 

“a generous and zealous benefactor of his race and at the time of his death was the oldest colored Mason in Ohio ... Hanson Johnson was a man of unblemished character and died universally known and respected in the city.”

Although historian Ed Lentz shared a short biography of Hanson, I wanted to learn more about his legacy, so I discovered the following in my research. 

Hanson Johnson and his first wife, Mariah King, married in Franklin County on July 5, 1827. Their marriage was published in Ohio, United States, and extracted from the Old Northwest Genealogy Quarterly 1789-1898. The publication of their names in marriage meant they were free black people when they arrived in Columbus from Virginia. The exact period of their arrival is unsure, but it is safe to assume the dates are close to accurate, considering their second child, Lucas, was born in 1829 in Columbus, Ohio. Hanson was born in Petersburg, Virginia, according to Ancestry.com. In 1810. Hanson and Mariah were listed on the 1830 census as residing in Columbus, Ohio. In the 1850 Census, Hanson's wife, Mariah Johnson, was listed as thirty-nine years old, which would’ve led to her birth in 1811. 

Although the 1830 Census doesn’t mention names, it does state a household of five people: two children under two (one boy, one girl), one man aged between twenty-four and thirty-five, one woman with the same age range, and one girl aged ten to twenty-three. It's safe to assume the adult male was Hanson and the adult woman was Mariah, considering the age groups match their ages.

In the 1840s census, Hanson and Maria Johnson were listed in the history of the St. Paul AME church as helping to build the church (named Brick Bethel at the time), completed in 1844. 

The story of Hanson Johnson and how he achieved success is still being determined. He owned real estate, where he was known for establishing a strategy known as blockbusting, according to his great-great-grandson. Blockbusting is used in real estate to persuade white people to move from their homes, considering black new neighbors have moved into the community. It was a strategy used to drive down the cost of a home while building home opportunities for the black community. 

Hanson was a barber in the prestigious American hotel on Gay Street in downtown Columbus (on the NW corner of High & Gay Street), according to the Columbus Directory. William G. Herbert, the great-grandson of Hanson, mentioned in his book that it was well known that his customers were white, and all of Hanson’s sons would follow in their father’s footsteps and become barbers while owning their real estate franchise. Ancestry.com notes that Hanson Johnson owned real estate in the 1850 census. Johnson owned his home, and his real estate was valued at $12,000, equal to half a million dollars today. The cost of homes in 1850 averaged $600 in Ohio, according to visualizingeconomics.com. This doesn’t explain why Johnson’s home value on the census was exceedingly high for the city. It’s an assumption; Johnson owned several parcels of land, and we know this to be true when his children sold land to others after Hanson passed in 1877.

The 1850 Census listed Hanson and Maria Johnson with children noted as the following: Lucius 21, Ann L 22, Julia 19, Allen 15, Virginia 13, Richard 11, Douglass 9, Solomon 7, and Johnny 2. The 1860 census included an additional daughter, Australia, who was eight years old at the time; she may be a granddaughter to Hanson. Virginia, Richard, Douglass, and Solomon attended a school showcasing the family's wealth and privilege for a black family. 

Unfortunately, the census doesn’t detail the names of the schools they attended. An educational resource named Teaching Columbussaid the following regarding education for the black population of Columbus in the 1860s, 

“African Americans, led by trustees for an African American school, David Jenkins, R. Roberts, and C. Lewis, had organized a school in the 1830s on Columbus’s south side. When the south side school grew too small and dilapidated, Jenkins and others placed advertisements in newspapers to appeal to white citizens for funding to educate their children to “help make them good citizens.” Jenkins and others secured almost $600 in cash and promises. They could buy a lot and erect a second school, the Alley School, at the intersection of Lafayette and Lazelle Alleys.”

Because of the law in Ohio about blacks being unable to participate in education, the Johnson children could have attended the school with black students in Columbus or the first black church of Columbus; St. Paul mentioned establishing a school for black students. Still, the church pamphlet didn’t define the dates of when it started, the pamphlet had the following to say regarding education for black students:

“The first school for the education of black children of the city. Rev. Brown, the pastor, was its first leader. Ellen Belt, age 92, a member of St. Paul for seventy-six years, the oldest living member of the church to be born in Columbus, was one of its pupils.  (Lewis, 1923) According to the 1850 Census, the young children of Hanson and Mariah who attended school were Virginia, 13; Richard, 11; Douglass, 9; and Soloman, 7. 

Hanson Johnson and his first wife were married in 1827. They appeared to reside together until the 1870 census when a new wife, Susanna Barcroft, 45, was introduced as his wife in Franklin County in July 1869. Hanson’s first wife, Mariah (Mary), was noted as living in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1870 with her maiden name, Mariah King, and was pronounced dead in March of 1870. I didn’t identify a divorce certificate.

Although Hanson Johnson and Mariah King had ten kids together, Susanna appears to have had three children from her previous marriage, according to the 1860 census: John, Helen, and Ellen Barcroft were listed as her children. She married Ephraim Bearcraft and resided in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Columbus. Hanson and Susanna didn’t seem to have children together; he was fifteen years older than she was when they married in 1869.

Hanson Johnson’s sons, including Lucas, Allen, Richard, Douglas, Soloman, and Johnny, followed as barbers in their father's footsteps. Four of his sons, Douglas, Lucious, Allen, and Richard, served in the Civil War. In addition to barbering, his son Douglas sold real estate, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Specifically, on February 4, 1878, “Lucious Johnson et. Al. to Douglas Johnson quit claim to the east half in lot 463 $10, and Lucius Johnson to Virginia Johnson quit claim to the SE atr. Of in lot 463 $10.” Lucius also was a Ward No. 8 Representative for the City of Columbus on September 30, 1877. Douglass resided at 38 E. Gay Street. Douglas would marry a white woman named Carrie, who was born in Switzerland.

Richard Johnson was born on January 21, 1839, and, as mentioned previously, attended school, participated in the war, and ultimately became a barber and real estate agent. The Columbus Dispatch said the following on May 27, 1872 “WA Hersniser & Wife to Richard Johnson, a tract on the N side of lot No. 8 of Starr’s subdivision in Columbus May 24, 1872, for $600.He also serves in the 44th US Colored Infantry, and when returning from the war, he became a Hotel Porter at the esteemed Neil House Hotel.

Hanson Johnson’s daughters married men of privilege. Ann Thomas married Henry Thomas, who owned a saloon, and their home was valued at $1000 in 1870. Julia Utter married John Utter, who became a successful barber in Cincinnati. Virginia Mason married John Mason in 1857, and Virginia would later become a hairdresser.

According to the Columbus City Directory of 1875, John Johnson was a barber and owned a peanut stand on High and Town Street.

Solomon Johnson was born in 1843 and would claim the prize as one of the best success stories amongst Hanson Johnson's children. Although Solomon began his journey as a barber to Abraham Lincoln in 1863, he later obtained one of the highest government positions obtained by a black person at the time. Although he didn’t serve in the Civil War due to personal handicaps, Solomon did obtain opportunities as a Light Guard (a particular military group established to protect and serve President Abraham Lincoln). This opportunity led to Soloman ultimately becoming the first black to serve as the Clerk of Treasury in Washington, DC, beginning in 1870. Due to Solomon’s talent as a barber and his professional abilities, he would continue to climb the government ladder, serving as a clerk in several departments and a messenger for the office of the Secretary. Solomon returned to school at Howard University, where he studied law. He was also identified as a voter in 1881, according to a letter he wrote to William Windom, the Secretary of Treasury. According to a letter written by the treasury department in 1874, Soloman’s salary was $1400 per annum, equivalent to $40,130.00 today, according to officialdata.org. Soloman government success is documented in the files of the US Treasury Department, National Archive catalog https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6705920 and at Howard University https://dh.howard.edu/finaid_manu/107/. Soloman would marry Elizabeth Cunningham and later Bessie Johnson. He had five children and was an active participant of Prince Hall Masons, serving in the Pythagoras Lodge #9, where he was a Worshipful Master. His great-great-grandson, William Herbert, mentioned Hanson Johnson, Solomon's father. He came together 1847 with other black masons from the United States and established a “National Compact,” a governance structure for all black masons in America. Mr. Herbert wrote a book detailing his grandfather's life, “The Other Life of Abraham Lincoln’s Barber” (www.williamgherbert.com).

Remembering Hanson, I felt inspired. In a world where the challenges faced by marginalized communities remain persistent, his legacy serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of perseverance and vision. As the vibrant fall leaves danced in the crisp air, I realized that Hanson Johnson’s story was not merely a historical account; it was a call to action: to continue building, lifting others, and shaping a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Sources & Supportive Reading:

1. Allen B, Simpson J, Worsham AJ (1954). A The Frontiers of America, “Advancement, The Negro Contribution to Columbus, Ohio 1803-1953.” Columbus, Ohio. https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/african/id/11412/rec/1

2. Columbus Dispatch. (1875, January 1). https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AA&hide_duplicates=2&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=60&val-base-0=%22Hanson%20Johnson%22&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-NB-1631D6F16CB820DD%402405890-1631CD7F2FC1CE5D%402-1631CD7F2FC1CE5D%40

3. Columbus Dispatch. (2019, February 4). Lintz E. As It Were: Black residents were integral to the young city. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/clintonville/2019/02/24/as-it-were-black-residents/5851186007/

4. Ancestry.com

5. Columbus Business City Directory. (1857). Page 338.

6. Lewis M. (1923). Program Centennial Celebration; St. Paul AME Church. Columbus, Ohio. Pages 10-19. https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/african/id/22619/rec/6.

7. Columbus Dispatch. (1872, May 27). 

8. Staff, MSRC, "JOHNSON, SOLOMON JAMES" (2015). Manuscript Division Finding Aids. 107.

https://dh.howard.edu/finaid_manu/107

9. Soloman, S. National Archive Catalog. General Records of the Department of Treasury. (1775-2005). https://catalog.archives.gov/id/10599790.

10. Sauer D. (2012). Teaching Columbus; A history of the public schools (1806-1912). https://www.teachingcolumbus.org/about.html.

11. Herbert WG. (2024). The Other Life of Abraham Lincoln’s Barber. The USA. www.williamgherbert.com. 

12. Photo and Book link to “The Other Life of Abraham Lincoln’s Barber.” www.Williamgherbert.com.

Nimrod Booker Allen, a native of Girard, Alabama, earned his undergraduate degree from Wilberforce University in Ohio before graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity from Yale Divinity School in 1915. While at Yale, he was a member of the Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. Allen spent much of his life in Columbus, Ohio, where he was deeply involved in social services, serving as the Columbus Urban League’s executive secretary for nearly 40 years. The organization supported Black residents of Columbus, especially recent migrants from the South, during the Great Migration and into the early Civil Rights era. Allen also founded two other social service organizations: Frontiers of America (now known as Frontiers International, Inc., founded in 1936) and the Ohio Conference of Social Work Among Negroes. He was also a member of the NAACP. In addition to his social service work, Allen served as a lay leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and as an executive secretary at the local YMCA.

Nimrod Booker Allen died in Columbus in 1977 at the age of 91.

His brother, Alexander Joseph Allen, attended Yale Divinity School in the same period. A nephew, Alexander Joseph Allen, Jr., graduated in 1940.

Source: https://onlineexhibits.library.yale.edu/s/early-black-yale-students/item/21134#?cv=&c=&m=&s=&xywh=-76%2C0%2C499%2C499

Nimrod Allen and his wife, Clare, bought a house at 1715 E. Long Street on March 4, 1955 (Franklin County Auditors). The Allen family lived in the house until the 1980s. Coincidentally, the Montgomery family later purchased the same home, and I had the chance to visit it when I was hired as a family cleaner. My first business was a cleaning company that I owned for twenty-five years. The home's interior was unique, with four levels, including a basement and a finished attic. The house also had a parking garage with what appears to be space for an office or apartments above the garage.

J. Arnett Mitchell, born in Gallipolis, Ohio, on September 9, 1889, to Robert and Lillie Mitchell, graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine in 1912. He was the fourth African American to enroll as an undergraduate there. After earning his degree in August 1913, he studied abroad in Germany. Mitchell later became an English professor at Tuskegee and served as dean of the academic department at Southern University in Louisiana. On February 16, 1915, he married Eva Lenora Reeder.

In 1921, Mitchell became the principal of Champion Avenue Middle School (then called Champion Avenue School) and held the position for 38 years.

In 1927, Mitchell and his family resided at 224 N Monroe Ave. My father had Dr. Mitchell as his principal at Champion; my aunt (Anna Fuller Harper) said he was a strict man with high standards for his students.

William Brooks, a lawyer who became the first black to serve as a Columbus municipal court judge. 

William and his wife, Mary, are prominent socialites. Brooks also served as Deputy Franklin County Auditor, Assistant Attorney General, Chairman of the Columbus Civil Service Commission, and Director of Public Utilities for the City of Columbus. Additionally, Brooks was President of the Ohio Conference and the Columbus Branch of the NAACP. 

The family lived at 1640 East Broad Street. They bought the 7,865-square-foot home in 1973, which had been converted into apartments, and restored it to its original condition. The house had many owners over the years, but it was first built in 1914 and served as the residence of Henry C. Werner, a shoe manufacturer and Columbus banker. My memories of this home go back to my high school years, when my friends would visit the back of the house for '80s house parties hosted by Brian Brooks, his son. I always knew of his family’s importance in the city, but the students at East who attended the party appreciated the chance to have fun with wealthy Black people, which was very rare in the 80s. 

As of 2019, the home was back on the market. It is one of the last “Homes” remaining on East Broad. Most others have been converted to commercial use.

The story of the Caroline Brown House begins in 1848 in Henrico County, Virginia, near Richmond. John D. Brown, a slaveholder and plantation owner, died on March 6 of that year. According to the 1820 census, Brown owned seven slaves, and he likely owned more by the time of his death. His will specified that Caroline Brown, his “indentured servant,” was to be freed, and that a sum of money was to be given to her son Edward—probably John D. Brown’s son—to move to Ohio and build a house for his mother. Three years later, the administrators of John D. Brown’s estate purchased an 11-acre plot (Lot 29) in Township 5, just outside the city limits of Columbus at that time.

Caroline, Edward, and Constantia arrived in Columbus around 1852. Caroline was nearly 70 by then, but Edward was only about 21, and Constantia was around 19. (Various census records show differences in their birth years.) Edward built the house for his mother–originally a single-story home with four rooms and a flat roof. The Browns, none of whom could read or write, lived there through the Civil War. There are no records indicating how many runaway slaves might have found safety at the house. The house did have tunnels suitable for hiding people. Some neighbors believed the tunnels led to a nearby barn and ended near Main Street. About half a mile away, the Kimball House, near Main Street, was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. 

Caroline Brown died in 1869, and Edward kept possession of the home at 1200 E. Livingston Avenue. By then, Constantia had married a German (Prussian) immigrant, John Johnson, and had four children of her own. Edward sold the house to Asa Parker in 1877. Edward, who had never married, apparently moved in with Constantia and her family at that time. In the 1880 census, the Johnsons and Edward Brown, all listed as “White,” are shown living together in the same household in Marion Township, south of Columbus, and working as farmers. We know little else from historical records about their lives or deaths. The descendants appear to live as white people today.

Source: https://www.teachingcolumbus.org/african-american-experience/category/all/2

If the walls of the house at 1275 E. Long Street could speak, they would shout, “Black Excellence. From 1920 to 1985, the home was owned by the Columbus legends, the Jones Family.” 

Dr. Lloyd Jones, a respected physician and civic leader, and his wife Anna (who lived with the Wolfe family when she arrived in Columbus working as a servant), a prominent socialite and Elks Club president, hosted many of the city's most notable gatherings in the home, including the 1943 wedding celebration of Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and his wife, a moment chronicled in The Ohio State News. Their daughter, Cecelia Chancellor, became an influential educator, serving as principal of Mt. Vernon and Beatty Elementary Schools, continuing the Jones family's legacy of service and achievement. 

1275 E. Long Street: A House, A Family, and a Legacy Remembered.

My memory of 1275 E. Long Street runs deep, rooted in my childhood at 1261 E. Long Street, just a few doors away. 

My aunt often spoke of Cecelia Chancellor, remembering her as kind yet stern, tall and thin, and deeply respected. Her name was spoken with admiration, as someone who left an impression on everyone she encountered.

The history of the Jones family at 1275 E. Long Street is layered and complex, marked by both success and scandal. The story I grew up hearing was that Dr. Lloyd Jones was an eye, ear, and nose physician who became involved in performing illegal abortions. When charges were brought against him, rather than serving his sentence, he fled to Mexico. In doing so, he left his wife, Anna Jones, behind to manage their remaining properties and the mounting tax responsibilities.

Sadly, Anna was eventually forced to sell much of their property holdings beyond the home at 1275 E. Long Street. Dr. Jones later remarried and ultimately died in Mexico, far from the community he once called home.

After the family passed on, I remember watching the house slowly fall into disrepair, a once-grand home fading under the weight of time and neglect. Yet today, it stands beautifully restored, a stunning example of its original grandeur and architectural dignity.

I wish I could document every home where a Black legend once lived. For now, I begin with these five. This work will continue.

These houses still stand.

Their stories still live.

Their legacy still matters.

And it is our responsibility to protect them.