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.