Tag Archives: #Pearl Reed Cleage

January 27, 1904 – Illness and The True Reformers

Indianapolis, Pearl Reed's Letters, Reeds
Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries. Click to enlarge.

2714 Kenwood Ave.
Indianapolis, Indiana,
January 27, 1904

Homer Jarrett
9 Walnut St.
Hot Springs, Ark

Homer,

Pearl Reed

I received your letter about fifteen minutes ago and was pleased that you should be so solicitous of our welfare as to write to inquire about our health.

I am sorry to relate but I have a very bad cold from the exposure of Sunday evening. I was unable to be at my work Tuesday and, today was confined to my bed ‘till a few hours ago taking horrid old bitter remedies for my cold, and feel real badly yet, although I intend to go down town tomorrow whether or no.

I had intended to go to Allen’s Chapel Friday eve, but this slight illness has caused me to change my program for the week. If I am able to be at my work I will be contented. I am grateful to you for your kindness, but I am unable to accompany you on that evening.

You seem to be hurt over my calling you a coward. I said it, because, at the time you acted like one, but otherwise, I do not think you are. Forgive me if I spoke too plainly, for I did you an injury in doing so perhaps.

You must also forgive me for causing you to break your vow, in accompanying us to church and home. You should not have broken it Homer. You told me once before that you wanted to forget me and I told you that I would help you. We did quite well until Sunday Eve, and I suppose that you forgot. It shall not occur again, since, you wish it so, for I would not have you do an injury to yourself for me for anything, Homer.

Thanking you for every kindness that you have done for me and wishing you a successful career, I will say

Good-bye
Pearl D. Reed

 _________________

What did my grandmother Pearl miss and who were the True Reformers?

True Reformers meet at Allen Chapel

True Reformers meet at Allen Chapel Fri, Jan 29, 1904 – Page 16 · The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

True Reformers’ Large Installation.

The Order of True Reformers has made elaborate arrangements for a public installation at Allen Chapel tonight, at which 105 officers will be installed. The affair is under the direction of W. S. Henry, chief of the Indiana department. An address of welcome will be delivered by the Rev. H. E. Stewart, and a response by the Rev. Charles Williams. An address will be made by the Rev. James M. Townsend on “Negro Enterprises,” and one on “Advantages of Race Protection,” by the Rev. J. F. Walker. The installation will be conducted by the Rev. J. T. Carpenter, of Washington, D.C., who is department general of the order. Representatives of the seven fountains (lodges) of the city will respond. There will also be music and recitations.”

More information about the history of True Reformers Bank.

True Reformers Bank 1888-1910

“The Savings Bank of the Grand Fountain United Order of True Reformers was the first bank owned by African Americans in the United States. It was founded on March 2, 1888 by Reverend William Washington Browne and opened on April 3, 1889. Although the True Reformers bank was the first black-owned bank chartered in the United States, the Capitol Savings Bank of Washington, D.C. was the first to actually open on October 17, 1888.

Born in 1849, Browne was a former Georgia slave who escaped joined the Union Army in the North. After the Civil War, he founded the Grand Fountain United Order of True Reformers, a black fraternal organization. In 1887 when Browne visited Charlotte County, Virginia to establish a local branch of the True Reformers, he encountered problems. The branch arranged to keep its savings with a white shopkeeper in the county, but with racial tensions high after an 1887 lynching, the shopkeeper told other white residents that local blacks were organizing and raising funds, and the branch was forced to disband. Browne decided the True Reformers would have to found and run a bank itself so that its finances could not be monitored by whites. ”  To read more, please click on the linked text.

December 21, 1903 – Christmas

Indianapolis, Pearl Reed's Letters,
Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries. Click to enlarge.
Pearl Reed

Homer Jarrett
#230 Alleghany St. City

2714 Kenwood Ave.,
December 21, 1903

Mr. Jarrett –

Homer, do you remember a girl that you once knew and visited some times in the north part of this city? If you do, well that girl would like very much for you to come out to her house Christmas Day and take dinner with her and family, if you will be so obliging. It will give us great pleasure Homer if you will take dinner with us then, will you?

You are far from your home and mother and I would be delighted if you would share mine on this day of “Peace on Earth, good will toward men.”

How are you? We have not seen you since the Sunday that you were out. Did you know that Minnie had moved on West Street now? I was at her house one evening last week, for a few minutes, and discovered that she had changed her dwelling.

I shall expect you for dinner Friday Homer and you will not disappoint us?

Your
Pearl

____________________

Bookmark to Pearl from her brother Clarence E. Reed. Christmas 1903.
Journal to Pearl from her brother Clarence.

July 3, 1903 – Hot Weather and A Train Trip

Indianapolis, Pearl Reed's Letters
Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries. Click to enlarge.
Pearl Reed

2714 Kenwood Ave.
Indianapolis,
July 2, 1903

Homer Jarrett
Exchange Hotel
Union Stockyard City

Homer;
I received your interesting little letter and was delighted to hear from you. I do not feel very well, in fact, I do not believe any one could this warm weather, unless they were composed of iron. Do you?

I think we shall leave for Benton Harbor Monday A.M. if I am not mistaken. We were speaking of our trip today and mother spoke as though she wanted to stay only two weeks, but I shall try to persuade her to stay two months.

Homer you spoke of our going to the park Sunday, well, if we go, I think it had better be at 2 P.M., for it will be cooler then.

If I have worried you with this message, forgive me. I am tired and angry and had to vent my ill humor on someone.
Good-by.
Pearl D. Reed

__________________

July 2, 1903 weather

We will never know why Pearl was tired and angry, but I did find out about the weather for that day and traveling to Benton Harbor by train. According to the Indianapolis Journal, on July 2, 1903, the high temperature was 90 degrees and the low was 70. It was clear and sunny with a south wind.
July 2, 1903 weather Thu, Jul 2, 1903 – Page 2 · The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

Union Station, Indianapolis, Indiana
Union Station, Benton Harbor, Michigan

Pearl and her mother traveled from Indianapolis and Benton Harbor at least once a year to visit her older sisters Sarah Busby and Louise Shoemaker and their families. They would have taken the train.  One train left at 7 AM and arrived in Benton Harbor at 8 PM that same day. The later train left at 11 AM and arrived the next day at 3:10 PM.
Fri, Jul 17, 1903 – Page 9 · The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

The trip was 303 miles and lasted about 13 hours. The cost of a ticket in 1903 was about two cents a mile, bringing a the cost of one ticket to $6.06.

When I graduated from college, I took a trip to San Francisco via the Greyhound Bus. My grandmother Pearl packed me a big lunch to carry with me. I remember fried chicken enough to share and white buttered bread. And fruit.  I imagine they packed a good lunch for the train trip.

May 17, 1903 – Evangeline

Indianapolis, Pearl Reed's Letters
Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries. Click to enlarge.
Pearl Reed

2714 Kenwood Ave., City
May 17, 1903

Homer Jarrett
Exchange Hotel
Union Stockyard, City

Mr. Jarrett,

Homer I am indeed very sorry that I was not at home Saturday when you came. In looking through “Evangeline”, I found your little missive and was glad to hear that you liked and enjoyed the books. Mother was feeling badly when you were here and is worse now. She was confined to her bed all of today. You need not answer this Homer for it is of no consequence and is not worth spending the time on.

Pearl

____________________

Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

Grandmother Before the Party – 1971

Cleages, Detroit, Reeds, sepia saturday, ,
Before the party.

It was June of 1971 and my grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage was waiting for the party to begin. Uncle Hugh is in the kitchen getting things ready.  Grandmother was 87 and didn’t break her hip for some years yet. I remember so many dinners around that table. There were always cakes with caramel icing for birthdays. This time it looks like there are two cakes – one chocolate and one with caramel icing. Both have candles.

Candy corns in the little silver dish. There were often candy corns in the covered candy dish that always on the front room table coffee table. Candy corns or red and white striped peppermints or sometimes chocolate kisses.

My parents at the party, a corner of Henry. Blair and Anna Pearl are at the kids table in the front room.
A better view of the front room. You can see the candy dish on the table behind Maria’s chair.

I can think of several June birthdays. My father turned 60 that year. My cousin Anna Pearl turned eleven and her sister Maria turned nine. It must have been an all June collective party. I wish I had been there. My oldest daughter Jilo turned one that June.

Click to see other Sepia Saturday posts.

My Grandmother’s Letters

Pearl Reed's Letters, Reeds,
Pearl Reed (later Cleage) about 1904.

During the past month I have been working on the forty letters I recently found written from 1903 to 1905 by my grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage to her friend Homer Jarrett. Homer was a cousin of her sister Minnie’s husband, James Mullins.

After reading through the letters, I transcribed them. It wasn’t always easy because her hand writting seems hurried and is hard to read. There were a few words I couldn’t make out at first but after going back, I have figured out most of them.

Next, I looked in newspapers of the day to find out about the temperatures when she said it was hot or cold. I looked for announcements about concerts, church events and people that she mentioned. I googled the books she wrote about.  I looked for how much money a black laboring man made during those years. It wasn’t much. I’ve wondered about their Christmas and Thanksgiving menus.

Now I am trying to reconstruct the house she lived in with her older brothers and mother. I found the house in the Sanborn and Bast Atlas maps. At first I was happy with that, then I wanted to know what the house looked like. For several days I’ve been looking at pictures online of historic houses in Indianapolis, Indiana and at drawings of possible layouts. Now I’m wondering about furniture.

The letters themselves gave me a window into the life my grandmother was living back in the early 1900s. The other information helps me to light up the rooms I’m looking into. Eventually I will be ready to put it all together.

Oh, Dry Those Tears! (1901)

Investigations,

For the past month, I have been lost in researching my cousin Anna Belle McCall Martin Martin Giampino’s life. My plan was to write her up for the second person in my 52 ancestors in 52 weeks series. Right now I am behind by about six weeks. While looking I found a third husband, an eighth child and her death, among other things.

One of these was a newspaper article that described a recital where Anna Belle McCall sang “Oh Dry Those Tears”. I realized that my grandmother Pearl Reed had sung the same song at a different recital.  You can hear this song at the end of the post.

Twenty two year old Anna Belle sang in Montgomery in 1904.  She had graduated from and taught at Alabama State Normal School, where the program was given. At the time she lived at home with her parents and siblings.

My grandmother Pearl sang in Indianapolis Indiana in 1909. She was twenty three and lived at home with her mother and brother. She sang with her church choir at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church on Sundays and regularly in community and church programs. Several years ago I found this news clipping among family photographs.

Sings in Concert at Simpson Chapel

The Indianapolis Star, 08 May 1908, Fri, Page 12

“The violin recital of Clarence Cameron White will be given this evening at Simpson Chapel under the direction of the colored Y.M.C.A. Orchestra. He will be supported by the best local talent.

The following program will be given:

Overture-“Northern Lights,” Y.M.C.A. Orchestra.
Violin- Hungarian Rhapsodie, Clarence Cameron White.
Solo – “Oh, Dry Those Tears.” Miss Pearl D. Reed.
Piano – (a) Valse in C sharp minor: (b) Polaise in A major, Mrs. Alberta J. Grubbs.
Violin – Tran Merci; (d) Scherzo. Clarence Cameron White.
Intermission
Orchestra – “The Spartan” Orchestra
Vocal – “Good-bye” Miss Pearl D. Reed.
Readings – A.A. Taylor
Selection – “The Bird and the Brook” Orchestra

Anna Belle with her brother James Edward McCall in 1906. From the Detroit Free Press.

An Evening With McCall

Poems of Blind Negro Poet Recited at Normal School
Montgomery Advertiser September 9, 1904.

“A goodly crowd of representative negro citizens of Montgomery was present last night at the chapel of the State Normal School to participate in an “Evening with Poet McCall.” The entertainment consisted of recitations of some of the works of Montgomery’s blind negro poet interspersed with musical selections both vocal and instrumental.

The poems presented were well selected, embracing lyric, epic, didactic and satiric compositions of James Edward McCall and were rendered in a suitable and sympathetic manner by members of his race. The poet himself was present, seated among the audience.

N.H. Alexander acted as master of ceremonies and in a few introductory remarks dwelt upon the character of McCall’s work and stated that the object of the meeting was to pay tribute to the genius of one of their own race.

Also noteworthy were the remarks of William Phillips who gave a sketch of the life of the blind poet and spoke of the favorable appreciation his poems had met with both among his own race and the white people in Montgomery and elsewhere.”

Lyrics:
O dry those tears and calm those fears
Life is not made for sorrow
‘Twill come, alas! but soon ’twill pass
Clouds will be sunshine tomorrow
‘Twill come, alas! but soon ’twill pass
Clouds will be sunshine tomorrow

O lift thine eyes to the blue skies
See how the clouds do borrow
Brightness, each one, straight from the sun
So is it ever with sorrow
‘Twill come, alas! but soon ’twill pass
Clouds will be sunshine tomorrow
Then lift thine eyes to the blue skies
Clouds will be sunshine tomorrow
O dry those tears, life is not made for sorrow

———————————————-

words and music by Teresa del Riego
published by Chappell & Co. Ltd., London

Pearl Doris Reed Cleage – 1884 – 1982

Cleages, Photographs, Reeds

Pearl Reed Cleage. Photo taken in the 1940 at her home on Scotten in Detroit.

Thinking about my grandmother Cleage today. She would have been 133 if she were still living. Pearl Doris Reed Cleage, born in 1884 in Lebanon, Kentucky and died in 1982 in Idlewild, Michigan.

The Cleage family about 1930 in front of their house on Scotten. From L to R Henry, Louis, (My grandmother) Pearl, Barbara, Hugh, Gladys, Anna, Albert Jr (My father) and (My grandfather) Albert Sr.

Links to other blog posts about Pearl Reed Cleage

Dr. Albert B. Cleage and Miss Pearl Reed Wed

1940 Census – The Albert B. and Pearl (Reed) Cleage Family

Two Newspaper Articles

Pearl Reed Cleage With Baby Henry

 

Generations of Family Signatures

Cleages, Grahams, The Book of Me, , , , ,

When I started looking for signatures, I thought it would be easy because I have many letters through the generations.  The problem was that they did not sign letters with both first and last names.  Some repeatedly used nicknames.  I was able to find most signatures by searching through documents – marriage licenses, social security cards, deeds, bills of sale and group membership cards. I finally found my sister’s signature in the return address on an envelope and if I’d thought of it sooner, might have found others in the same place.

missvirginia
The first page from my great grandmother, Jennie Virginia Allen Turner’s memory book. My mother’s, mother’s mother. The first generation born out of slavery and the first literate generation.  I believe that she and her siblings all attended schools founded by the Congregational Church in Montgomery, AL after the Civil War.

My great grandfather Howard Turner was born in 1862 in Lowndes County, AL. He was literate but I do not know what school he and his siblings attended.
My great grandfather Howard Turner was born in 1862 in Lowndes County, AL. He was literate but I do not know what school he and his siblings attended.  I do not have a photograph of him but I did find his signature on my great grandparents marriage license.

ransom_handwriting
My great grandmother’s brother, Ransom Allen.

marymccall_handwritting
My great grandmother’s oldest sister, Mary Allen McCall.

pearl_cleage_signature

My paternal grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage. I found her signature on some legal papers because all of the letters I have from her were signed “Mother”.  I know that she graduated from high school in Indianapolis, IN and received all of her education in Indianapolis but I do not know the names of the schools.  Her signature came from a Marion Indiana Probate record for her older brother’s will in 1946.

 

My paternal grandfather, Dr. Albert B. Cleage Sr. He attended the Athens Academy in Athens TN, Knoxville College and the Indiana Medical School in Indianapolis, IN.

My paternal grandfather, Dr. Albert B. Cleage Sr. He attended the Athens Academy in Athens TN, Knoxville College and the Indiana Medical School in Indianapolis, IN. His signature came from his marriage license in 1910.

 

 

 

fanny

My maternal grandmother, Fannie Mae Turner Graham.  Jennie’s daughter, she was educated in Montgomery, AL at State Normal which was a school from elementary to high school, started by the Congregational Church for Black students.  Her signature came from the 1910 Montgomery Census form via ancestry.com. She was an enumerator.

 

Mershell

My maternal grandfather Mershell C. Graham. My mother said he taught himself to read. The 1940 census said he finished 8th grade. From Coosada, Elmore Countty, Alabama. His signature came from his WW1 Draft registration card in 1917 via ancestry.com.

 

 

 

 

My father Albert B. Cleage Jr. His nickname was Toddy and he often signed his letters home Toddy. He attended Wingert elementary, Northwestern High, Wayne State in Detroit and Oberlin University in Ohio.

My father Albert B. Cleage Jr. His nickname was Toddy and he often signed his letters home Toddy. He attended Wingert elementary, Northwestern High, Wayne State in Detroit and Oberlin University in Ohio.  His full signature came from a Purchaser’s recipt in 1957 for a building Central Congregational Church wanted to buy.

 

 

 

 

My mother was born in 1923 in Detroit, MI. She attended Thomas Elementary School, Barbour Intermediate, Eastern High and Wayne State University in Detroit.

 

Doris Graham Cleage, Fannie’s daughter, my mother was born in 1923 in Detroit, MI. She attended Thomas Elementary School, Barbour Intermediate, Eastern High and Wayne State University in Detroit.  Her signature came from a State of Michigan Teacher Oath in 1964.  The “Doris” came from a letter home from Los Angeles in 1944.

My younger sister Pearl Michell Cleage. She attended Roosevelt elementary, McMichael Junior High and Northwestern High in Detroit. Also Howard and Spellman Universities.

My younger sister Pearl Michell Cleage is Jennie’s great granddaughter. She attended Roosevelt Elementary School , McMichael Junior High School and Northwestern High School in Detroit. She also Howard and Spellman Universities.  Her signature came from the return address on a letter in 1991.

 

 

My own signature. I was raised in Detroit and attended Brady and Roosevelt elementary, Durfee and McMichael Junior high and Northwestern High school and Wayne State University, all in Detroit My own signature. Another great granddaughter of Jennie, I was raised in Detroit and attended Brady and Roosevelt Elementary Schools, Durfee and McMichael Junior High Schools, Northwestern High School and Wayne State University, all in Detroit.   The bottom signature came from my third daughter’s birth certificate in 1976.  The top one came from a deed for the sale of the house on Oregon where  I was a witness in 1968.