James Hamlin
James Edwards Hamlin (1859 – October 19, 1924) was an American military officer, businessman, and politician. Born in Virginia, he attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He worked some menial jobs before becoming a postal clerk, and eventually opened a saloon. In 1898 Hamlin was mustered into the North Carolina 32nd Volunteers and appointed the rank of captain. He served in the Philippines before returning to North Carolina in 1901. Three years later he cofounded a drug store in Raleigh, which later became known as Hamlin Drug. A member of the Republican Party and proponent of organized labor, he served on the Raleigh Board of Alderman for several years.
Early life
James Hamlin was born in 1859 in Virginia, United States.[1] He earned a degree from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.[2] He married Annie W. Foushee in 1885 and had two children with her.[3]
Business and military career
Hamlin initially worked in tailoring and pressing before securing a job at a United States Post Office. Upon leaving the position he became a fishmonger. He briefly moved to New York City to work in a dining car before deciding to return to Raleigh to open a saloon.[4] He joined the North Carolina Industrial Association, a black trade association.[5]
In 1898 Hamlin was mustered into Company B of the North Carolina 32nd Volunteers at Fort Macon to serve in the
At the start of 1904 a new law came into effect which prohibited the distribution of liquor in Raleigh from any place other than a central dispensary. Hamlin responded by transforming his saloon on Wilmington Street into a restaurant and
Political career
Hamlin was a member of the
By 1899 Hamlin served on the Raleigh Board of Aldermen, representing the 4th Ward.
Later life
Following the intervention of U.S. Senator
References
- ^ Rabinowitz 1994, p. 216.
- ^ a b Shaffer, Josh (April 3, 2007). "100 years of nursing Raleigh to health: Hamlin Drug, N.C.'s oldest black-owned pharmacy, survives city's changes". The News & Observer.
- ^ a b c Richardson 1919, p. 290.
- ^ a b c d Simmons-Henry 1990, p. 255.
- ^ a b Beckel 2010, p. 108.
- ^ a b c d e Best, Bonitta (April 12, 2007). "Rx for success: For a century, Raleigh pharmacy put people first". The Charlotte Post. pp. 1A, 6A.
- ^ "Other Military Appointments– The Colored Battalion". The News & Observer. May 7, 1898. p. 6.
- ^ "Recruiting Complete". The News & Observer. October 11, 1899. p. 6.
- ^ "A Negro Soldier Returns Bringing an Adopted Filipino". The Wilmington Messenger. July 12, 1901. p. 7.
- ^ "The Dispensary In Effect To-Day : Barrooms Closed Last Night at Midnight". The News & Observer. January 1, 1904. p. 1.
- ^ "Colored B. and L. Association". The News & Observer. October 17, 1905. p. 5.
- ^ "Guilty of Selling Whisky". The Smithfield Herald. Vol. 33, no. 8. March 27, 1914. p. 1.
- ^ Beckel 2010, p. 118.
- ^ "The New Board". The Farmer and Mechanic. Vol. XI, no. 26. May 9, 1883. p. 2.
- ^ "Dastardly Outrage". The Wilmington Post. Vol. XVI, no. 20. May 20, 1883. p. 1.
- ^ Haywood, Esther B.; Maye, Faye Peace (October 28, 1961). "Washington Jr.-High School Started By Committee of Parents in 1894". The Carolinian. p. 46.
- ^ "Negro Regiments of the President". The News & Observer. September 12, 1899. p. 5.
- ^ Rabinowitz 1994, p. 218.
- ^ "In And About The City". The News & Observer. October 26, 1901. p. 8.
- ^ Zogry 2008, pp. 195–196.
- ^ Britton, Edward E. (February 22, 1924). "Bonus Advocates In N.C. Are Busy". The News & Observer. p. 14.
- ^ "To Be Buried Today". The News & Today. October 21, 1924. p. 7.
- ^ Leah, Heather (June 19, 2021). "Mt. Hope Cemetery: Segregated cemetery from 1800s holds stories of Raleigh's Black leaders". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Raleigh's new Moore Square is democracy squared. It's designed to welcome everyone". The News & Observer. July 26, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
Works cited
- Beckel, Deborah (2010). Radical Reform: Interracial Politics in Post-Emancipation North Carolina. University of Virginia Press. ISBN 9780813930527.
- Rabinowitz, Howard N. (1994). "Race Relations in Southern and Northern Cities". Race, Ethnicity, and Urbanization: Selected Essays. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 9780826209306.
- Richardson, Clement, ed. (1919). The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. Vol. 1. Montgomery: National Publishing Company.
- Simmons-Henry, Linda, ed. (1990). The Heritage of Blacks in North Carolina. Vol. 1. North Carolina African-American Heritage Foundation. ISBN 9780912081120.
- Zogry, Kenneth Joel (2008). The house that Dr. Pope built: Race, politics, memory and the early struggle for civil rights in North Carolina (PhD thesis). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. .