2023 24 Black Pages FINAL 2 - Flipbook - Page 104
$227,729, including real estate transac琀椀ons of $60,000. The total deposits for that period amounted to
$28,245.00.
These ins琀椀tu琀椀ons were organized, 昀椀nanced, and controlled by Macon Negroes. The insurance
business was the most produc琀椀ve during this period because of the security it a昀昀orded. The largest company
was the People’s Health and Life Insurance Company. The company was organized and 昀椀nanced by local
blacks with E.O. Powell serving as the 昀椀rst president and O.M. Hall serving as secretary-treasurer.
According to the Homosapien’s newspaper, it was es琀椀mated that blacks bought about 125 city
licenses annually for businesses of various kinds. In the city alone, there were about 40 grocery stores, 17
barber shops, 昀椀昀琀een cafes, eight cleaning and pressing establishments, two blacksmiths, two theatres, 昀椀ve
butcher shops, two real state 昀椀rms, three funeral directors, one haberdashery, two wood coal dealers, two
prin琀椀ng o昀케ces, one monthly magazine, eight insurance companies, four den琀椀sts, seven physicians, one
hospital, two lawyers, one conservatory of music, and a number of building contractors, carpenters and
insurance agents.
Shortly a昀琀er the bank failure in 1928 in Macon and the coming of the depression,
much of the economic ac琀椀vity and employment began to decline in the city.
According to Kenneth Coleman in A History of Georgia, Blacks during this period le昀琀 the state in large
numbers and went north for be琀琀er jobs and higher wages. The census of 1930 revealed an 11.2 percent
decline in Georgia’s Black popula琀椀on since 1790.
While a great number of blacks le昀琀 Georgia for many reasons, many remained and tried to live as
best they could under the prevailing system. Cornelius Troup in Dis琀椀nguished Negro Georgians iden琀椀昀椀ed the
following Blacks in the Middle Georgia area during the second quarter of the 19th Century: Paul Duval, who
operated a successful upholstery establishment, D.T. Walton, Sr. of Macon, W.T. Ford of Fort Valley, J.R. Boddle
of Milledgeville, Frank Hutchings of Macon, and Sol Clements of Macon were all successful businessmen
during this period. It is interes琀椀ng to note that during this period Macon claimed three banking ins琀椀tu琀椀ons,
two private hospitals, the Lundy Hospital, founded by Dr. John Lundy, and the St. Luke Hospital, founded by
Dr. W.C. Dyer. Today these economic ins琀椀tu琀椀ons are no longer in existence.
Many black ci琀椀zens recall that during the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, Broadway and Co琀琀on Avenue were
known as the mecca for black businesses. During this period, Charles Henry Douglass owned and operated a
theatre, shoe shop, liquor store, pool room, beauty shop, restaurant, and a hotel on Broadway. He owned an
extensive amount of property throughout Macon and Bibb County. He sold the Board of Educa琀椀on the land
where Ballard-Hudson High School sits because it would be a high school for blacks.
An editorial printed in the Macon Telegraph in May 1940 reads:
“The city of Macon has lost a valuable ci琀椀zen in the death of Charles H. Douglass, Sr., generally recognized as
one of the 昀椀nest representa琀椀ves of the Negro race the state has ever produced. He was born in Macon and his
psalmist’s span of three score and ten was spent here among the people who had known and esteemed him
from his youth up. By thri昀琀 and industry, he became one of the most extensive owners of real estate, including
the Douglass Theatre on Broadway, operated for the colored race, and adjoining property. He also had
important residen琀椀al holdings in Unionville. As his income expanded, his chari琀椀es increased, and no
benevolent appeal ever failed to meet his prompt and generous response. The cause of educa琀椀on had his
steady support. He had a na琀椀ve intelligence, a genuine warmth of heart and an inherent desire to contribute
what he could to the maintenance of those cordial rela琀椀ons between the races for which Macon is notable
104
