Since writing last week’s column on the former slaves, Thomas and Sylvia Woodard, I have uncovered maps, photos and news clippings at the Jefferson Historical Society on this family. To make the record complete, it is important that I include the new information to give a better picture of this outstanding family that had such an impact on not only Jefferson, but as far away as Arkansas. Since none of the ten Woodard children had offspring, this record is even more important because there is no one to contact or verify.
Through the kindness of the late Velma King, a woman who loved history and was from Lenox, we have two beautiful portraits of Clarence and Daisy Woodard, children of Thomas and Sylvia. The back of each picture is written, “1903, Jefferson Educational Institute.”
I was able to discover definitely that the Woodard home address was 316 North Chestnut St. Today, this home is owned and lived in by Tom and Mary Talcott.
An old article stated that in 1853, Tommee Wood owned the home followed by the Burgess family, then finally, the Woodard family in 1907. Albert Cowles Burgess was born in the home in 1861. He left Jefferson for Oberlin in 1891. In his obituary, it states that Thomas Woodard was occupying Burgess’ former home in Jefferson.
When Tommee Wood owned the home, its description was, “halfway down the bank of the creek, Mr. Wood had a sash and door shop. It was moved uptown on a lot afterwards occupied by the Mrs. Grover. The small shop was moved to West Walnut opposite Uselma Avenue and occupied by Jordan Jones. It burned in 1906.” A copy of the location of the home the Woodards would occupy until the last child died was found in an old Ashtabula County Atlas. A.C. Burgess’ name is on the map as well as showing a two-part structure.
In his book, “Know Your Neighbor” written by Editor Lampson in 1937, he went house to house interviewing and finding out the house history. He states that the Woodard house, “which overlooks Starkey’s Hill, winter playground for the village youth, is the home of Sylvia Woodard, a resident of Jefferson for the past 60 years, her daughter, Mrs. Baker, and two sons Christopher, who works for Druggist John Jones, and Luther, a farmer. Other members of the family are Daisy Rhinehart, Jefferson; Mrs. Syvia Carroll, a teacher at Middleton, Oh. and Professor Clarence S. Woodard, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a teacher in the state Normal College in that community. Professor Woodard holds a Ph, D. from Ohio State University. The family came from Virginia.”
The most interesting item I discovered about the Woodard home is the fact that Daisy Woodard, who married Adelbert Rhinehart, opened a restaurant in the house after remodeling it and making two dining areas in the home. She called it the Hillside Inn, a tea room. The Gazette reported in an undated article that it was opening on Decoration Day, May 30th in “the old home on the south side of Giddings’ Run, east side of North Chestnut Street. The home has been remodeled and re-decorated providing two dining rooms. Special attention paid to family dinners and luncheons, club meetings, parties and general catering. The old home stands on a hill with a large sloping shady lawn. A new driveway has been made, giving easy access to the property. There is plenty of room at the rear for automobiles.”
First Baptist Church historian, the late Dorothy Havens, included in her memories that she remembered Daisy Rhinehart Woodard having another restaurant on West Jefferson Street near where the BP gas station is today. Dorothy actually worked for a time in the restaurant known as “Daisy’s.”
The daughter by the same name as her mother, Sylvia, attended Wilberforce University near Xenia, Ohio. At the time, it was an all-black school. She completed a two-year course in 1916 and received her teacher’s certificate. The Gazette reported in 1920 that she had been teaching for three years. She married Harry Carroll and became a principal.
Daughter, LaBelle, was born in 1892 and lived in Jefferson her entire life. She married Albert Baker, a coachman for Dr. O, A. Dickson. Most of the children, if not all, were born in the house at 316 North Chestnut and many of them had their funerals held their also. They were members of the First Baptist Church of Jefferson whose membership had accepted each member who desired to join them.
A special news clipping at the time of LaBelle’s 1938 death reported that her brother, Professor Clarence Woodard, came from Arizona to Jefferson for her funeral. It stated that “he had but five minutes from his home in Arkansas to catch the train fifty miles away. The railway company held the train to allow this distinguished colored man to get the train and attend the funeral. The late Mrs. Baker was one of the leading colored women of the county[1].” LaBelle’s funeral was held at the family home at 316 North Chestnut Street.
When son, Professor Clarence, died in 1941, a special printed program at his funeral was given out which the Jefferson Historical Society has a copy. It was held in the Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College Chapel on the campus in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Son Thomas died at 81 in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1962 of a heart attack. He was employed as a chef at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, New York, and a member of the Jefferson Baptist Church. Lehnert Funeral home took care of the services with Richard DeMott, pastor of the Baptist church, taking charge of services.
Son Christopher died at the family home in 1951 after a long illness. He had been the general workman for John Jones and aided Mrs. Jones in running the store after her husband passed away. Utterback Funeral Home handled the services with the Rev. E. M. Wollam of the Baptist Church officiating.
Next week’s column will be on the former slaves, Charles and Mary Crooms, who came to Jefferson circa 1854 and left behind ten generations in our county. The Crooms family would move into the home of former slaves, Thomas and Sylvia Woodard at 316 North Chestnut Street, Jefferson.
