Caswell County School Desegregation

Jeffers v. Whitley, 309 F.2d 621 (4th Cir. 1962)

Alexander JEFFERS and Sylveen Jeffers, minors, and John L. Jeffers and Annie L. Jeffers, their parents and next friends; Nathan Brown, Lunsford Brown, and Sheliah Brown, minors, and Jasper Brown, their father and next friend; and Charlie Saunders, Jr., and Fred Saunders, minors, and C. H. Saunders, their father and next friend, Appellants,

v.

Thomas H. WHITLEY, Superintendent of the Public Schools of Caswell County, David L. Johnson, Chairman, C. N. Barber, J. A. Hodges, N. L. Oliver and J. C. Wilkins, Members of the School Board of Caswell County, Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit

Methodist Church History in Caswell County, North Carolina

New Hope United Methodist Church

Purley United Methodist Church
(click on photograph for larger image)
M. Park Hunter (Pastor at New Hope and Purley United Methodist Churches in Caswell County, North Carolina) kindly provided (a) a paper he authored on Methodism in Caswell County, (b) his extensive research notes, and (c) New Hope and Purley church photographs. The links to these materials are set forth below:

New Hope United Methodist Church 230th Anniversary

Methodism in Microcosm, M. Park Hunter (2008)

Research Notes

New Hope Photographs

Purley Photographs
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Additional materials relating to these churches will be found at:

Cemetery Census (New Hope)

Cemetery Census (Purley)

New Hope United Methodist Church 200th Anniversary

New Hope United Methodist Church Weblog Article
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Caswell church marks 230 years
© Burlington Times-News
July 24, 2009
By Tristan Long

Few churches can claim they’ve been organized longer than the denomination they belong to. New Hope United Methodist Church on 679 Long’s Mill Road in Caswell County is one of those. On Sunday, the church will celebrate its 230th anniversary with a service that will include appearances by the bishop of the North Carolina United Methodist Church, Alfred Wesley Gwinn Jr., Burlington District Superintendent William H. Gattis, and former pastors and their family members. The church traces its beginnings to class meetings led by John B. Davis starting around 1779. Davis, a Maryland native, left the Methodist-influenced area in the 1770s as a teenager. Current church members can trace their lineage to Davis, said Park Hunter, the church’s student-pastor.

At these early meetings, people read scripture and listened to sermons by lay ministers under “a big ol’ oak tree,” said Hunter. Methodist pastors were not ordained ministers until after 1783. Hunter estimated that a dozen or more people would attend these events, but it would be limited to the family members and neighbors in the immediate area. Class meetings were then moved to the Davis home until a log church was built sometime in 1779 near the church’s current location. New Hope is the oldest church in the Burlington District and one of the oldest in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. The church’s foundation comes before the creation of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Christmas Conference of 1784.

“God is good, truly,” Hunter said of the church’s longevity, “when you look at the ebb and flow of human history. We have tried to be faithful and serve God in the community.” Hunter said a luncheon will follow the service. “This church likes to cook,” said Hunter, who has been at New Hope since 2006. “It’s going to be spectacular.

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Betty Lou Newman Hodges (1938-2009)

(click on photograph for larger image)

Greensboro (News-Record, 28 July 2009) — Betty Newman Hodges, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, died peacefully at Beacon Place on Saturday, July 25, 2009, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer. She was 70 years old. Betty was born on October 31, 1938, in Roxboro, N.C., to parents William J. "Bill" Newman and Wilma Coward Newman of Leasburg, N.C. Betty attended schools in Caswell and Person counties and was a graduate of Roxboro High School, Class of 1956. She went on to study at Greensboro College and King's Business School. While attending King's she met and began dating her future husband, Charles Whitted Hodges, of Greensboro. One year later they married, on October 17, 1959, in the Leasburg Methodist Church. This year would have been their 50th wedding anniversary.

Betty's first job was with the Piedmont area Girl Scout Council, starting in the summer of 1959. She eventually was promoted to office manager, holding that position until she left in May of 1964 to await the birth of her first child, Joan. Their second child, Charles "Chuck", was born in 1969. Betty re-entered the workplace at Greensboro Day School in 1979, serving as the first Middle School secretary, a position she held until her retirement in June of 1999. After retirement, Betty enjoyed spending time with her family at home, when traveling, and at the coast and in the mountains. She was the happiest when surrounded by family on these occasions. To her family, Betty was a loving wife, Mom and Grams. To her friends, she was caring and loyal.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 50 years, Charles Whitted Hodges; daughter, Joan H. Machanic of Summerfield and husband, David; son, Charles "Chuck" Newman Hodges of Durham and wife, Elina; grandson, Stephen H. Machanic and granddaughter, Catherine Marie Machanic, both of Summerfield. She is also survived by a brother, John G. Newman of Greensboro; nephew, Will Newman; niece, Beth Newman; mother-in-law, Marie D. Hodges; sister-in- law, Irma W. Hodges; and, a special first cousin, Ann Gunn Everitt of Yanceyvillle. The family will receive friends from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28 at Forbis and Dick, North Elm Street Chapel. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, at Greensboro Day School- Westminster Presbyterian Church, Lake Brandt Campus. A second memorial will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, at Leasburg United Methodist Church, Leasburg, N.C. Remains will be interred in the Leasburg Community Cemetery. The family would like to thank the physicians and staff at Moses Cone Regional Cancer Center for their care and concern. They would also like to thank the wonderful people at Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro and their Beacon Place facility. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27405, or to the charity of one's choice.

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Yanceyville, North Carolina Post Office History

The Heritage of Caswell County, North Carolina, Jeannine D. Whitlow, Editor (1985) at 78 ("Yanceyville Post Office" by Jeannine D. Whitlow):

The post office at Yanceyville was first called Caswell Courthouse or Caswell. The name was changed to Yancey, no date given, and finally to Yanceyville March 2, 1835 while Thomas Graves was postmaster.

As near as can be determined at this time, Thomas Bouldin, appointed March 8, 1798, was Yanceyville's first postmaster. Succeeding postmasters in order of their appointment dates are:

Henry Atkinson, March 17, 1800
Richard E. Matthews, January 23, 1802
Thomas Graves, May 10, 1804
Thomas Graves, April 22, 1819
Abner Miles, September 16, 1839
Edmund R. Fowler, February 10, 1854
William B. Graves, April 30, 1856
William Brown, June 13, 1856
Alexander McAlpin, October 5, 1867
(Mrs. Mary O. Kerr lists Lazarus Fels next with comment, Confederate period?)
M. V. Paylor, April 1, 1868 (shown on Mrs. Mary O. Kerr's research as Mrs. Mary B. Paylor)
Wilson Carey, August 21, 1869
Thomas J. Brown, November 23, 1869
James L. Roberts, December 9, 1872
Robert Bigelow, October 22, 1873
Thomas J. Brown, June 7, 1875
Allen Gunn, December 19, 1876
Felix Roan, June 22, 1881
Jerry [Jeremiah] Graves, November 12, 1884
Jeremiah Graves, November 19, 1884
W. H. Thompson, July 16, 1885
Jeremiah Graves, March 26, 1889
James B. Poteat, May 31, 1893
Eliza C. Kerr, December 26, 1894
Drury F. McKinney, January 8, 1898
Archie C. Lindsey, December 17, 1910
Henry W. Perry, April 15, 1914
Sallie W. G. [Willie Graves] Perry, May 2, 1916
Albert Y. Kerr, May 29, 1918
Addie Slade, March 2, 1923
Thomas J. Henderson, June 11, 1923
Thomas D. Boswell, May 8, 1933
Garnett C. Cooper, September 30, 1953
Hugh Dorsey Bradner, June 16, 1955
James R. Graves, Jr., October 1, 1983
[Fred A. Smith, January 9, 1993]
[Dinah L. Marshall (January 25, 2003 - July 31,2012)]

Sources: Arthur Hecht's Postal History of N.C. 1789-1795, Mrs. Mary O. Kerr's research from William S. Powell's book, When the Past Refused to Die, A History of Caswell County, 1777-1977, and research of James R. Graves, Jr., Postmaster, Yanceyville, N.C.

----- Jeanine D. Whitlow


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Anderson, Caswell County Post Office History

Anderson Postmasters

Name, Date Appointed

Quintin Anderson, 8 August 1818
Anderson B. Walker, 22 December 1854
Mary A. McNutt, 27 May 1867
George Anderson, 29 April 1892

The Anderson Postoffice was discontinued 1906.
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Semora, North Carolina Post Office History

The Heritage of Caswell County, North Carolina, Jeannine D. Whitlow, Editor (1985) at 65 ("Semora Post Office" by Mary McAden Satterfield):

The post office at Semora was established June 25, 1877. The first postmaster was James Morrison McAden. He had served as postmaster at Cunningham Store, N.C. in Person County in 1855 and in 1859. He served the Semora office until his death in 1891.

His son, John Henry McAden, was appointed postmaster July 1, 1891 and served until 1913. Mrs. Mary S. Pointer was appointed April 23, 1913, and served until 1917. her son, John L. Pointer, was appointed postmaster February 3, 1917 and served until 1920. Mrs. Ella Y. McAden, wife of John Henry McAden, was appointed postmaster November 16, 1920 and served until her retirement in 1941. Her daughter, Mrs. Caroline M. Winstead, was appointed July 8, 1942 and served until her retirement in 1972. Mrs. Vernell B. Allen was appointed October 1972 and served until her retirement in 1982. Mr. A. I. Andrews of Greensboro was appointed October 1982 and is presently postmaster.

Rural carriers have been W. H. Scott, W. S. Taylor, Jr., John F. Pointer, and the present carrier, Joe F. Scott.

Providence, North Carolina Post Office History

The Heritage of Caswell County, North Carolina, Jeannine D. Whitlow, Editor (1985) at 58 ("Providence Post Office" by J.Louie Oakley):

The Providence Post Office is located in north central Caswell County on County Road #1500. It was established September 1, 1953. The one rural route now served from this office was part of Route #4, Danville, Virginia. This route was originally 36 miles. At the present time, the route is 52 miles and has grown from 208 boxes to 596 boxes.

The delivery area of the Providence Post Office has grown from about 850 customers to over 2,000 in the thirty years of existence. Since the Providence Post Office has been established, the revenue has increased from $11,550 in 1954 to over $21,000 in 1983. J. Louie Oakley is the present and the only postmaster to serve at Providence. he was installed as acting postmaster in September of 1953. He served as acting postmaster until March 1955. At that time, he was appointed postmaster by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Courtesy J. Louie Oakley

Providence Post Office has one part-time clerk. Connie Oakley, Hazel P. Poteat, Catherine Jenkins, Betty M. Collie and Inez S. Hart have served in this position over the years.

The route is served by William H. Carroll, Sr. who has been in that position since the beginning of the post office in September, 1953. William Carroll, Jr., J. C. Powell, Herbert L. McDowell, Sr. and Garnie Jones have served as substitute mail carriers over the years.

----- J. Louie Oakley
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PROVIDENCE POST OFFICE CASWELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Name Title Date Appointed James Louie Oakley Acting Postmaster 09/01/1953 James Louie Oakley Postmaster 03/24/1955 Ronald B. Bullock Officer-In-Charge 03/16/1985 Joseph H. "Sandy" Warren Jr Postmaster 04/27/1985 Jo Ann G. Slayton Officer-In-Charge 08/08/1992 Kenneth L. Huggins Postmaster 03/20/1993 Jo Ann G. Slayton Officer-In-Charge 07/02/1998 JoAn W. Dean Postmaster 09/26/1998 Jo Ann G. Slayton Officer-In-Charge 03/29/1999 Clara E. Sheene Postmaster 07/17/1999

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