Thurston County’s Black history reaches back to the earliest days of American settlement. While the United State Federal Census has its limitations, it offers a window into the lives of the county’s Black residents during the first half of the 20th century, an often overlooked period.
Thurston County Black History Pre-20th Century
Several Black settlers arrived during Thurston County’s earliest years. George Bush arrived with his family to what is now Tumwater in 1845. Later in the 19th century, Rebecca Howard and her husband Alexander ran the Pacific House Hotel in Olympia, and the Mars family operated the Our House Restaurant. The City of Olympia’s “Olympia Area Black Pioneers” brochure provides much insight into this period.
While the brochure discusses several people that lived in Thurston County near the turn of the century, the first half of the 20th century remains understudied. The federal census, taken every 10 years, records a small – never more than about 20 people – but growing Black population. It is likely an undercount. The census is well known for missing people, especially minorities, as well as misspelling names and other errors. But for all its limitations, the census is a helpful resource. Together with newspaper articles and other records, it is a good springboard for future research on Thurston County’s Black history.
Turn of the Century Trends in Thurston County
Like most people in Washington State, Thurston County’s turn of the 20th century Black population was mostly born out of state. Facing rampant racism and discrimination, these people did their best to form lives in their new home.
Most listed in the early years were single laborers. 70-year-old Thomas Park, born in Bermuda and a naturalized citizen, is listed as a brick mason in the 1900 census while 59-year-old Louis James of Virginia was a woodcutter in Woodland, now Lacey. M.K. Charles worked at the Lindstrom saw Mill in Rainier in 1920. There were also several Black women working as prostitutes in the Red Light District in the 1900 and 1910 census.
The census records most Black men as laborers, a vague catch-all term. Job opportunities were limited by discriminatory hiring practices. Many worked as janitors and with cars. Walter Hamilton was listed as a janitor in the 1940 census. Divorced, he lived on Prospect Street with his 16-year-old son John, who attended Olympia High School. John was yell leader in 1938, according to the yearbook. They had recently moved to Olympia from Las Vegas. A few Black women worked as domestic servants, like Ida K. Owen. Born in Texas, this 48-year-old single woman was listed in the 1940 census as working in a private home.
A number of Black men worked in the auto industry, like Silas “Si” Senter. Si was a naturalized citizen born in Jamacia who moved to Olympia in the 1910s, working at Knox Garage. His wife Minerva was born in Tennessee. The census lists him as a stave joiner in 1920 and an autowrecker in 1930. He owned Columbia Auto Baths, a car wash, in Olympia before moving to Tumwater in 1932, where he operated a used car business until his death in 1952.
The 1920s and 1930s also saw the opening of several Black-owned businesses. This included the Capital City Window Cleaning Company, owned by Edward and Bedina Scott. In the 1930 census they rented to Standford England, a Black employee. Bedina’s mother Celia West also lived with them. Born into slavery, she passed away at 105 in 1935.
Thurston County Black Families in the 20th Century
As the decades passed, the number of Black families increased. The Cogwell family is listed in several censuses, starting in 1920. Farming near Rochester, this family consisted of
James, Margaret and their children.
Local newspapers and Rochester High School yearbooks provide more information about the family. Stepdaughter Fern Johnson graduated from Rochester High School in 1924. A 1925 newspaper article describes a visit to Deep Lake (now Millersylvania State Park) with friends. Tragically that same year, 12-year-old James drowned while fishing with a friend on the Black River. His classmates served as pallbearers at his funeral at Rochester’s Community Church. Daughter Ruby Cogwell Bishop (1919-2019) became a leading jazz musician in Seattle.
The Black population, though largely Olympia-based, was spread throughout the whole county by the 1940s. For example, Donna (or Dina) Arnold lived with her 17-year-old daughter Alberta on Bald Hill Road near Yelm in the 1940 census.According to the same census,Evan Duncan (age 34) lived in Boston Harbor and owned a car wash in Olympia, Evan Duncan’s Auto Laundry. His household included wife Gladys (31) and children Evangeline (3), Gloria (2) and Bonnie (6 months).
Housing remained a difficult problem. Restricted covenants and refusal to rent or sale limited options. Many Black residents lived near each other. The 1940 census recorded several Black couples farming in northeast Olympia. This included Freddie and Stella Brisco, who also both worked as janitors to make ends meet.
The 1950s would bring more people with the expansion of state government. One of the first would have been O. Avis Davis, an engineer for the Toll Bridge division of the State Highways Department. His wife Melba taught art classes and their son was an active student at Olympia High School.
Their story and the stories of many who came after them are recorded in Dr. Thelma Jackson’s “Blacks in Thurston County, Washington 1950 to 1975: A Community Album.” The following decades would see great strides made against housing, job and other discrimination and a growing recognition of Thurston County’s Black heritage.
