People Firsts | Esther M Lee African American Heritage Center

Donald O. Johnson

by Lou64JLL | Dec 13, 2024 | People, People Firsts

DONALD O. JOHNSON

Donald, the youngest of 10 children, was born May 4, 1931 to Leila Childs and Rev. Edward Johnson, a pastor of Second Baptist Church, Bethlehem, PA

Donald graduated from Liberty (Bethlehem) High School in 1950 and then attended West Virginia State. Thereafter he joined the air force where he served as an MP in Spain and other miltary locales. After beign honorable discharged he returned home and joined the Bethlehem Police Force.

Donald was the first African American police officer.

After serving for 19 years he resigned in October 1978 and accepted employment as a security officer at Trump Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. He eventually retired and remained in Atlantic City.

Henry Warner and Hudson Hauling

by Lou64JLL | Dec 12, 2024 | People, People Firsts

(Excerpted from 1995 morning Call article by Denise Reaman)

HENRY HUDSON

Henry Hudson was Bethlehem’s first African American trash hauler.

Henry Hudson Warner was born in the 1890s to a large family in Atlanta. He migrated to Bethlehem and had four sons with his wife Hattie Warner, (nee Bowers). In 1927 Henry bought met a man selling potatoes from a truck. Henry then bought the truck along with two bags of potatoes for $50 even though he couldn’t drive.

He taught himself to drive on the field next to the Lynn Ave. Bridge, passed his exam at the State Police Barracks on 8th Ave., and started his hauling business. Since there were only a few haulers, he was able to build an impressive route, enabling him to buy a larger truck. He worked from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. hauling residential trash as well as trach from Lehigh University.

Henry originally raised his family in South Bethlehem but eventually purchased land and a house on Walters St., in Bethlehem. Due to his successful business sense, he sold off lots to Ray Butts and Eddie Benets, plus engaged Fred Bowers to work hauling routes as well as his two sons, Hudson and Malloy.

Henry Hudson was well-known in the community and through St. Paul Baptist Church where he held the position of church treasurer. Henry passed on in 1980.

Henry Hudson Warner.
(Photo courtesy of Hudson Warner)

Brodhead Avenue and William Calloway

by Lou64JLL | Dec 12, 2024 | People, People Firsts

Shown: Richard Calloway of Easton holds the photo of his father William Marshall Calloway.
(Photo Credit: Ed Koskey Jr, Morning Call)

William Calloway

Since many people would be hanging around on Brodhead Ave., William Calloway, Richard’s father, decided to open a pool hall giving people something to do. William Calloway was originally from Milton, Northumberland County, was encouraged to come to Bethlehem after learning of the success of his sister-in-law Grace Emory Scott who owned a restaurant at 318 Brodhead Ave. Another family member, Sam Sweeney, owned a barbershop.

William Calloway left his job as riveter at the Milton Car Foundry to work at Bethlehem Steel. With no intentions of staying in Bethlehem, he worked there just long enough to save money to buy his own business. He chose 115 E. 3rd Street since the building had a pool table on the first floor and rooms on the second and third floors to rent out. William had only a fourth grade education but taught himself how to handle accounts and business.

Brodhead Avenue in Bethlehem, PA

A smile comes to Richard Calloway’s face as he remembers Brodhead Ave., in Bethlehem and his father William’s pool hall and rooming house. The pool hall served as a gathering place for African Americans during the early part of the century, and it was one of the several businesses that provided services.

Segregation existed in Bethlehem. There were various restaurants, stores, and hotels that would not serve African Americans. Segregation was subtle, but it was there, as noted by community activist Esther Lee. Conditions weren’t open all the time and people clearly knew where they could and could not go, Lee adds.

African American workers coming to Bethlehem Steel, pullman porters, red caps, and cooks, all who worked for the Lehigh Valley Railroad needed a place to stay while in Bethlehem. This attributed to housing springing up on Brodhead Ave. and along E. 3rd Street and providing readily available places to stay when people got off the trains.

The Pool Hall

Richard Calloway who often opened up the pool hall and recollects how it was quite the experience due to all the different kinds of people coming and going… like hustlers who would act like they couldn’t shoot pool, run up the stakes and then take your money. Others would try to give fatherly advice, but they were all characters. The business eventually moved to Brodhead Ave. which was better since it was a short walk from the train station. Esther Lee recollects that area being a “beehive of activity” with everyone coming and going daily. Going to Brodhead Ave. was like going to a social every day.

(excerpted from 1995 Morning Call article by Donald Blount)

Lane Family

by Lou64JLL | Nov 10, 2024 | People, People Firsts

Abraham Lane b. 1861 – d. 1906
Abraham was Bethlehem’s first black businessman, a well-known caterer and owner of properties in South Bethlehem. He also ran a tea room in the 500 block of Cherokee Street. Abraham had the property at 627 Cherokee Street built in 1890.

Abraham (Abram) Lane was born July 26, 1861, in Piney Grove, Sampson County, North Carolina to Richard and Lavinia (nee Cox) Lane. His siblings were a sister Caroline and a brother Robert. Abraham married Clara Brown in 1885 in Philadelphia. They had nine children, 7 boys and two girls. All were baptized at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA.

We don’t the means by which he arrived in Bethlehem, but by 1880 or maybe before, Abraham as a young man, was working as a servant for E. P. Wilbur, the industrialist / banker and nephew of Lehigh Valley railroad founder Asa Packer of Jim Thorpe, PA. Clara lived in Jim Thorpe at the time and it is known since Abraham accompnaied E. P. Wilbur on his trips to visit his uncle Asa, that the two met.

Children of Abraham and Clara:
Richard Henry Lane**
b. 1886 – d. ? – Dining Car Waiter
Aaron Faucett Lane**
b. 1887 – d. 1964 – Waiter on ships
Abraham Lane II*
b. 1891 – d. 1970 – Waiter (upstate New York)
William Thurston Lane*
b. 1893 – d. 1977 – Waiter at Hotel Bethlehem
Robert Julius Lane*
b. 1895 – d. 1980 – Waiter at Hotel Bethlehem
Albert Victor Lane*
b. 1898 – d. 1943 – Waiter
Clara Isabella Lane
b. 1899 – d. 1936 – School Teacher, Atlantic City, NJ
Lavinia Lane
b. 1902 – d. 2001 – Cook
Walter Lane*
b. 1904 – d. 1984 – Waiter and Red Cap

** Shown in photo Richard and Aaron
(boys with dresses)
* All enlisted in WWI and WWII

Clara Lane, 1940s. Wife of Abraham Lane.

Abraham Lane

Aaron Lane

Richard and Aaron Lane

Clara lane (daughter) with her students.

Hiram Bradley

by Lou64JLL | Jul 28, 2022 | People, People Firsts

Interview with Herbert Bradley, Hiram Bradley’s great grandson.

Herbert Bradley shares that his great-grandfather, Hiram Bradley (1814-1881), was the first Black person to arrive in Bethlehem in 1860, from Powhattan County, Virginia. He was an indentured servant to Tinsley Jeter, one of South Bethlehem’s leading entrepreneurs.

He wed Rachel Emma Walsh on June 25, 1862, at a Presbyterian Church on the outskirts of Lehigh, Pennsylvania. They had eight children all who were baptized at the Pro Cathedral Church of the Nativity. In fact, Alfred Tinsley and Mary Jeter, the Bradley’s first children, were the fourth and fifth persons baptized in the newly consecrated Church of the Nativity, in 1865.

Hiram was himself baptized in 1877, with Tinsley Jeter standing as sponsor. Many of the children of these early Black families of Nativity later left Bethlehem to follow education and work in other places; others were instrumental in the founding of St. John African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, at 718 Pawnee Street, Bethlehem, PA, where they could worship and exercise leadership uninhibited; others, such as the descendants of Abram and Clara Lane, are now multi-generational parishioners of the Cathedral. Hiram also worked for Bethlehem Steel.

Herbert Bradley’s father’s name is Herbert Frank Bradley and worked at Bethlehem Steel and the Bethlehem Hotel. His mother’s name is Leila, from Easton, Pa.

The Bradley Children:
Alfred Tinsley Bradley – b. 1863 – d. 1929 -Stableman
Mary Jeter Bradley – b. 1864
Harry Bradley – b. 1866 – Driver
Hiram Bradley, Jr. – b. 1868
Elizabeth Bradley – b. 1871
Emma Theresa – b. 1874 – d. 1885
Frank Herbert Bradley- b. 1878 – d. 1965 Steelworker
Robert Bradley – b. 1878 Coachman/Steelworker
Joseph Montgomery Bradley – b. 1884 – d.1885

Vivian Butts