Charles H. Turpin (died 1935) was a constable[1] filmmaker, theater owner, and judge in St. Louis, Missouri.[2][3] In 1910, he became the first African American elected to city-wide office in St. Louis.[1][4] A legal dispute contested his estate.[2]

He was born in Ohio and moved with his family to Mississippi for a few years as a child.[5] Tom Turpin, a musician and ragtime composer, was his brother. Saloon owner and businessman John L. Turpin, proprietor of the Silver Dollar Saloon in St. Louis was their father.[6]

In 1913 he arranged to build a 1-story theater building in St. Louis.[7] He served as a constable in St. Louis Fourth District. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch advised readers not to re-elect him as constable.[8]

In 1937, Time magazine referred to him as a "taffy-colored Republican".[9]

Turpin was also involved in filmmaking.[10] He produced short documentary films.[11]

Thomas Million John Turpin Jr. was his brother.[12][13]

He owned the Booker T. Washington theater in St. Louis.[14][3]

Charles Udell Turpin was his son.[9] He was noted as a successful Remington salesman.[15]

Booker T. Washington Theatre

The Booker T. Washington Theatre was preceded by John L. Turpin's Silver Dollar saloon and then the Rosebud Café from 1800 to 1906 where his brother performed.[6] It became an important venue in St. Louis. The theater building designed by J. M. Hirschtein succeeded and Airdome theater Turoin operated on the site for several years.[16]

The theater hosted vaudeville, motion pictures, and musical acts including Clara Smith, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters and Bill Robinson. A young Josephine Baker performed with her children outside the theater seeking notice.[17][18][19] It closed around 1930.

References

  1. 1 2 "Liberator 19 November 1911 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu.
  2. 1 2 "$125,000 Turpin Estate Settlement Not Settled". September 30, 1939. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Wright, John Aaron (July 25, 2002). Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites. Missouri History Museum. ISBN 9781883982454 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "St. Louis Historic Preservation". dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov.
  5. ↑ "The Messenger". Negro Universities Press. May 3, 1969 – via Google Books.
  6. 1 2 "History of Ragtime". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  7. ↑ "American Architect and Architecture". American Architect. May 3, 1913 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "unknown". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 31, 1914. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com. {{cite news}}: Cite uses generic title (help)(subscription required)
  9. 1 2 "Education: Turpin's Trust". Time. April 26, 1937.
  10. ↑ Sampson, Henry T. (1995). Blacks in Black and White: A Source Book on Black Films. ISBN 9780810826052.
  11. ↑ Richards, Larry (September 17, 2015). African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 9781476610528 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ "St. Louis Historic Preservation". dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov.
  13. ↑ "Tom Turpin".
  14. ↑ Bauman, Thomas (May 30, 2014). The Pekin: The Rise and Fall of Chicago's First Black-Owned Theater. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252096242 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ "From Sales 'Associate' to CEO - the success of African American businessmen". July 1, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Booker T Washington Theater". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 1913-03-16. p. 29. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  17. ↑ "Booker T. Washington Theatre". Clio. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  18. ↑ "Booker T." McCaughen and Burr. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  19. ↑ "Josephine Baker". www.umsl.edu. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
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