Edward Walton Pearson, Sr.
Head and shoulders of African American businessman Edward W. Pearson, Sr., wearing suit and tie
1937 portrait of Edward W. Pearson, Sr.
Born(1872-01-25)January 25, 1872
Glen Alpine, North Carolina
Died(1946-07-04)July 4, 1946
SpouseAnnis Bradshaw Pearson
ChildrenIola Pearson Byers, Annette Pearson Cotton, and Edward W. Pearson, Jr.
Parent(s)Sindy and Edward Pearson

Edward Walton Pearson, Sr. (January 25, 1872 – July 4, 1946)[1] was an African-American entrepreneur,[2] Buffalo Soldier and Spanish–American War veteran, civil rights leader and pioneering sports enthusiast. He moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1906, where he became known as the "Black Mayor of West Asheville" because of his influence in African-American neighborhood development and community life.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

Pearson was born in 1872 to Sindy and Edward Pearson, in Glen Alpine, Burke County, North Carolina. He completed local public school to the fourth grade. Interested in mining, he moved to Jellico, Tennessee, where he enlisted in the US Army. He was a Buffalo Soldier (9th Cavalry Troop B) from 1893 to 1898 in Fort Robinson, Nebraska, during the Spanish-American War.

After being discharged from the Army, Pearson lived in Chicago, Illinois. He supplemented his early formal education by taking correspondence courses on insurance, business, religion and law,[6] including courses at the Chicago Correspondence School of Law.[7]

Business ventures

After moving to Asheville, Pearson began development of Burton Street (then known as Pearson Park)[8] and Park View neighborhoods,[9] working with Rutherford Platt Hayes, who bought the land, to create African-American subdivisions. These neighborhoods continued to be predominantly African-American until the late 20th century, but numerous residents were displaced because of urban renewal. He also sold real estate for development in this area as an agent on behalf of Hayes, a developer and librarian, son of President Rutherford B. Hayes.[9]

In addition to his real estate ventures, Pearson operated a general store, organized the Mountain City Mutual Insurance Company, and ran a mail order shoe business called Piedmont Shoe Company.[10] The general store in West Asheville was the home base for these operations.[6]

Agricultural fair

Pearson's commitment to improving the lives of African-Americans in Asheville extended to recreational activities and community life. He donated Pearson Park in the Burton Street Community to the City of Asheville.[6] In 1914, he organized the Buncombe County and District Colored Agricultural Fair there. One of the largest agricultural fairs in the Southeast, it attracted thousands of visitors of all races from all over Western North Carolina and South Carolina.[2] Attractions included amusement park rides, games, livestock shows and cash prize competitions in categories ranging from baked goods to flower arrangement.[10] The Fair was held annually until 1947, a year after Pearson's death,[1] and was later revived as the Burton Street Agricultural Fair.[11]

Baseball

In 1916, Pearson formed the Asheville Royal Giants, Asheville's first black semi-professional baseball team. The Royal Giants played at Oates Park on Asheville's south side[12] and sometimes at Pearson Park.[13] Baseball was not a full-time career for his players, many of whom held jobs at Biltmore Estate, on trains or in hotels like the Grove Park Inn, Battery Park Hotel and the former George Vanderbilt Hotel.[14]

In 1921, Pearson also founded and became president of the Blue Ridge Colored Baseball League.[15]

Other organizations

Pearson was very involved in community organizations. In 1933, he organized and was first president of the Asheville branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was also president of the Asheville chapters of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the North Carolina Negro Improvement Association.[6]

Pearson was a member of several fraternal groups, including the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Freemasons. As a freemason, he was elected to the office of Grand Master.

Family

Pearson and his family lived in a home behind the general store he operated in West Asheville. His wife was Annis (Bradshaw) Pearson. They had two daughters, Iola Pearson Byers and Annette Pearson Cotton, and one son, Edward W. Pearson Jr.[10]

Legacy

Pearson's legacy has been commemorated in Asheville with a community identification sign in 2008[16] as well as larger-than-life mural painted on the back of Burton Street Community Center in 2014 for the 100th anniversary celebration of the fair that Pearson first organized in 1914. Activist and artist DeWayne Barton[17] revived the Fair in 2010 as the Burton Street Agricultural Fair.[11] [18][19] As of 2023,[20] the Burton Street Agricultural Fair continues to be held annually at the Burton Street Community Center park.[21][22][23]

References

  1. 1 2 "Edward W. Pearson Sr". West Asheville History. 13 July 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  2. 1 2 "Renaissance Man: Edward W. Pearson". The Urban News. 2014-02-13. Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  3. ↑ Nickollof, Steven Michael (April 2015). "URBAN RENEWAL IN ASHEVILLE: A HISTORY OF RACIAL SEGREGATION AND BLACK ACTIVISM" (PDF). MA History Thesis, Western Carolina University: 9.
  4. ↑ Asheville Design Center, Western North Carolina Alliance, and Burton Street Community Association (Summer 2010). "Burton Street Community Plan" (PDF). Asheville Design Center. p. 9 (section D. Neighborhood History).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. "E.W. Pearson: "The Black Mayor of West Asheville"". bcht.exploreasheville.com. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Frazier, Kevan D. (2014). Legendary locals of Asheville, North Carolina. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1467101677. OCLC 880861826.
  7. ↑ "Burton Street". Tiki-Toki. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  8. ↑ "Burton Street Neighborhood Profile". Asheville City Source. November 22, 2015. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  9. 1 2 Neufeld, Rob. "Black History Month: Edward R. Pearson". Citizen Times. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  10. 1 2 3 "A Valentine for E. W. Pearson, Sr". Buncombe County Special Collections Library. 2014-02-07. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  11. 1 2 Shea, James (2010-09-26). "Community revives past". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  12. ↑ Calder, Thomas (February 26, 2019). "Asheville Archives: Royal Giants take the field, 1916". Mountain Xpress. Archived from the original on 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  13. ↑ Neufeld, Rob (2018-07-01). "Visiting Our Past: Untold stories of Asheville's Riverside Park". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  14. ↑ Mueller, Thomas R. (2004-03-05). "Baseball in the Carolinas: 25 Essays on the States' Hardball Heritage (review)". NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture. 12 (2): 161–163. doi:10.1353/nin.2004.0024. ISSN 1534-1844. S2CID 153979246. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  15. ↑ Ballew, Bill (2004). Baseball in Asheville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9781439612545. OCLC 630551978.
  16. ↑ Bowe, Rebecca (August 13, 2008). "Asheville's black history honored on Burton Street". Mountain Xpress. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  17. ↑ Lunsford, Mackensy. "A Q& A: DeWayne Barton on E.W. Pearson". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  18. ↑ Blake, Barbara (2012-09-09). "History survives at Burton Street fair". Asheville Citizen-Times. pp. B1. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  19. ↑ Forbes, David (2012-03-01). "Burton Street community begins planning for agricultural fair, seeks partners". Mountain Xpress. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  20. ↑ "Recreate Asheville - Asheville Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan". The City of Asheville. Retrieved 2023-11-22. Community Engagement | October 2023 | October 7: Burton Street Ag Fair at Burton Street Community Center
  21. ↑ Tejeda, Ricardo (2022-07-26). "Past & Present: The Story of Burton Street in West Asheville". Explore Asheville. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  22. ↑ "Burton Street Agriculture Fair". The Urban News. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  23. ↑ Burton Street Neighborhood Association (2023-08-29). "Burton Street Neighborhood Profile". Asheville.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
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