Rufus Adolphus Givens, Black Watchmaker of Muskogee

R. A. Givens, Jeweler and Watchmaker, Muskogee, Indian Territory

Source: The Muskogee Cimeter, 1905

I am continually amazed at the remarkable gems that one finds in old newspapers! One such gem literally jumped off the page from the Muskogee Cimeter.

An interesting ad in the commercial section of the newspaper reflected the works of a man who had his own small and successful business in Muskogee. R. A. Givens was a watchmaker who ran his business off of Elgin Street for several years in Muskogee.  I saw an ad and a photo of the watchmaker himself in his shop.

I could not help but be curious. Black watchmakers are not common, and this man worked on what was part of the western frontier.

So who was this businessman who had a unique career?
When did he start his business?
Where was he from?

A search for R.A.Givens was a bit challenging at first. No matter how the name was put into a search on Ancestry, no such name arose. Perhaps a military record for an R.A. Givens would appear. Again, no such luck.  I realized that most likely, I needed to know a first name. Simply typing in the last name of Givens, and Muskogee Oklahoma, did not for some reason prove useful. But, on a whim, I decided to see if someone possibly related to this man, may have started a family tree on Ancestry. Bingo! I saw a name---Rufus A. Givens, appeared and the man lived in Muskogee Oklahoma. I now had a name to go with the ads that I had found. Rufus Givens. According to one of the family trees (I found more than one) Rufus A. Givens was born in Arkansas, but died in Oklahoma. Having a first name, I went back to Ancestry and sure enough, I found Rufus A. Givens living in Oklahoma with his wife Matilda and children.

Sure enough, in the 1910 Federal Census in Muskogee Oklahoma, there was Rufus with his 4 children at the time. His son Rufus Jr. was born the year before, in 1909.

1910 Federal Census, Muskogee County, Muskogee Oklahoma

Rufus was born in Arkansas, and his wife Matilda was born in Kentucky. His occupation was listed as a Jeweler, and it said that he "own's shop."

I became curious. Was there any article about him, or were there any details about Rufus the jeweler that I could find? I searched multiple ways on various sites, but no articles appeared about Rufus Givens.

So, I decided to study what I had, and I began to examine the small ads that appeared in the local black newspapers, and I learned a bit more about Rufus Givens.

Givens had set up his business in downtown Muskogee about 1904. In September of that year, he placed an advertisement that appeared on the front page of the Muskogee Cimeter. He was announcing the opening of his new jewelry shop directly across the street of the courthouse.

Source:  Muskogee Cimeter, September 1904 Page 1

As his business grew, Givens was a regular advertiser in the local paper. In 1905, he ran an ad that provided a small amount of history about his jewelry business. In that ad, he pointed out that he had been in the jewelry and watchmaking business for 15 years, and that he had the recommendations of many persons of respect in the community.

Source: Muskogee Cimeter, August 3,  1905 Page 4

Over the years, the business of Rufus Givens thrived and the business continued. The family business had grown and Rufus and wife Mathilda had also expanded, and opened up a hotel in the same area of downtown Muskogee. By 1917 the Givens had begun putting ads in the Tulsa Star, a black newspaper in the larger city of Tulsa. The hotel was known as Hotel Givens, and their ads addressed the promised comfort and safety for all visitors to Muskogee. Mrs. Givens was noted in the ad as also having a part in the family business. And as one can tell, the jewelers business still thrived.

Tulsa Star Ad for Hotel Givens, 1917

During the time of the World War I Draft, Rufus Givens registered, as required by law.  His Draft card reflects his status as a business man. And Rufus Givens was a literate man, who clearly signed his full name--Rufus Adolphus Givens.

World War I Draft Card of Rufus Givens

Registration State: Oklahoma; Registration County: Muskogee; Roll: 1851890; Draft Board: 2

(Image Obtained from Search on Ancestry.)

In 1920, the Givens family business continued. The Givens business still included the jewelers shop, but it had also expanded to include small loans that were available to patrons. In addition, there was an opportunity also to obtain real estate through the Givens business as well.

July 17, 1920 Tulsa Star p. 6

I wondered if there are any places where Rufus Givens once worked might still be around. I decided to use Google Street View to see what I could learn. One of his addresses was 228 North Second Street, in Muskogee.  Typing in that address in a Google Search pointed to the site. And thanks to Google's technology, getting down on the street was easy, I was able to take a close look at what is there now. I hoped to see an old building, but what appeared was a parking lot.

A parking lot now occupies what was a business section of Muskogee, 

and where the Givens business once stood.

The only piece of the original structure that remains is the brick wall on the very edge of the parking lot. One cannot help but stare at those bricks that were witnesses to another era, and time, and people who worked in a different place.

On one of the census records I viewed, I notice that the Givens household lived on Elgin street in Muskogee. Again, I used the the Google search feature and typed in that address, hoping to find an old house or structure. A grassy lot, now empty appeared.

A grassy lot holds the history of the Givens family, but nothing remains on the site today.

It is not known how long Rufus Givens continued to work as a watchmaker and jeweler in the city of Muskogee Oklahoma. In 1930, Rufus Givens was living with his now larger family with several children now grown.

Rufus Givens and family in 1930

The elder Rufus Givens was the proprietor of a jeweler's shop, and the son Rufus was working as the owner of his own shoe repair business as well.

Rufus Givens family with occupations listed in 1930 census.

The family continued to reside in Muskogee, as the son Rufus Givens Jr. was found in the 1940 census. There was no longer any mention of the watchmaking business of the elder Rufus Givens, and quite possibly the years of the Depression may have brought the business to a close. The legacy of Rufus Givens the watchmaker had come to an end, however, there is most likely so much more to tell.

My hope is that at some time, those who research the history of Muskogee Oklahoma and its unique and rich Black history, the name of Rufus Givens will surface as one of those gems, not to be lost in the soil of vacant lots of forgotten history.

Rufus Adolphus Givens has a family of descendants somewhere, and hopefully they will be able to provide more fabric to the wonderful story of the Black watchmaker of Muskogee.

May his work, and his memory not be lost, nor forgotten.

* * * * *

Welcoming the Pioneer Infantries Home

My grandfather Sam Walton served in the 809th Pioneer Infantry during World War I. The army was segregated at that time, and the 809th Pioneer Infantry was an all black unit. His particular regiment served in France working the docks as Stevedores, and I wrote an article about his service and what they did during the War in Europe.

I have often wanted to learn more about the unit and how they were treated, while serving as well as when they returned home. I recently came across an article reflecting a large reception given to the men of two Pioneer regiments, the 804th and 809th respectively. Upon return of these soldiers to America in 1919, in the City of St. Paul Minnesota, a large reception was held in their honor.

The time was August 1919, and returning soldiers were asked to be present and in uniform so that would be recognized and duly honored. The St. Paul Appeal a black newspaper in Minnesota, printed a large invitation to the community the week before the event. A large committee had worked to welcome the returning soldiers.

Names of Citizens from St. Paul who planned the event were printed in The Appeal.

In other cities like New York the Black Regiments received full honors with parades and much fanfare. Pioneer regiments were met in other cities where they were apparently received with much enthusiasm as well. 

In New York the New York Tribune announced  the arrivals of shiploads of returning soldiers.

Source: NY Tribune July 17, 1919 Page 6

 In July the USS Scranton brought the men of the 809th Pioneer Infantry home, arriving form St. Nazaire, France.

USS Scranton

Somewhere on that ship, my grandfather was there, along with his comrades in arms, the other quiet soldiers "of the brawny arm."

Apparently as the soldiers moved more to the midwest, they received other warm wishes from the citizenry. In the city of Des Moines Iowa, the two infantries were welcomed the men with great enthusiasm and many festivities were planned on their behalf.

Source: The Des Moines Iowa Bystander, August 1, 1919

Eventually he was discharged from service honorably, and returned to eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Unfortunately Grandpa Sam died before I was born, so I never got to ask him questions about his service, about France and about what he felt of his experiences having served. But I am proud nevertheless of his service, even though he may have returned to a nation with so many challenges still ahead and he returned to a country that still did not give him all privileges he deserved. 

 But what he did in his service made a difference and he is one of the many ancestors upon whose shoulders I stand.

* * * * *

Remembering Four Little Girls

Fifty years ago, I went to church on this date. And fifty years ago, four little girls in Birmingham Alabama went to church with their families on Sunday morning. After church I went home, But those four girls, would not return home.

I remember hearing the story of everything that happened, and I was just a bit younger, and did not fully understand. A news bulletin had come on the television, and my parents became quite upset, and they began calling their friends and talking about what had happened. The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama had been bombed, by some angry white men.

My childish mind was wondering what the little girls had done to anger the bombers so much. Had  they shown some kind of terrible disrespect, or had they committed some unforgiveable act? 

I recall asking my mother "but why did they hurt the girls?"  Tactfully she explained to me, that sometimes there are just bad people in the world, who do mean things. But I wanted to know---"had the girls been bad?"

I remember my mom explaining to me, quite patiently that good people were being hurt all the time, by mean people who did not like Negroes and they wanted to simply hurt them. "But they died." And she sensed my struggle trying to comprehend something that was simply without logic or comprehension. I recall being afraid, and wondered if our small church would be blown up.  "Oh no, that won't happen here," she assured me. "That was down in Alabama, and not here in Arkansas."   And now, I wonder now five decades later, what my mother must have felt and thought. I had been sheltered from so much already. And somehow I felt safe, in Arkansas, unaware of what had transpired in Little Rock just six years earlier and what had transpired even closer to home a mere 3 years earlier.

In the fall of 1957, the crisis of the integration the schools in Little Rock had unfolded, but I was far too young to have understood those headlines. And in 1963, hearing about the bombing in "far away" Alabama, somehow, I felt that I was safe, fully unware of local sentiments in my part of Arkansas, that were not dramatically different from that of the Birmingham bombers.

A mere 3 years in the nearby town of Van Buren, Arkansas, several children tried to attend high school. They went through much torment by their classmates and only recently I found a newspaper clipping that described what they went through. 

The town of Van Buren was very close to my hometown, just a drive across the Arkansas River bridge. I realize as my mother was comforting me, she had to recall the stories of what had happened less than 10 miles away. Though she pointed out that the church bombing happened in "far away" Alabama, but she knew what the struggles in Little Rock had involved and she was aware of what the students in the neighboring town went through.

This past summer while in Birmingham, I visited the Civil Rights Museum and directly across the street was the Church.  I saw the church through the windows of the Institute.

16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama

 I had to go and visit that church and touch the space where those children died. I went with a friend and walked inside of that beautiful sacred church. It was serene, and reflected nothing of the horrors of 50 years ago.

Interior of 16th Street Baptist Church, taken in June of this year.

Outside the church a plaque commemorating the very spot where the young girls died is present. The plaque sits on a pedestal on the corner where the explosion occurred.

Commemorative Plaque on the corner where church bombing occurred.

For me, this was a very moving experience. This was the first time I had visited the very spot where people were killed for the right just to walk as free people.  This was the place that had robbed my own innocent perspective of the world.

Though the spot was serene that day in June, there are still photos that tell the horrors of this day 50 years ago.

Image in the Civil Rights's Musuem in Birmingham depicting 

the bombing that occurred across the street from the site.

I would learn a lot more that week--I learned what had happened in Little Rock, what had happened in nearby Van Buren, and I learned about a little boy from Chicago called Emmett Till.

So many parents fifty years ago had to explain so much to their children, that evening, and for so many people of color, not only were four precious lives lost, but so was the innocence of so many children taken on that day.

May Addie, Carole, Cynthia and Denise always be remembered. They did not die in vain.

* * * * *

The Book of Me - Prompt #2 When I was Born

I was born on a Saturday evening, four days after Christmas at Twin City Hospital in Ft. Smith Arkansas. In those days there were no birthing centers, and fathers were not allowed in delivery rooms. 

My mom said that she, being an avid reader, was deeply engrossed in a novel that she was reading and had felt some mild discomfort. My grandmother noticed that her "discomfort" was coming about every 5-6 minutes. Finally Grandma was the one who insisted that it was time to go to the hospital. So she put the novel down and was taken to the hospital. She already had a "hospital bag" packed since she knew that I was coming soon.

The hospital was Twin City Hospital, a small hospital built in 1942 to serve the African American community. The maternity ward of the hospital was in the back of the building and my mother always would point out that the ward was where the last window on the right, can be seen.

Twin City Hospital

Source: Ft Smith Historical Society Journal

My father literally worked around the corner. He was a barber and had gone to work that day to the barbershop, as usual. When my mom was taken to the hospital, grandma sent word to him that my mother was in labor. As soon as he heard, he went around the corner to check on her, and was told that it would be a while. He returned to the barber shop--since fathers were not allowed. He decided to close the shop anyway, and returned to the hospital, and was then informed that he had a baby girl. within that short amount of time---a babe was born. Apparently my mom was closer to delivery than she had thought and so I arrived. Six pounds, eight ounces!

My older brother was only about 5 years old and he was quite upset that mommy was not at home, and was said to have been quite a tearful little boy as he did not understand why she was leaving home and going someplace to get a new baby.  However apparently he was a bit enthralled when I arrived home and for several days would tell neighbors as well as strangers, from the postman to the milk man, quite excitedly, "I have a new baby sister." I am always amused by this story when I think of the older brother who would tease me, or tell me to go away, when I wanted to play with his toys. 

However, childhood was a pleasant one growing up in a small town. My parents sheltered the two of us from a more hostile world in the American South, and many things from the outside world did not directly impact our lives for many years. Our childhood was a happy one, fully of laughter and love.

Thankfully though the innocence of childhood is gone, some of the old policies of the time have also gone. The building where I was born is now a business, and hospitals, serve everyone, with no regard to the color of the patients.

* * * * *     * * * * *     * * * * *

In Memory, September 11th

May those innocents who lost their lives senselessly be forever be remembered. 

May their families someday find healing.

May our nation move ahead in peace, and launch no new wars. 

And may we all respect the humanity of one another.

* * * * *

My Book of Me: What I do, Who I am, & My Many Names (Prompt 1)

I have decided to put more energy into writing now that most of my travels are over. And one of the stories that need to be told is my own personal story. I have mentioned how important this is many times. Therefore when a good friend shared with me the wonderful blogging prompt of "The Book of Me" I felt inspired to write just to get myself going again.

I have modified the image and the theme to fit the points that came to my mind as I elected to define myself. These are some of the words than came to mind. I have divided them into categories: What I Do; Who I am, and My Many Names.

What I Do:
These reflect the activities that occupy my time now as well as how I describe myself, and think of myself in a professional category. I have worked for more than 25 years in higher education and still wear several hats from that arena. And as one who explores family history and community history, I have several hats that I wear as I pursue a number of interests in those areas. And there becomes as a result a very thin line between my vocation and avocation.

Writer

Author

Genealogist

Educator

Blogger

Teacher

Mentor

Lecturer

Podcaster

Scrapbooker

Quilter

Collector

Who I Am:

We all have different roles that we have in life. Our relationships can vary as we walk from room to room, and from place to place. But all of them are part of who we are. I see these many categories overlapping each other, for in many instances, I am a friend to to persons with whom I share other kinds of relationships as well. But I embrace and claim all of these categories as they reflect who I consider myself to be, and they reflect those categories that I also am honored to have.

Wife

Friend

Aunt

Great Aunt

Daughter

Sister

Granddaughter

Gr. Granddaughter

My Many Names
Like relationships, we answer to people differently. Likewise the names that I am often called vary from person to person and situation to situation. I was always called by my middle name, Yvette in my childhood home. But once I went to school, the nuns called me Angela and that became my out-in-the-world name. But as our status in life changes, again we take on new identities. Some students and mentees will call me Miss Angela, while others will call me Mrs. Walton. (I always look around for my mother when they call me that.) And some among my husband's friends and colleagues will call me Mrs. Raji.

Having nieces and nephews in different countries and from different cultures, also changes my name. But they are all names that I feel good when I hear them, and they connect me to family, friends and to those whom I love.

Angela

Yvette

Dear

Sweetheart

Aunty Angela

Aunt Yvette

Miss Angela

Girlfriend

Ange

Professor

Mrs. Raji

Ms. Walton

Aunty

Mum

Cuz

Cut'n Angela

As I embark upon this journey to tell my own story I emphasize that these are only a few categories that describe the many things that describe me. I hope however to provide a small glimpse into who I am, beyond my blogs. I look forward to more of these prompts to bring forth my own story.

* * * * *     * * * * *     * * * * *

Labor Day Celebration : Muskogee Oklahoma, 1915

Labor Day Flyer 1915, Muskogee Oklahoma

Muskogee Cimeter, September 4, 1915, Vol.  Page 3

Happy Labor Day!!  

In 1915, the 1st Negro Independent State Fair took place. This first annual event would become the precursor to the many fairs and expos that we know of today.  

In that inaugural year, the fair included everything from baby contests to electing the state fair queen. The fair also included an exposition of agriculture, livestock, and also of industrial wares. One of the biggest events was the large parade of wagons, floats and cars, as well as the daily horse races and automobile races.

Today for many of us, Labor Day is considered simply the last weekend of the summer season, and the last time for a backyard barbecue, or a trip to the beach, and the last time to fully unwind before a new season begins for school, work, and the anticipated change of seasons.

But I learned more about how Labor Day was spent by some of my Oklahoma ancestors, and it was truly a time of celebration of self, family and community. And what a wonderful thing to learn that the city of Muskogee kicked off this tradition in such grand style in 1915. 

This should be remembered, because during these early days of statehood, there was much separation of races that had been put in place with the very first Senate Bill passed immediately after statehood. So, the African American community depended upon itself to survive and to thrive, and in September of 1915, it decided to show itself to the world by exposing their successes. The fair was widely received and embraced, because there was an industrious black community that was quite anxious to have a venue that would allow them to reflect its own accomplishments. The event lasted for several years, and for the next several decades, it would become an Oklahoma tradition.

These Negro state fairs events occur for many years in other Oklahoma towns, but the base was always Muskogee. In fact one of the Muskogee parades was captured several years later as well on film, and can be viewed on the Global Filmworks website. As the years passed, the Negro State Fair itself would in other Oklahoma cities and towns such as Wewoka, and it was moved eventually from a Labor Day event to an October event. 

Flyer announcing Negro State Fair in Wewoka, Oklahoma in 1920

However, the origins of such events was the Labor Day event, and that event, became the precursor to many expos and events today. And the town of Muskogee can boast with pride that such event is deeply rooted on the streets of that city.

* * * * *     * * * * *    * * * * *