HomeMy Public PortalAboutORD16295BILL NO. 2022-083
SPONSORED BY Councilmember Ward
ORDINANCE NO. /(I 2-15
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF JEFFERSON, MISSOURI, DESIGNATING THE
"LAFAYETTE STREET AND THE HISTORIC FOOT DISTRICT" AS A HISTORIC
LEGACY DISTRICT, AND IDENTIFYING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE "LAFAYETTE
STREET AND THE HISTORIC FOOT DISTRICT -HISTORIC LEGACY DISTRICT".
WHEREAS, the Lafayette Street and the Foot District of the City of Jefferson
possessed a rich historic and social value for the City of Jefferson and its
people, the larger community, and the nation; and
WHEREAS, from the early 1900s to 1960s, Lafayette Street and the Historic Foot
District was the heart of the black community, exhibiting vibrant
businesses and residences including a nightclub, restaurants, multi -story
hotel, churches, schools, grocery stores, and social clubs; and
WHEREAS, beginning in the late 1950s and continuing through the early 1960s, the
Campus View Urban Renewal Project and subsequent construction of
U.S. Highway 50 (Rex Whitton Expressway) demolished buildings that
were businesses, hotels, restaurants, and homes that made up a once
thriving and vibrant neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate for the City of Jefferson to formally recognize this historic
area and maintain the historic record despite non -extant resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
JEFFERSON, MISSOURI:
Section 1. The area of the City of Jefferson, Missouri, is commonly known as the
Lafayette Street and the Foot is hereby formally declared the "Lafayette Street and the
Historic Foot District -Historic Legacy District".
Section 2. The "Lafayette Street and the Historic Foot District -Historic Legacy
District" shall have the following identified boundaries:
In the City of Jefferson, InLots 641, 642, 752, 753, 756, 757, 853, 854, 857-860,
863, 864 to the City of Jefferson and Part of Inlots 855 and 856 to the City of
Jefferson. Part of Outlots 15 and 16 to the City of Jefferson that includes Lots 1,
2, 28-50, 55-77 of Littles and Keyes Subdivision and right-of-ways of East Miller
Street, East Elm Street, East Dunklin Street, Lafayette Street and part of right-of-
ways of Marshall street and Missouri Street, all being in the City of Jefferson,
Missouri, and more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at the most north easterly corner of InLot 642 of the City of Jefferson;
Thence in a southwesterly direction along the easterly line of said Inlot 642 and
continuing along the easterly lines of Inlots 753, 757, 860, 864, crossing right -of-
ways of East Miller Street and East Elm Street to the southeastern corner of said
Inlot 864 and the northerly right-of-way of East Dunklin Street; Thence continuing
on same alignment across and to the southerly right-of-way of said East Dunklin
Street and being a point on the northerly line of Outlot 21 to the city of Jefferson;
Thence in a northwesterly direction along the northerly Outlot 21 line and being
the southerly right-of-way line of said East Dunklin Street to the northerly corner
of said Outlot 21; Thence continuing along said southerly right-of-way line of
said East Dunklin Street to the most easterly corner of Outlot 16 and the most
easterly corner of Lot 1 of Little and Keyes Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book
1, Page 14 of the Cole County Recorder’s Office, Cole County , Missouri; Thence
in a southwesterly direction along the southeasterly line of said Lot 1 and Lot 2 of
said Little and Keyes Subdivision and being on the westerly right-of-way line of
Lafayette Street to the most southerly corner of said Lot 2 of said Little and
Keyes Subdivision; Thence in a northwesterly direction along the southwesterly
line of said Lot 2 of said Littlie and Keyes Subdivision to the most westerly corner
of said Lot 2; Thence along same alignment to a point at the centerline of now
vacated Missouri Street, as per Ordinance #7836, section O of the City of
Jefferson; Thence along the said centerline of said vacated Missouri Street in a
southwesterly direction to a point that is perpendicular to the most westerly
corner of Lot 23 of said Little and Keyes Subdivision; Thence in a northwesterly
direction to the most central rear corner of Lot 39 of Campus View Subdivision as
recorded in Plat Book 7, Page 25 of the Cole County Recorder’s Office; Thence
in a N 54˚29’ W, 70.1 feet to the northwesterly corner of said lot 39 of Campus
View Subdivision; thence continuing in the same northwesterly direction N 54˚29’
W, 79.9 feet to the northwesterly corner of said Lot 40 of Campus View
Subdivision and a point on the northwesterly line of Outlot 15; Thence in a
northeasterly direction on the northwesterly line of said Outlot 15 and Outlot 16 to
the most northerly corner of said Outlot 16; Thence in a northeasterly direction
crossing the right-of-way of East Dunklin Street to the southwesterly corner of
Inlot 855; Thence along the northwesterly line of said Inlot 855, 80.23 feet to a
point on the southwesterly line of Tract A of a survey in Plat Book B, Page 512 of
the Cole County Recorder’s Office; Thence along the southwesterly line of said
Tract A to the southeasterly corner of said Tract A; Thence continuing in the
same alignment to a point on the northwesterly line of Inlot 857; Thence in a
northeasterly direction along the said northwesterly line of Inlot 857 and Inlot 859
crossing the East Elm Street right-of-way to the most westerly corner of Inlot 750;
Thence in a southeasterly direction along the southerly lines of Inlots 750 and
751 to the most southerly corner of Inlot 751; Thence in a northeasterly direction
along the southeasterly lines of Inlots 751, 747 and 636, crossing the East Miller
Street right-of-way to the most easterly corner of Inlot 636; Thence in a
southeasterly direction crossing Lafayette Street right -of-way and along the
northerly lines of Inlots 641 and 642 to the most easterly corner of said Inlot 642
and the Point of Beginning of this description.
Passed: kie,- 2621-
^s
Presiding Officer
ATTEST:
Approved: e.e. . Ip t ‘P -Da —
Mayor Carrie Tergin
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Proposed Nam e of the Historic Legacy Di strict: Layfayette Street and The Historic Foot District
CONTACT INFORMATION
PrimaryContactfortheApplication:LI ~G_Io_v_e_r_~~-B_r_o_w_n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phone Number: I 573-761-7411 I
Email Address: I oz65109@gmail.com I
Mailing Address: 1700 Valley Hi Road, Jefferson City, Missouri 65109
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
•
•
•
Map showing the boundaries of the proposed district
~ritten response (s) to the required criteria fo r nomination as found on page 2 .
List of sources consulted to prepare written responses (newspaper articles, photogra ph s,
books, government documents, oral histories, etc.)
CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION
A Historic Legacy District may be nominated when most of all of the physical attributes (structures, streets,
public areas, archeology, etc.) relevant to the historical or cultural period of significance no longer exist.
I. Its character, inter es t, or v alue as part of the d eve lopment, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the
community, county, state, or nation; or
II. Its location as a site of significant local, county, state, or national event; or
Ill. Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the
community, county, state, or nation.
Indivi duals should contact the ADA Coordinator at (573 ) 634-6570 to req uest accommoda t ions or alternative fo rmats as requ i red
under the Am er!fa ns with Disabilities Act. Plea se all ow three bu siness day s to process the reque st
liesPtiNsEsFoifcRITERIA-'FoifNoiVilNATION" ;. ' -~ .:_ : .... '.:.:.:j ~:,, .. · .. :.:o:.~~~: .' .. -·\· ,;_.;...,,f.:.~. -.. :, -~·-..... ' ).-:-.•. ~:' • ' .; .. :.:·.: -~ ,::.-:·: .;) ,._ . : :· ?'-. ;.: ·:: .~:. • .. !" '•·· ._., ;~ ... ~<~ •,.._.; ,;, : . .;-:-'< ~--_' ·"' ~--.-, 0 ::'";' •• ---~ ... '\: .;, !•:-, ·-.:.'·;, .. :: ' •
Please provide a response to at least one of the following criteria for nomination. Attach
additional pages as necessary with the final application.
I. Explain the character, interest of values as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics
of the community, county, state, or nation .
. -.. 1[-·--Ex-plairi why]howthe la·ca-tron of ttl-e propose(fdisfficfis.asiteofasignifican"flocal;""county, state~-ar·----·--·
national event
Ill. Explain the identification the proposed district has with a person{s) who significantly contributed to
the development of the community, county, state, or nation.
Provide any other historical and relevant information to describe the historical and cultural legacy of the
proposed district.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT::~.·
',-,; ''• ' --a. • -.' -•• ~. ~ ',' ' ' " -o • • •' : • ' • ~ o • • •
By signing and submitting this application, I have read and understand Sec. 8-48 of the City of Code of
Jefferson. I understand that Historic Legacy Districts cannot alter the uses permitted by existing zoning, land
use, or future development of the property so designated. I have consulted credible sources to form the
responses as outlined above.
Name of Primary Contact: Glover w. Brown
Date:l"""-_9_/2_6_/2_0_22 _ ____.1
Individuals should contact the ADA Coordinator at {573) 634-6570 to request accommodations or alternative formats as required
under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please allow three business days to process the request
THE FOOT
Most of the African American community in the forties, fifties and into the early sixties in Jefferson City
lived on streets close to or adjacent to Lincoln University: Lafayette, Dunklin, Elm, Miller, Chestnut, Linn,
Locust, Marshall, Jackson, Atchison, Maple Streets., and Clark Avenue. A few African American families
lived near or within the boundaries of Washington Park. Wherever these families lived, the hub of black
---------business and socialactivity remained onLafayette.Stree._ . ____________________ _
700 block of Lafayette St.
This block was filled with homes of African Americans, many of them faculty, staff and admini.strators at
Lincoln University. The main entrance to Lincoln University was a set of steps on the southeast comer of
Lafayette and Dunklin Streets. This was known as ''the Foot'' as the stairway lay at the foot of a long set of
steps up the hill to the university's campus.
At some point a few businesses were located on the southwest comer of Dunklin and Lafayette Streets.
This building actually faced Dunklin Street. A new shop opened at this location at the same time that some
African American men began to have their hair processed, sort of the precursor of the Jerry Curl (Jeri). The
shop, called ''The House of Process and illtra Wave," was directly across the street from Turners Filling
Station. Shortly after, Mr. Carl Johnson moved his Barber Shop into this location. There was also a liquor
store, confectionery/ pool hall located in this same building owned by Clifton Dameron (W'mgie), along
with a dinner type restaurant, an early version of our modem day strip mall. In later years a few modest
apartments were added to the western most end of the building, shortly before the introduction of the Urban
Renewal Plan, which devastated this area
600 block of Lafayette St.
Eldorado Club: This establishment was in a single building that housed three businesses on its first floor.
The Eldorado Club was a pool hall. Out front were benches where men sat and watched the traffic going
by.
Miss Leona's: Miss Leona owned and ran a diner on the northeast comer of Lafayette and Elm Streets. It
was in the same building as the Eldorado Club and was at the northern end of the building. Her meals
were said to be like old home cooking. Dr. Harold F. Lee, a single man who taught at Lincoln University,
always bought his dinner at Miss Leona's
Jack's Drug Store: Jack King owned this store that was housed iri the same building as the Eldorado Club
~d Miss Leona's Diner. At the southern end of the building, it was a liquor store that was said to sell most
over-the-counter medications such as aspirin (no prescription medications).
Booker T. Hotel, 600 Lafayette Street was owned by Charles Mayberry Sr.: where it was originally named
the Mayberry Hotel. In the 1930s and 1940s it was owned by a white man by the name of Murphy Clark,
and the hotel was named the Lincoln Hotel. By 1945, when Leo Daniels, another white man from
southeast Missouri, owned the hotel, and thus given the name Booker T. Hotel. In 1953 the hotel changed
hands again, and was owned by Mr. Rufus Petty, a nephew to Annie Mayberry, one of the desendancc of
Charlie Mayberry, one of the original owners of the property when it was called the Mayberry Hotel. Mr
Petty renamed it the Carver Hotel. Mr. Petty was active in the Second Baptist Church, the local NAACP,
and the Tony Jenkins American Legion Post 231 (see attachment Cl). According to the Green Book, in the
1940s this was the only hotel where African Americans traveling through Jefferson City could stay. It also
housed one oftbree black taxi cab companies located in the area It was on the northwest comer of
Lafayette Street, directly across from the building that housed Jack's Drug Store, the Eldorado Club, and
Miss Leona's Diner. African American entertainers who came to Jefferson City to perform stayed at this
h9t~l UQ]ess they were housed in the homes of African American residents. The hotel had a restaurant
~-its walls and a large room where parties/dances could be held. Rooms were known to be rented by
·'·
the hour as well as overnight.
The Green Book: This was a book intended to let Afiican American travelers in the United States know
where they could stop to spend the night, eat a meal, buy gasoline, have their cars fixed or use the restroom
in cities and towns across the country. The book also covered parts of Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
It was published annually from 1936 to 1966 by Victor Green, an African American postal worker and
.. travel.agent located in New York.-As the black middle class increased, Afiican A.mericans_often traveled. __
more and more by car to avoid discrimination and insults suffered on public transportation of the time.
Norman's Confectionery: This small shop in the middle of the 600 block ofLafayette St. on the west side
was owned by two Lincoln University graduates, name unknown and Sophronia Norman. They sold candy,
commercially' wrapped cookies and pies, ice cream treats, soda and cigarettes and they also stocked a small
selection of canned goods (soup, chili, etc.) Mr Dan Turner also operated a small soda shop in this area,
and later built a modern, moderate sized grocery store in this location.
At some point, Mr. Carl Johnson opened a barber shop in a building in the middle of the block on the west
side. His shop may have occupied the building that had been Norman's confectionery.
A house just north of The Tops was owned by Miss Minnie White. In this fairly large home, lived Miss
Minnie, her daughter Phyllis, and her two children, one or two of Miss Minnie's adult sons and another
family, possibly cousins, with the surname of Wade. There were approximately three houses that lay on the
west side if Lafayette street between Norman's Confectionery and the White family home.
The Tops: Located at 626 Lafayette Street, called a bar and grill, was more a restaurant with a bar. The
Tops was owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Glover Brown, Sr. Many Lincoln University students who
did not care for the food served in Lincoln's cafeteria ate at the Tops. This restaurant was known for its
excellent barbecue; at least one Missouri Governor used to visit the Tops, driven by his chauffeur to its rear
door. Many visiting African American dignitaries, as well as many national and international African
American celebrities ate at this establishment.
In the basement of the Tops building (owned by Mr. Brown) was a barber shop for African American
customers. At times there were two barbers working in this shop, but Mr. West was the principal barber in
this shop. The shop was reached by an outside stairway.
Turner's Filling Station: This filling station actually faced Dunklin Street. It sat at the northeast comer of
Lafayette and Dunklin Streets. Not only gasoline and oil were sold here, but the station served as an auto
repair center. This station was the only one in Jefferson City owned by an African American; it was the
o~y station where African American clients, local or traveling, knew that they could be served.
At the northeast comer of Lafayette and Dunklin Streets across from Thrner's Filling Station where several
buildings were located at various times. In the early 1940s, in 1942, there was a black owned restaurant on
that corner. In later years there was a bookstore located in a building on that comer, along with a dry
cleaning· service. It is now home to the annex building of the Second Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
located at 631 Lafayette Street.
500 block of Lafayette Street
Tayes Barber Stop: Mr. Tayes had a one-chair barber shop in the 500 block ofLafayette St. on the west
side of the street, not far north of the comer of Lafayette and Elm Streets. The shop building seemed to
lean to the north, and when a customer walked across the floor inside, it seemed that the building was
shaking.
Logan's Shoe Repair was originally located at 610 Lafayette Street in 1919, where he made shoes for
soldiers during WWl, and then moved in 1925 into the Logan home at 524 Lafayette Street. Logan's Shoe
Repair was founded by Benjamin Harrison Logan, who was the grandson of one of the founding soldiers of
Lincoln Institute, later to become Lincoln University.
Just under where the freeway goes over Lafayette St. now was the home of Mr. Duke & Mrs. Estella Diggs,
Mrs Diggs was known as one of the "grande dames" of the Jefferson City's African American community.
( see attacment lB ). The house was a substantial two-story brick house with a front porch across the front
Just north of the Diggs home were four houses including three identical Craftsman style houses. One was
occupied by the Mayberry family. The northernmost of these houses was occupied by Mr. and Mrs.
----Charles (Lefty).Robinson and their three daughters. Mr. Robinson, called Lefty,_was .often lmown_asthe ·-
"Mayor of Bronzeville." Mr. Robinson was the coordinator of all the funerals for the Jefferson City black
community. Although he was not lmown as a funeral director himsel( Duilley Funeral home allowed him
to enlist their mortician services and some times, in later years, their facilities to conduct the funeral
services. He knew everyone in the black community and many people in the white community as well.
When civic matters were being discussed, Mr. Robinson was frequently called upon to serve as the voice of
the black community. (See attachment lA) ·
The house farthest north on the west side of the 500 block of Lafayette St. was ultimately occupied by Dr.
Ross, an osteopathic physician who came to Jefferson City at about the time that the Charles Still Hospital
was opened. (Before his arrival, the only African American physician, Dr. Richardson, was unable to
practice at St. Mary's Hospital. Dr. Ross lived in his house and had his office there, too.
On the east side of the 500 block of Lafayette St. were five or six homes. This was before the recently
vacated Quinn Chapel A1v1E Church was built. The church vacated this location due to updating and
expansion of the 50/63 Rex Whitton Expressway.
400 block of Lafayette Street
Catty-cornered from Dr. Ross' home/office, on the northeast comer of Lafayette and Miller Streets was the
home of Dr. and Mrs. Richardson. Mrs. Nana Belle Richardson competed as one of the "grande dames" of
the African American community. Dr. Richardson, from the Caribbean, had his medical office in the
basement of his home. The entrance to his office was on Miller St. Because of segregation Dr. Richardson
did not have privileges at St. Mary's Hospital; when one of his patients became ill enough to enter the
hospital, Dr. Richardson had standing arrangements with one of his white colleagues to look after his
hospitalized patients. Living with the Richardson's at times was Mrs. Clementine Haley, Mrs. Richardson's
much younger sister. At other times, Mrs. Haley rented the Richardson's much smaller house next door, a
house set far back from Lafayette St. At one point this house was covered with pinkisblrose colored
shingles
Just next door to the Richardson's rental house was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Busby. After twenty-
three ·years on Lincoln's faculty, Mr. Busby continued his connection with the university by serving as the
Colinselor to veterans returning from the Vietnam War.
The ~est south, next to the alley, was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Blue and their two daughters. Mr.
~lue, received his Doctor of Philosophy degree at Harvard University. He served in the English
Department at Lincoln University. Located in this area, is the cmrent home of Quinn Chapel A1v1E Church
I~cateq at 415 Lafayette Street
AITACHMENT lA
News Tribune
Cole County History: 'Lefty' Robinson, the king of Jefferson C ity Mohawk Baseball
Novemter 23. 2019 at 6:05a.m. 1 Updated January 6, 2020 c;t 6:10p.m
Charles "Lefty" Robinson
The "Jefferson City Mohawks reigned as king of baseball in Jefferson City." That quote ran in a 1969 News
Tribune spo rts feature more than 40 years after the team was organized.
Charles "Lefty" Robinson ,,-as the pitcher and later manager for t he impressive team of black players who
took on exhibition games with American Negro Baseball League teams, including the Kansas City
Monarchs, St. Louis Stars and Birmingham Black Barons, as the professionals traveled across the state.
The Mohawks hosted the 1932 Negro Baseball Championshjps of Central Missouri at Wb.ite way Park. But
more often, they played at Lincoln Park, enclosed by a board fence near Lincoln University's practice field,
according to Gary Kremer.
Before the Mohawks organized in 1922, the Jefferson City Hubs were the big team for black players. But
they only bad two local players. After the locally filled Mohawks beat the Hubs twice decisively in the
1920s, the Hubs team di s banded.
Later, Lincoln Uruversity also manned a competitive team called the J efferson City Eagles. In the 1950s,
th e Mohawks and Eagles combined as the Dodgers to p lay in the new Central Missouri Negro League.
Robinson gained notoriety for his left-handed pitching.
"I learned to throw the curve by watching a crippled man in my hometown ofNew London -something
was wrong with his band and his thumb stuck straight up in the air," Robinson said.
He went home and modeled his style after the man, throwing in a walnut grove behind his horne. "A big
smile broke across 'Lefty's' face as he paused, then, 'Why, that ball started out on one side of that tree,
curved all the way and came out on the other side of the tree."'
But he eventually bad to learn to throw the curveball the right way, as batters learned to anticipate the curve
ball when they saw his thumb up .
The 1921, Daily Capital News called him "one of the best colored pitchers in the country." He pitched his
first no-run, no-hit game in June 1929 at L~ 21-0. By May 1930, the Post Tnoune called Robinson
"ancient."
He was invited to pitch full time with the St. Louis Stars, taking the job for one month in 1924. "But I quit
---because I was mBking more money-working at the-Capitol,~Robinson said Proud to be. a Christian and -- .
holding to high morals, he said he didn't want to desert his family, either.
Robinson \'\t-asn't the only team standout As a whole, the Daily Capital Ne'\\t-s said the Mohawks were
"Missouri's fastest colored team in the semi-professional class." Centerfielder Bud Rankin bad his share of
long drives :from the plate. And shortstop Willie Smith was quite the slugger, too.
Lincoln University student Ralph Shropshire was catcher when not giving a "heavy hitting exhioition," and
he went on to be catcher for the St Louis Stars in 193 7.
They also played white teams, like the local Senators or Crevelts, or when competing in the State Semi-
Professional Tomnament
Local ball games often featured live music before a game and in between innings. Robinson and his string
band or his Jubilee Singers performed at many of the white ball games.
By the 1930s, Robinson moved into a management role for the }tfohawks, with his son Charles Jr., taking
over the pitchlng.
Robinson also was a leader in the community, presiding over meetings of the young Negro Republicans at
the Washington Sc-hool and serving 15 years as president of the Jefferson City Community Center
Association.
When the white community was debating a recreation center for boys, Robinson told them "no colored
youngsters have been in trouble since the center w-as established and urged that a similar program be
instituted for white youth," the Post Tnoune reported on Feb. 17, 1950.
He was active in the area Republican party, serving as a delegate to the 1960 national convention. He was
the first black man in modem times to be listed on the city ballot, though he lost to the incmnbent city
assessor in 1961.
Robinson was a charter member of the Jefferson City chapter of the NAACP, servfug 27 years as chapter
treasurer. Gov. Christopher Bond proclaimed Nov. 4, 1975, as Charles E. "Lefty" Robinson Day at the 18th
annual Freedom Dinner.
He also volunteered 18 years with the Community Chest and with the Boy Scouts. And he organized the
first day nursery for working moms.
He came to Jefferson City in 1912 to wotk in Gov. Arthur Hyde's administration, then was the first black
employee for the state workmen's compensation commission in 1922. He clerked for the food and drug
department and the Senate before working at Lincoln University in the 1950s, and retired as a funeral
director.
The city's JeflTran headquarters at 820 E. Miller St. is named for Robinson.
AITACHMEN T JB
John ''Duke" Diggs
Estella Branham I Diggs
A world-traveling missionary, musician, teacher and civil rights le ader, Estella Diggs is a wo man eve n 21 st-
century women can aspire to be like.
In 1945 alone, she was matron of the Boone Chapter of the Eastern Stars, Young Women's Association at
Second Baptist Church supervisor , Women's Baptist Missionary convention correspondin g secretary
em eri tus, local Baptist missionary circle president, Jeffe rson City Community Center Association secretary
and the Missouri Baptist Convention interracial committee chairman.
The year before., she became the first BJack woman to represent the 2nd Congressional District Republican
party as a presidential elector.
She was bom in 1872 to George and Fannie Branham. Her futher left slavery in Callaway County to serve
in 1he 68th U.S. Colored Troops. Her mother was born into slavery in Boone County, running away at age
___ . ______ . ___ .. _14._Georgebecame aplasterer~andEannie_was_a~ell-known pastry_ cook. _________ _
Estella's mother was a fomuling member of Second Baptist Church., where Estella polished her talents,
teaching Sunday school at age 13 and serving as church organist.
She was active in the Missouri Baptist Woman's Missionmy Union and the World Baptist Alliance,
representing Second Baptist at national and international conventions throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
One of1hekeyroles she took on was improving interracial relations within the state Baptist convention.
Through the 1940s and 1950s, she was a committee officer and frequent speaker for conferences across the
state.
Locally, she organized the YWA Circle named in her honor, serving as president for13 years. And when the
church :razed the parsonage in 1970 to build the present building at 501 Monroe St, she donated one of her
properties at 220 E. Ashley St to replace it.
Estella Branham Diggs earned a bachelor's degree from Western Baptist Seminary, Kansas City, and taught
in Ole~ MO before marrying Jefferson City entrepreneur John "Duke" Diggs in 1893. After his dea~ she
earned a master's degree in 1948.
They were a power couple, having no children but leaving a lasting legacy. Duke was active in local civic
issues, as well as advocating for African-American rights at the Capitol.
They were both leaders in the United Brothers of Friendship and the Sisters of the 1\llysterious 10, at one
time the largest Black fraternal organization in the state. They also were both active in Republican politics.
In 1944, the 2nd Congressional District Republicans met in Jefferson City to nominate delegates to the
Republican National Convention in Chicago, lllinois, which nominated New York Gov. Thomas Dewey.
When no Black members were named to the initial delegation, a Bunceton representative protested After a
15-minute recess, a second vote made Estella Diggs the :first African American woman to represent the
district.
She may be best remembered as the long-time financial secretary of the Jefferson City Community Center
Association, fonned by the Modem Priscilla Art and Charity Club, of which she was a founding member.
The Modern Priscillas were founded in 1906 with the motto "life is too short to waste. n Dming the
Depression, the club used a small building in The Foot on Dunklin Street to store and distribute
commodities. Looking next to provide hot lunches for school children, the community center idea was born
in 1935. The :first center at Dunklin and Linn streets primarily served as a day nursery for worldng mothers.
In 1942, Duke and Estella Diggs were instrumental in seeing the cmrent Jefferson City Commlllli.cy Center
built, despite a halt on other construction due to World War D. After collecting $1,000 from the Black
community:~ the center partnered with the Community Chest, a forerunner of the United Way, to make a
community-wide appeal to cover the remaining costs. Afterward, the association officers, including Estella,
ran a "thank you" ad saying: "America is the only place in the world today where a minority can ask a
majority for aid and get what they ask. Democracy may she live forever! We are very, very grateful" The
Jefferson City Community Center, also known as the Duke Diggs Community Center was added to the
National Register ofHistoric Places on May 14, 1992, and is located at 608 E. Dunklin Street
·--·-----··Mrs:-Diggs ·was a member of the city's·firstracial relations·committee;organized in 1949_,-along with other·
leaders of the day including Ruth Hardiman, Charles Robinson and "Mrs. Julius Meyerhardt. The committee
was replaced ~ith the Commission on Human Relations in 1952, retaining several members, including
Diggs.
"It may seem strange that Jefferson City has suddenly made a tum for better brotherhoocL but the facts
show that this same turn is being made throughout the nation. Americans have finally awakened to the fact
that one can't preach democracy abroad and not practice it at home," the Linco1n University Clarion
reported May 2, 1952.
Diggs embodied the Modem Priscillas' motto, promoting better civic relations, helping people on an
individual basis and championing her faith.
:.:\fichelle Brooks is a former JPjferson City News Tribune reporter. She enjoys researching local history,
particularly Lincoln Universit}~
Print Headline: Cole County History: Estella Branham Diggs, a woman of faith and action
ATTACHMENT 1 C
Tony Jenkins
Toney Jenkins of Jefferson City, Missouri, was killed in action during the Meuse-
Argonne Offensive of World War I. The "Harlem Hellfighter" became the only black
veteran from Cole County to die in the war and was laid to rest in the Jefferson City
National Cemetery. His name is listed on the WWI monument in front of the Cole County
Courthouse.
Jenkins was inducted into the U.S. Army on October 29, 1917. In the book "Scott's
Official History of the American Negro in the World War," the author notes that during
World War I, "about 367,710 of the nearly 400,000 black soldiers that served entered the
service because of the Selective Draft Law," as was the case with young Jenkins.
Black recruits were often separated into one of two combat divisions-the 92nd or the
93rd Division. Jenkins was attached to Company G, 365th Infantry Regiment of the 92nd
Division, which was formed at Camp Dodge, Iowa.
In December of 191 7, he was transferred to Camp Funston, Kansas, where he remained
until departing for France in late March 1918 as a member of Company G , 369th Infantry
Regiment, which was formed from the 15th New York National Guard Infantry Regiment
and became part of the 93rd Division.
Early in the war, General John J. Pershing made the decision to loan the four regiments of
the 93rd Division to the French. Despite the institutional racism they faced within the
larger military structure, the division would go on to fight boldly on behalf of those who
did not recognize their value as citizens and soldiers.
Jenkins' regiment, the 369th, was the first to arrive in France and, following training with
. _ .th~ Er~nchJgrc~s, :w~_int~grateqj~_t9_t~@~~~-s Fo~A.ml.YJ!~d._SQQ.n \!~gan !Q_prqye __
their mettle in combat operations, all the while wearing French uniforms and using
French weapons.
In an article by Jami Bryan appearing in "On Point," an Army Historical Foundation
publication, she notes that although the division experienced some early problems related
to the language barrier, their French counterparts treated the American soldiers as equals.
The division's list of military operations included several major battles along the Western
Front; however, after bitter fighting during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the division
earned the title of "Hellfighters" by their German foes (the title later mo~hed into
"Harlem Hell:fighters" in recognition of the location from which many of the division's
recruits originated).
On September 28, 1918, during the carnage of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which
resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, a 23-year-old Tony Jenkins lost his life
from wounds received in combat. (The day following Jenkins' death, fellow Jefferson
City resident Roscoe Enloe was killed in action). News of the soldier's death was shared
in the December 16, 1918 edition of the Jefferson City Post-Tribune, with the young
"Harlem Hellfighter" being laid to rest as an American soldier alongside hundreds of his
fe~pw veterans in the Jefferson City National Cem~tery.
Y~ars later, the Tony Jenkins Lodge No. 432 ofthe Elks was formed to honor the late
veteran (with the "e" removed from his first name) and on February 1, 1934, at the old
Community Building, 901 E. Dunklin Street, the Tony Jenkins American Legion Post was
formed with a charter group of 15 local veterans. S~ce that time, it has remained a
predominantly black post.
In a confidential cablegram sent to Washington, D.C., General Pershing lauds the black
soldiers of the 92nd and 93rd Divisions, beaming with pride over their "comparatively
high degree of training and efficiency," followed by remarks that would indicate their
sacrifices did not go unrecognized.
"(The) only regret expressed by colored troops is that they are not given more dangerous
work to do," wrote Pershing, adding, "I cannot commend too highly the spirit shown
among the colored combat troops, who exhibit fine capacity for quick training and
eagerness for the most dangerous work."
-----------Nearly 30 years after Jenkins' bunat,-President Trurriandesegregated the mTfitacy-thr:----ou-gh--o--------------------------
Executive Order 9981, with the sacrifice and performance of the 93rd Division helping
inspire major changes in highest levels of U.S. leadership and delivering the beginning
stages of equality for which the soldiers of the division so valiantly fought.
Legacy District
City of Jefferson, MissouriCole County, Missouri
Notes Lafayette St and The Historic Foot District
Parcel data is for assessment purposes only. It is not a legal survey and does not purport to
represent a property boundary survey of the parcels shown. It should not be used for
conveyances or the establishment of property boundaries. Do not use for navigation.
0 500 1000
ft
ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES
A Address
--Land Hook
[=~~~! City Limits
I=J County Boundaries
Parcels D Subdiv isions
Historic Legacy District
City of Jefferson, MissouriCole County, Missouri
Notes Lafayette Street and the Historic Foot District
Parcel data is for assessment purposes only. It is not a legal survey and does not purport to
represent a property boundary survey of the parcels shown. It should not be used for
conveyances or the establishment of property boundaries. Do not use for navigation.
0 500 1000
ft
Legend
A Address
--Land Hook
[=~~~! City Limits
,.~---, i __ J County Boundaries
Parcels
D Subdivisions
Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church
415 Lafayette Street | Jefferson City, MO 65101
Office: (573) 635-4421
Reverend Anthony L. McPherson, Senior Pastor
Like us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/quinnchapeljc
To Whom it May Concern:
Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, currently located at 415 Lafayette St., is
submitting this letter in support of the establishment of the Lafayette Street and Historic
Foot District.
Though Quinn Chapel has been at its third location and current edifice since 2013, the
congregation was established in 1850 by free and enslaved blacks in Jefferson City. The
second location was just one block south at 529 Lafayette, in the heart of the Historic Foot
business district.
It is imperative that we document and preserve our stories so that coming generations
understand our history. As the business district no longer physically exists, we fully support
documenting this part of the story of the city and welcome inclusion in the district.
Sincerely,
Rev. Anthony McPherson
Senior Pastor
Second Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
Jefferson Cit y, Missouri 65101
Vern ell and Penny Weston, Pastors
Deacon Fa rre ll Round tree, Board Cha irman
To Whom it May Concern:
March 29, 2022
My name is Erin Roundtree, clerk of the official board at Second Christian Church, Disciples of
Christ located at 703 East Dunklin Street. And we thoroughly support the establishment of the lafayette
Street and the Historic Foot District.
Second Christian Church has occupied the corner of Lafayette and Dunklin since 1961, when our
current building of worship was originally built. However, our church has lived, loved, fellowshipped,
outreached, and served in and around thi s community for near ly 117 years . But we do not view the
community just as our neighbors but as our family.
The preservation of heritage is very important because it provides a sense of identity and
endurance in a fast-changing world for future generations . The East McCarty, Chestnut, Atchison, and
Jackson neighborhoods basically represent not only j ust the history but the culture of the African
American community of Jefferson City, Missouri.
Please take this heartfelt declaration into consideration as you come to a decision. Thank you
for your time and may the lord continue to be a blessing in your life and service t o this town.
Si ncerely,
~~~----
The Second Christian Church Congregation
Verne ll and Penny Weston, Pastors
Deacon Farrell Roundtree, Board Chairman
Erin Roundtree, Ch urch Clerk/Secretary
1
Historic Legacy District Staff Report
Proposed Historic Legacy District Name Lafayette Street and The Historic Foot District
Primary Contact for the Application Glover W. Brown
Required Attachments: Attachment Submitted?
Map showing the boundaries Yes
Response(s) to the required criteria for nomination Yes
List of sources consulted to prepare written
responses
Yes
Criteria for Nomination (at least 1 criterion must be met)
I. Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the
community, county, state, or nation.
II. Its location as a site of significant local, county, state, or national events.
III. Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the
community, county, state, or nation.
Does the Application: Yes or No
Explain the character, interest, or value as part of the
development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the
community, county, state, or nation.
Yes
Explain why/how the location of the proposed district is a
site of a significant local, county, state, or national event. Yes
Explain the identification the proposed district has with a
person(s) who significantly contributed to the
development of the community, county, state, or nation.
Yes
Staff Recommendation: Approve the application for the designation of a Historic Legacy District for the Lafayette
Street and The Historic Foot District.
STAFF COMMENTS
2
The application submitted detailed descriptions of the 700, 600, 500, and 400 blocks of Lafayette Street. The application
describes in detail the people and businesses that made up this African American neighborhood and commercial district.
The staff report and staff comments are not conclusive of the historical and cultural significance of the proposed district.
According to the Historic Context of Jefferson City, most of the Foot was demolished for the Campus View Urban
Renewal project. The Historic Context states, “the federal Housing Act of 1949 provided the funding and the eventually
the buildable land for new urban renewal projects. According to the Lincoln Clarion, “this urban renewal program is
concerned not only with the sore spots that blight produced but with protecting the community as a whole against the
threat of blight.” Urban renewal was supposed to redevelop areas that had fallen into disrepair, aka “blight.” Urban
renewal projects were attractive for cities because federal funding provided the bulk of the budget. Unfortunately, many
projects took place in areas that had suffered from long-time disinvestment, often because they were African American
neighborhoods. In Jefferson City, the institutional support from Lincoln University was somewhat unusual for these
projects. The federally funded Campus View Urban Renewal Project began to be worked on in approximately 1959. The
project was not uniformly popular. It focused on redevelopment in the area surrounding Lincoln University. By the mid-
1960s opposition to Campus View was well underway. The Foot had been largely demolished, and resident relocation
was not as smooth as anticipated.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Staff Comments after the November 8, 2022, Historic Preservation Commission Meeting:
A Sanborn map was used to locate where businesses once stood because some addresses have changed over
time. The commission and Mr. Brown determined that the boundaries of the proposed Historic Legacy District
should be amended to include only the 400, 500, and 600 blocks of Lafayette Street and the 600 block of
Dunklin Street (corner of E. Dunklin Street and Lafayette Street that is currently 708 Lafayette Street). The
boundary map has been updated to reflect these changes.
According to the application submitted:
The 700 block was home to the “The House of Process and Ultra Wave”, Turners Filling Station (owned by an African
American, it was the only station where African American clients knew they could be served), and Mr. Carl Johnson’s
Barber Shop. The 700 block was filled with homes of African Americans, many of them were faculty, staff, and
administration at Lincoln University. This was known as “the Foot” as the stairway lay at the foot of a long set of steps
up the hill to the university’s campus.
The 600 block was home to the Eldorado Club, Miss Leona’s diner, Jack’s Drug Store, and the Booker T. Hotel. The
Booker T. Hotel was listed in the 1940 Green Book and it was the only hotel that African Americans could stay. The 600
block also included Norman’s Confectionary, The Tops, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Glover Brown Sr., was known for
excellent BBQ, and at least one Missouri Governor visited.
The 500 block was home to Logan’s Shoe Repair, owned by Benjamin Harrison Logan, who was the grandson of one of
the founding soldiers of Lincoln Institute.
The 400 block was home to Dr. and Mrs. Richardson. Dr. Richardson, from the Caribbean, had his medical office in the
basement of his home. Because of segregation, Dr. Richardson did not have privileges at St. Mary’s Hospital. When one
of his patients became ill enough to enter the hospital, Dr. Richardson had standing arrangements with one of his white
colleagues to look after his hospitalized patients. The Richardson’s owned a small house with pinkish/rose-colored
shingles that they rented out to Mr. and Mrs. Allen Busby. Mr. Busby worked at Lincoln University for 23 years and
continued with the university by serving as a counselor to veterans returning home from the Vietnam War. In the
southern portion of the 400 blocks, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Blue and their daughters lived. Mr. Blue, received his Doctor of
Philosophy degree at Harvard University. He served in the English Department at Lincoln University. Quinn Chapel AME
Church is now located in the area of the Blue’s residence.
STAFF COMMENTS
3
Notable individuals who lived in the Lafayette Street and Historic Foot District include, but is not limited to:
Charles “Lefty” Robinson
Attachment 1A describes Charles (Lefty) Robinson in detail. Mr. Robinson was the pitcher and later manager of an
impressive team of black players who took on exhibition games with American Negro Baseball league teams, including
the Kansas City Monarchs. Mr. Robinson gained notoriety for his left-handed pitching. Robinson was a leader in the
community, presiding over meetings of the young Negro Republicans at the Washington School and serving 15 years as
president of the Jefferson City Community Center Association. Mr. Robinson served as a Republican party delegate at
the 1960 national convention. Robinson was a charter member of the Jefferson City NAACP. Robinson was the
coordinator of all the funerals in Jefferson City for the black community. He was not a funeral director himself, but Dulle
Funeral home allowed him to enlist their mortician services. Mr. Robinson was frequently called upon to serve as the
voice of the black community. The City of Jefferson’s JeffTran headquarters at 820 E. Miller is named for Robinson.
Estella and John “Duke” Diggs
Attachment 1B describes the Diggs in detail. The Diggs had lived impressive lives. A notable accomplishment of the Diggs
can still be seen and visited today. The Diggs were instrumental in seeing the current Jefferson City Community Center
built. The Jefferson City Community Center was also known as the Duke Diggs Community Center and it was added to
the National Register of Historic Places on May 14, 1992.
Toney Jenkins
Attachment 1C describes Tony Jenkins in detail. Mr. Jenkins was killed in action during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of
WWI. Known as the “Harlem Hell fighter”, became the only black veteran from Cole County to die in the war and was
laid to rest in the Jefferson City National Cemetery.