Radios in 1930 in Level Cross, Back Creek, and Coleridge

A census record shows a wide range of information about a family and community. One of my favorite bits of information that can be gleaned from the 1930 census is whether or not a family possessed a radio.

One of the column-sets of information the census taker recorded.
Lists whether a home was owned (O) or rented (R), the value of the home or cost of rent, whether the family owned a radio (R), and if the family lived on a farm or not.

While invented in the late 1890's, the radio did not start to become popular until the 1920's. As more households began to own radios, more radio stations began popping up. So, a snapshot of who owned radios a decade or less from their first initial boom in popularity can really show a lot about what kinds of things interested a family or community.

For this post, I thought I would highlight the people who owned a radio in the Level Cross township. Out of 110 houses, however, only two owned a radio though: Talton Cox, who lived with John Robins' family, and Minnie Causey's family.

House of Joseph Sawyer and John Robins, located on Coltrane Mill Road. John Robins' household has a radio.

Household of Minnie Causey, located on Highway 70.

Both households, were on a farm. Talton Cox was 59 years old and a lodger in a home (a duplex) that was being rented. Minnie owned her home and was an 87-year-old widow. Talton Cox was an engineer. Minnie had no occupation (her grandson, Wade, was a brick layer and the only wage earner in the home).

Once I realized only two families in Level Cross possessed a radio, I decided to check a few other townships. Back Creek was the next area I decided to investigate. Of 208 families, seven families had a radio. The heads of households for those families are as follows:

Heads of Households (alphabetical) with a Radio in Back Creek:

• Archie C. Bulla, age 30, owned home on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Robert N. Davis, age 71, owned home on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Joseph R. Dougan, age 29, owned home on a farm, occupation: textile worker at hosiery mill
• Claud L. Hicks, age 41, owned home on a farm, occupation: foreman at a gold mine
• Grady L. Hughes, age 29, owned home on a farm, occupation: boarder at hosiery mill
• Claude Routh, age 37, owned home on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Charles W. Wall, age 51, owned home on a farm, occupation: farmer

Coleridge had a few more radios, so I've decided to highlight those families now too. There were 65 families in unincorporated Coleridge. Of those families, eight possessed a radio. Of the 265 families in Coleridge township, 15 families had a radio.

Heads of Households (alphabetical) with a Radio in Unincorporated Coleridge:

• Garland W. Allen, age 28, home owned and on a farm, occupation: (illegible, possibly calier at baul.)
• Obed C Brody, age 34, home owned and NOT on a farm, occupation: spinning room foreman at the cotton mill
• Floyd C. Caviness, age 36, home owned and on a farm, occupation: manufacturer at cotton mill
• Robert L. Caviness, age 63, home owned and on a farm, occupation: merchant of general merchandise
• Aaron R. Crausee, age 62, home owned and worth $800, NOT on a farm, occupation: manager of a garage
• Daniel N. Crausee, age 19, home owned and on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Oren W. Ward, age 60, home owned and worth $2000, NOT on a farm, occupation: overseer at cotton mill
• Robert D. Webb, age 29, home rented for $5 a month, NOT on a farm, occupation: reconstructant(?) foreman for the state highway

Clipping from 1930 Coleridge Census

Heads of Households (alphabetical) with a Radio in Coleridge Township:

• Stanley S. Allen, age 46, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Dean O. Brower, age 44, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• William A Brower, Jr., age 29, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• E. Willard Brown, age 70, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Ray E. Caviness, age 46, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Everett Cox, age 48, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• John C. Cox, age 33, home owned and on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Vergil M. Cox, age 72, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• Benjamin F. Craven, age 65, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• E. Clevenland Craven, age 42, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• H. Frank Maness, age 38, home rented on a farm, occupation: farmer
• William B. Maness, age 47, home owned on a farm, occupation: farmer
• M. Jeanette Pell, age 58, home owned on a farm, occupation: merchant of general merchandise
• J. Edd. Spruce, age 64, home owned on a farm, occupation: merchant of general merchandise
• Clifford S. Stout, age 39, home rented for $10 a month, on a farm, occupation: farmer

Clipping from 1930 Coleridge Census

So, less than 2% of the families in Level Cross, 3% of the families in Back Creek, 12% of the families in unincorporated Coleridge, and less than 6% of the families in Coleridge township had a radio in 1930. I hope to keep working my way through the townships in 1930 and seeing how these numbers stack up to the other areas of the county.

Sources:

• 1930 Back Creek, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Coleridge, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Level Cross, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

1910 Randolph County Census clip from "The Heritage of Randolph County, North Carolina"

The following is an excerpt from "The Heritage of Randolph County, North Carolina" book located in the Randolph Room in the Asheboro, Randolph County, Library. It is an uncredited article entitled "1910 Federal Census, Randolph County" located on Page 124 of Volume II of the series.

Photo of the spine and call number of the book at the Randolph Room

At a future date, I hope to go through this list of names and provide more information on any of the men I can and resolve some of the "?" the author has inserted in some of their names and ages. Misspellings and "?" are inserted as the author of the article inserted them, however, I have recreated the list in a bulleted fashion and added the word "age" for clarification for each person.

"Most, but not all, of the following persons were too young to have served in the Confederate States Armed Forces, but the 1910 Randolph County Census stated that they had given service to the Confederacy.  All but two of these men were from the East Franklinville Township, with the remaining two being from Tabernacle Township.  Following each person's name is his age as given in the 1910 Census.  This was 45 years after the War ended.  The names are as follows:

East Franklinville Township:

• James N. Allred, age 60
• Murphy Allred, age 50
• William A. ? Allred, age 53
• William E. Allred, age 51
• Cicero H. Bean, age 53
• George H. Black, age 60
• John F. Brewer, age 55
• Mathew G. Brice ?, age 58
• Alfred J. Brower, age 49
• John H. Burrow, age 53
• Brison H. Cheek, age 57
• George C. Cox, age 60
• James Davis, age 50
• Duncan Dove ?, age 57
• James W. Ellison, age 57
• Joseph M. Ellison, age 58
• Thomas M. Ellison, age 59
• Harris Foust, age 55-56 ?
• Milton W. Free, age 57
• Solomon E. Free, age 51
• Solomon H. Free, age 59
• Alfred Graves, age 50
• Jebes ? T. Hardin, age 51
• John R. Hayes, age 58
• William J. Hobson, age 56
• Emons Holder, age 55
• Franklin C. Holliday, age 55
• Charles R. Hurley, age 50
• Jacob Ivy, age 55
• Thomas M. Jennings, age 54
• William H. Jennings, age 50
• James F. Johnson, age 53
• Charles F. Jones, age 50
• George M. Jones, age 60
• George H. Kinney, age 50
• George A. Laughlin, age 52
• Scott Lineberry, age 52
• John A. McKinnon, age 50
• John C. Maner, age 51
• John P. Marable, age 54
• Avry ? V.? Marley, age 51
• Elias Moon, age 52
• William J. Moore, age 60
• Enoch Pugh, age 59
• Felix Pugh, age 57
• Isaac H. Pugh, age 58
• Willard F. Pugh, age 59
• Alexander H. Redding, Sr., age 53
• John W. Reeves, age 52
• George Richardson, age 50
• Alfred W. Riddle 57
• William Z. ROuth, age 57
• Giles Smith, age 53
• Lanson ? A. Snider, age 59
• John M. Tippett, age 51
• William H. Tippett, age 52
• Cicero L. Trogden, age 52
• Cicero S. Trogden, age 50
• George M. ? Trogden, age 52
• Abram Ward, age 60
• David M. Weatherly, age 57
• Daniel H. West, age 54
• John Williamson, age 52
• Jessie York, age 51

Tabernacle Township:

• Franklin T. Gordon, age 60
• John C. Hoover, age 60

Sources:

• "The Heritage of Randolph County, North Carolina; Volume II" (accessed at the Randolph Room, Asheboro Branch, Randolph County Library)

Cemetery Locations in Randolph County

My favorite thing to do when I'm visiting Randolph County is tour the family cemeteries. In this post, I will organize the cemeteries listed on Find-A-Grave as being located in Randolph County. There are a LOT of cemeteries, so it may be a little lengthy, but I'll organize it alphabetically and by township or city.

NOTE: All of these locations are currently based on the Find-A-Grave users who submitted the addresses or approximate locations of the cemeteries. All cemeteries with two (or three) known names are also according to the Find-A-Grave users. There may still be duplicated cemeteries in this list, and there may be cemeteries currently missing from this list. I hope to refine this list over time and make it more complete and accurate.

Archdale
Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery #1
Ebenezer United Methodist Church Cemetery
Glenola Baptist Church Cemetery
Springfield Cemetery

Asheboro
Allen's Temple AME Church Cemetery
Billy Trogdon Cemetery (aka Allred-Trogdon Cemetery; Trogdon Burying Ground)
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
Asheboro City Cemetery
Back Creek Friends Meeting Cemetery
Bailey's Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
Barnes Family Cemetery
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery (aka Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery)
Bethel Friends Cemetery
Browers Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Bulla Family Cemetery
Callicutt Memorial Church Cemetery
Cedar Falls United Methodist Church Cemetery
Center Cross Baptist Church Cemetery
Charlotte United Methodist Church Cemetery
Christian Fellowship Church Cemetery
Davis Chapel Methodist Protestant Church Cemetery
Eleazer United Methodist Church Cemetery
Episcopal Church of Good Shepherd Memorial Garden
First Congregational Cemetery
First Presbyterian Church Columbarium
Flag Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery
Giles Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
God Outreach Ministries Cemetery
Goins Family Cemetery
Grace Baptist Temple Cemetery
High Pine Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Hopewell Friends Meeting Cemetery
Huldah Baptist Church Cemetery
Hurley Family Cemetery
Lucas Family Cemetery #1
Mill Creek Friends Cemetery (aka Old Stone Graveyard)
Mitchell United Methodist Church Cemetery #1
Mitchell United Methodist Church Cemetery #2
Moon Family Cemetery
Mount Lebanon Baptist Church Cemetery
Mount Shepherd Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
Mount Shepherd United Methodist Church Cemetery
Mount Tabor Community Church Cemetery
Mountain of Faith Christian Church Cemetery
Mountain View Independent Methodist Church Cemetery
Neighbors Grove Wesleyan Church Cemetery
New Hope Memorial Gardens
New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery #1
New Union United Methodist Church Cemetery
Oaklawn Cemetery
Oddfellow-McAlister Cemetery
Panther Creek Baptist Church Cemetery
Pisgah United Methodist Church Cemetery
Pleasant Cross Christian Church Cemetery
Pleasant Grove Methodist Church Cemetery
Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Cemetery
Randolph Memorial Park
Richland Baptist Church Cemetery
Russells Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
Saint Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery
Saint Josephs Catholic Church Cemetery
Sawyersville Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Science Hill Friends Meeting Cemetery
Shady Grove Community Cemetery
Smyrna Grove Community Church Cemetery
Spoons Chapel United Church of Christ Cemetery
Strieby Congregational United Church of Christ Cemetery
Styles Family Cemetery
Union Grove Christian Church Cemetery
Uwharrie Friends Burial Ground
Victory Baptist Church Cemetery
Walker Cemetery
West Bend United Methodist Church Cemetery
West Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery

Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls Baptist Church Cemetery
Pritchard Family Cemetery

Cedar Grove
Andrew Balfour Family Cemetery (aka Balfour Cemetery)
Saint Mark's United Methodist Church Cemetery

Coleridge
Brush Creek Primitive Baptist Cemetery
Concord United Methodist Church Cemetery (aka Concord Cemetery)
Lawrence Moon Family Cemetery
Maness Family Cemetery
Moffitt Cemetery #1
Moffitt Cemetery #2
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church Cemetery
Pleasant Grove Christian Church Cemetery

Farmer
Farmer Baptist Church Cemetery
Farmer United Methodist Church Cemetery
Montagnard Cemetery

Franklinville
Bethany United Methodist Church Cemetery #1
Clear View Baptist Church Cemetery
Cool Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Faith Temple Baptist Church Cemetery
First Baptist Church Cemetery
Franklinville United Methodist Church Cemetery
Grays Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery (aka Grays Chapel; Grays Chapel Cemetery)
Hardin Family Cemetery
Old Salem Cemetery
Whites Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery

Fuller Mill
Laurel Hill Family Cemetery

Glenola
Glenola Community Cemetery

Grays Chapel
Odell Trogdon Cemetery

Jackson Creek
Hoover Cemetery
Mount Tabor Methodist Church Cemetery
North Bend Cemetery
Piney Grove Methodist Church Cemetery

Julian
Gilmore Memorial Park

Level Cross
Timber Ridge Cemetery

Liberty
Amose Grove Cemetery
Bethany United Methodist Church Cemetery #2
Campbell and Pugh Cemetery
Edwards Grove Baptist
Fairview Cemetery
Grace Methodist Church Cemetery
Liberty Grove Methodist Church Cemetery
Longs Friends Meeting House Cemetery
Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery
Melanchthon Lutheran Church Cemetery
Old Campbell Cemetery
Randolph United Methodist Church Cemetery
Richland Gospel Church Cemetery (aka Richland Cemetery; Richland Lutheran Cemetery)
Rock Creek Church Cemetery
Saint Stephen Memorial Garden
Sandy Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
Shiloh United Methodist Church Cemetery (aka Shiloh Methodist Church Cemetery)
Whites Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery

Martha
Salem United Methodist Church Cemetery

New Hope
Ezra Crow Family Cemetery
Griffon Family Cemetery
Hannah Grave Yard
Hopkins Family Cemetery #1
Hopkins Family Cemetery #2
Old Hillsborough Methodist Church Cemetery
Old Union Cemetery
Shaw Cemetery #1
Shaw Cemetery #2

New Market
Gossett Burying Ground

Pisgah
Luther Cemetery
Shaw Cemetery #3

Ramseur
Bible Truth Church Cemetery
Coxs Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Deep River Baptist Church Cemetery
Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery
Hickory Grove School Cemetery
Holly Spring Friends Meeting Cemetery
Holly Chapel Pentecostal Holiness Church Cemetery
Kidd Family Cemetery
Kildee Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Lane-Foust Cemetery
Maple Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery
McCrary Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Oakland-McCary Cemetery
Old Ramseur City Cemetery
Parks Crossroads Christian Church Cemetery
Patterson Grove Christian Church Cemetery
Pleasant Ridge Christian Church Cemetery
Providence Baptist Church Cemetery (aka Gospel Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery)
Rains-Caveness Family Cemetery
Ramseur Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Rehobeth Methodist Church Cemetery
Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery
Stouts Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Sunset Knolls Cemetery (aka First Christian Church Cemetery; Ramseur Cemetery)
Ward Family Cemetery
York Family Cemetery

Randleman
Country Holiness Cemetery (aka Pilgrim Holiness Church Cemetery)
Ferree's Chapel Cemetery
Galilee United Church of God Cemetery
Harshaw Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
Level Cross Baptist Church Cemetery
Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery
Liberty Road Baptist Church Cemetery
Midway Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Mount Lebanon United Methodist Church Cemetery
New Salem United Methodist Church Cemetery
Saint Paul Methodist Episcopal South Cemetery
Saint Peters United Methodist Church Cemetery
Sheffield Cemetery
Whitehall Evangelical Methodist Church Cemetery

Redcross
Red Cross Baptist Church Cemetery

Seagrove
Antioch Christian Church Cemetery
Bethel Church of God Cemetery
Boone-Lucas Family Cemetery
Brower Cemetery
Brown Family Cemetery
Community Baptist Church Cemetery
Fair Grove Methodist Church Cemetery
George Spencer Family Cemetery
King Family Cemetery
Lucas Family Cemetery #2
Maple Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Nathaniel Tucker Cemetery
New Center Christian Church Cemetery
Old Mount Olivet Graveyard
Piney Ridge United Methodist Church Cemetery
Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery #1
Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery #3
Richard Graves Family Cemetery
Riverside Baptist Church Cemetery
Seagrove Christian Church Cemetery (aka Seagrove United Church of Christ Cemetery)
Seagrove United Methodist Church Cemetery
Smitherman Cemetery
Spencer Family Cemetery
Tucker Cemetery
Union Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
Whynot Cemetery
Whynot Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Yow Cemetery

Sophia
Caraway Baptist Church Cemetery
Flint Hill Community Church Cemetery (aka Flint Hill United Church of Christ Cemetery)
John Wesley Stand Cemetery (aka Robbins Cemetery)
Marlboro Friends Meeting Cemetery
Mount Olive Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Old Union United Methodist Church Cemetery
Rich Family Cemetery
South Plainfield Friends Meeting Cemetery
Trinity Holiness Church Cemetery
Trinity Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Tysinger Family Cemetery

Staley
Church of Living Water Cemetery
Margarets Chapel Church Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery
Old Shady Grove Cemetery
Olivers Chapel Cemetery
Sandy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery (aka Sandy Creek Cemetery)
Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery #1
Staley City Cemetery

Trinity
Hopewell Cemetery
Hopewell United Methodist Church Cemetery
Mount Gilead United Methodist Church Cemetery
Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church Cemetery (aka Mount Pleasant Community Church Cemetery)
Mount Vernon United Methodist Church Cemetery
Mount Zion Methodist Church Cemetery
Pierces Chapel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery #2
Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting Cemetery
Trinity City Cemetery (aka Trinity Cemetery #1; Trinity Memorial Cemetery)
Trinity Cemetery #2
Trinity Baptist Church Cemetery
Westfield Baptist Church Cemetery

Ulah
Vuncannon Cemetery

Worthville
Worthville Town Cemetery (aka Worthville Cemetery; Worthville Community Cemetery)

Need to Find Out
Allred Family Cemetery
Andrews Grove Cemetery
Bailey's Grove Baptist Ministries
Bell Welborn Cemetery
Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery #2
Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery
Branson Mill Baptist Church Cemetery
Brickyard Cemetery
Calvary Gospel Church Cemetery
Cedar Square Friends Meeting Cemetery (aka Friends Meeting Cemetery)
County Home Cemetery
Crow Family Cemetery
Fairview United Methodist Church Cemetery
Faith Baptist Church Cemetery
Gabriel Russell Family Cemetery
Henry Jordan WIlliams Family Cemetery
Hoovers Grove Wesleyan Church Cemetery
Landmark Baptist Church Cemetery
Lawrence Cemetery
Lebanon United Methodist Church Cemetery
Little Family Cemetery
Luther Family Cemetery
Macon Family Cemetery
McGee Cemetery
McMasters Cemetery
Merrell Family Cemetery
Miller Family Cemetery
Mount Calvary Cemetery
Mount Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery
New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery #2
Oak Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery
Old Fashion Baptist Church Cemetery
Old McMasters Cemetery (aka McMasters Cemetery)
Ole Kindley Cemetery
Parks-Stout Cemetery
Pleasant Union Community Church Cemetery (aka Pleasant Union Community Church Cemetery; Pleasant Union United Church of Christ Cemetery)
Prospect United Methodist Church Cemetery
Providence Cemetery
Rock Hill Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
Salem United Church of Christ Cemetery
Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery #2
Tabernacle United Methodist Church Cemetery
Taylor Family Cemetery
Temple Heights Baptist Church Cemetery
Waddell Memorial Chapel Cemetery
White Oak Cemetery
Wood Family Cemetery

Oaths of Allegiance, December 1781

On this Independence Day, I thought I would highlight something from the time of the Revolutionary War. Since Randolph County wasn't even formed until 1779, four years after the beginning of the War, I thought I would instead share a list of those men who took the Oath of Allegiance in Randolph County in December 1781. 

This list originally comes from the minutes of the December 1781 session of the Randolph County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions. It has been recreated in several forms over the years, including several Randolph County history books, and now also here.

John Witherington bound to this Court, appeared and discharged and took the Oath of Allegiance, etc. 

Henry Linderman, Aaron York, William Yourk, Edmond York, and John Burgess bound to this Court, appeared and discharged by Proclamation and took the Oath of Allegiance. Paid. 

David Coltran Charged with being with the British, bound to this Court appeared and discharged by Proclamation and took the Oath of Allegiance.

Elias Allred, Charles Hopper, John Aldridge, Isaac Cox, Ezelkeel Troughdon, George Julian, John Downing charged with having joined the British and bound to this Court, appeared and discharged by Proclamation and to the Oath Proclamation.

Stephen Sisne and William Dix (Dics?) bound to this Court, appeared and discharged upon Proclamation and took the Oath of Allegiance.

Daniel Craven, Henry Craven and William Diffy bound to this Court, appeared and discharged by Proclamation and took the Oath of Allegiance.

Walter Ashmore charged with being with Fanning and bound to this Court, appeared and discharged and took the Oath of Allegiance.

Crawford Rush and Robert Hooker, charged with having joined the British and bound to this Court, appeared and discharged and took the Oath of Allegiance.

Thomas Curtis, David Smith, William Ward, Briant Smith, Samuel Curtis, Benjamin Curtis and John Curtis, charged with having joined the British Arme, to this Court appeared and discharged for want of Testimoney and took the Oath of Allegiance to the State of North Carolina.

Thomas Little bound to this Court, appeared and discharged for want of Testimoney by Proclamation and took the Oath of Allegiance to this State. 

That those called non-jurors the Collector are to administer the Oath of Allegiance and abjuration and if refused to take a threefold Tax, etc.