Author: Patrick

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Edina

From slave mart to Edina

In Skinner’s view, responsibility for spilled African blood laid thousands of miles away”

“I traced the evil to the whole of the slave ship, and the watery grave that swallowed its thousands, and thence to the slave market and slave planation, and the course of hereditary slavery. I thought of the black cloud that hovers over my country, and saw all this evil embodied in the name Factory Island, and almost wished that the Island and its name were annihilated together.”

The name of the island was soon “annihilated,” in keeping with Skinner’s wish. In April 1836, he informed the ACS that initial plans for Edina had been laid.

Footnote: E. Skinner, “Liberia: Extracts of a letter,” African Repository, June 1836, p. 169.

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Baptist manual school

The town was erected on unoccupied land that was separated from Bob Grey’s town by a hill. By the time Skinner sent his letter, Edina’s main street had been cleared and six lots deeded to citizens.

By April 1836, the Baptist missionaries had already asked for land on the hill to build a manual school that would serve the children of both Edina and the local ruler’s town. According to Skinner, Bob Gray was in favor of the school and had promised to send the children of his town.

Footnote: E. Skinner, “Liberia: Extracts of a letter,” African Repository, June 1836, p. 169.

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Edina

Census of 1843

When a census was taken in 1843, Edina had 202 residents, with 156 acres planted. Sixty-seven residents identified their occupations. One held an appointive office, six worked in agriculture, five were artisans, eight merchants, four  professionals, 24 semiskilled, and 18 unskilled.

In 1843, 232 residents were members of three local churches. One hundred and twenty were Baptists, 104 Methodists and 8 Presbyterians. In addition, the Methodist Church operated an indigenous mission here.

Footnote: U. S., Congress, Senate, U. S. Navy Department, tables showing the number of emigrants and recaptured Africans sent to the colony of Liberia by the government of the United States … together with a census of the colony and a report of its commerce, &c. September, 1843: Senate Document No. 150, 28th Cong., 2n sess., 1845.

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Edina

Historical significant

When Liberia declared its independence in 1847, the country contained 11 towns. Edina was one of them.

Most polities in the area at the time, including Liberia, were composed of non-continuous towns. In other words, they consisted of settlements widely separated by unclaimed forest and mangrove swamp.

Of the various neighboring examples, Liberia at independence most resembled the Kru polity, which consisted of widely dispersed settlements along the coast.

By 1850, some residents were already growing export crops.

Footnote: J. W. Lugenbeel, “Sketches of Liberia – No. 2,” African Repository, July 1850, p. 207.

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Edina

Social, Intellectual and Improvement Club

In 1924, a local “Social, Intellectual and Improvement Club” was incorporated. Among its members were U. A. Potter, president; J. A. Benson, vice president; J. R. King, secretary; J. E. Smith, assistant secretary; S. Annette Potter, treasurer; J. E. Johnson, organist; Lavinia P. P. King, custodian; W. F. R. Johnson, lecturer; J. W. Early, instructor; honourable members: Gen. T. M. Moore, the Rev. J. R. Daves, the Rev. T. J. King, F. E. R. Johnson, S. G. Harmon and L. A. Grimes; patrons: the Rev. S. A. Liberty and J. S Smith; member: Clavender V. King, B. E. Johnson, Ellen C. Potter, Ettmarte C. Early, H. L. Harmon, Catherine H. C. Crusoe and E. T. Woods.

The Club also incorporated a brass band.  Its members included J. R. King, band master; C. R. H. Johnson, assistant band master; J. S. Woods, secretary; J. F. Brown, treasurer; J. A. Deshield, custodian; J. A. Benson, instructor; and members: J. F. Duncan, T. J. Deshield, Nicholas Johnson, J. E. Smith, S. C. Liberty, P. F. Taylor, Thomas King and C. A. Green.

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Edina

Edina-Buchanan ferry

In 1927, Colonel J. B. Horace was named commander of the third battalion of the second regiment of the Liberian army of Grand Bassa County. Members of the militia living in St. John River City and surrounding areas were exempt from reporting to Edina and Buchanan for quarterly parades.

In 1938, the Edina-Buchanan Ferry Company was incorporated. It charged travelers a maximum of 12 cents for trips on the Mechlin, Benson and Saint John Rivers between Edina, Upper Buchanan and Moore’s Point. Company stockholders included Harriet Harmon, J. Allen Benson, J. Wallace Smith, Jannie Brownell nee White, C. C. Dougans nee Russell, Stephen J. Crusoe, T. Reuben Hill, Thomas R. Horace, Moses B. King, James E. Morgan and John S. Woods.

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Crozierville

In the beginning

Crozerville was founded in 1868. It had 348 residents, all of whom were Episcopalians from Barbados who arrived in Liberia five years earlier. Their emigration was the outcome of a November 1862 visit by Edward W. Blyden to encourage emigration from the Caribbean to Liberia.

In 1864, Joseph S. Attwell, who was born in Barbados, went to the United States to collect funds to assist his compatriots in emigrating to Liberia. He collected about US$20,000, and was instrumental in the founding of the settlement of Crozerville.



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Crozierville

The Ship Cora

On April 6, 1865, the American Colonization Society chartered the ship “Cora”, with 346 Barbadian emigrants for Liberia, where they arrived in Monrovia on May 10, 1865. Many of the emigrants came from the Parish of Christ Church in southern Barbados. Some of the Barbadians later moved from Monrovia to the neighboring country of Sierra Leone, while others founded the Crozerville settlement.

The town was named after John P. Crozer and Samuel A. Crozer, brothers and American Colonization Society benefactors from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They funded the Barbadian emigration project.

Crozerville residents were known as skilled mechanics and farmers (especially in producing breadfruit, arrowroot and ginger.

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Crozierville

Christ Church

In 1867, the local Episcopal Christ Church was noted as having been “kept open regularly and supplied with religious services.” Christ Church operated two outreach missions, one at Careysburg and another as Bensonville.

By 1878, the Episcopal Church had established a local Parish School.

In 1893, a fifth regiment of the national arm was added, drawing from Clay-Ashland, Louisiana, Millsburg, Harrisburg, Arthington, Muhlenburg, White Plains, Robertsville, Crozerville, Bensonville and Careysburg.

Footnote: “Religious Services in Mesurado County, African Repository, Nov. 1867, p. 343.

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Crozierville

Bridge Association and Knights of Pythias

In 1896, the national legislature incorporated a bridge association for the settlements of White Plains, Crozerville, Bensonville and Careysburg naming W.T. Hagans (president), R.A.M. Deputie (vice president), Sr., Benjamin Fagans (vice president), Cato A. Sims (vice president), James D. Carter (vice president), Edward Hunte (treasurer), G.S. Padmore (recording secretary), D.E. Howard (corresponding secretary), J.C. Johnson (manager), Jas. W. Cooper (manager), J.E. Port (manager), Jas B. Wright (manager) and Thomas W. Haynes (manager).

In 1897, a local chapter of the Knights of Pythias was formed, naming A.L. Sims (c.c.), Josiah Cox (v.c.c.), Isaac Holder (p.), J.H. Locket (m.w.), W.O. Crawford (k.r.s.), Cato A. Sims (m.f.), Jas. B. Padmore (m.a.), E.A. Padmore (i.g.), J.D. Weeks (o.g.) and John I. Thorpe (l.a.).

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Crozierville

Number One Native Club

The local Number One Native Community Club was incorporated, naming C. P. Graham, president; David B. Cooper, vice president; rozSamuel P. Crawford, secretary; Kparkla Dennis, patron and treasurer; Moses Brown, chaplain; Charles Dunn, advocate; Kpannah Queh, collector; Fahn Sunday, messenger; and members: James Dingwall, Rolax Elias, Hektee Dunn, being “civilized Christian young men … anxious to disseminate what light of general and Christian education they have received among their less favoured brethern.”

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Crozierville

Impact on journalism

Immigrants from Barbados would have a profound impact on Liberian journalism. Noted journalists included:

Arthur Barclay, editor of the Observer, the only paper being published in the country from 1878 to 1883; Rev. James Emmanuel Padmore, editor of the Bensonville Whip; J. I. A. Weeks, business manager (April 1930-1934?) of the Crozierville Observer and editor in the 1930s of the Careysburg-based Herald; and Albert Porte (1906-1986), who edited the Enlightener (Jan. 4, 1920-1930?) and the Crozierville Observer (April 1930-1934?).

Porte remained active as a member of the publishing committee of the Herald (March 1937-1940?), irregularly published out of Careysburg, and as a columnist for the Weekly Mirror (1934-193?). During his decades-long career, he was sued, threatened and detained without trial on countless occasions by officials in various administrations.

Burrowes, Power and Press Freedom, pp. ??; Source: This article uses material from “J. Porte of Bassa Dies,” Liberian Observer, March 23, 2006; Negro Year Book: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro, 1916, 2006, p. 187; American Colonization Society, The African Repository, 1871, p. 278; American Colonization Society, The African Repository, 1871, p. 278; Harry H. Johnston and Otto Stapf, Liberia, 1906, p. 229; American Colonization Society, The African Repository, 1871, p. 278; Sea Breeze Journal of Contemporary Liberian Writings; Gabriel I. H. Williams, Liberia: The Heart of Darkness, 2002, p. 325; Brewer 1992; Cassell 1970, 242, 244, 263; Lynch 1970, 32-33; Acts of the Liberia Legislature, 1893, p. 6; Acts, 1896, p. 3; Acts, 1897, p. 17; Acts 1937, pp. 94-95; Rogers 1988, 204-206, 221 n. 145, 262; Liberia Official Gazette, 1971, “Obituary,” May & June,31-32; Dunn 1992, 314; Observer, Dec. 25, 1879; A. B. King to Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, May 1, 1887, P. H. S., Vol. 12, p. 2; A. B. King to Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, Nov. 21, 1888, P. H. S., Vol. 16, p. 6; Observer, Oct. 28, 1880.