©This website and contents, copyright, 2005, by John Lynch
SHERWOOD'S BLACK FAMILIES
by Don Jones
Sherwood's senior citizens speak fondly and frequently
of the African-Americans that lived and worked in their tiny town during
the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. The black settlement was nestled
on the mountainside near Sherwood's Lime Plant. In 1930, over 60 blacks
lived in Sherwood. The majority of the able-bodied men worked at the Gager
Lime Plant, and those that were married had their wives and children
living with them. Many of the wives worked for white families in Sherwood.
 This young lady, from St. Anne's African-American congregation, is probably the Dessie D. Winton listed in the 1930 census as a 3-year-old-niece of the Wootens living in the black settlement in Sherwood. The photo of Dessie Dean is from one Father Jones' booklets for 1938. |
A successful church school, called St. Anne’s,
was established in the black settlement by Epiphany Mission’s Deacon
Miller. A small cemetery for blacks was located near St. Anne’s.
When Pearl Garner, 91 (in 2005), formerly of Sherwood, was asked
if she remembered the names of some of the black residents, Pearl quickly
recalled the names of Kate Willis, Horace and Queen Ramsey, plus Stokes
and Pauline Ramsey. Pearl also recalled what a good cook Kate Willis was.
One of Father Jones’ treasured booklets, about Epiphany Mission,
included a picture of a pretty, young black girl who lived here. Her name
was Dessie Dean.
Sherwood’s late historian, Arthur Robinson, said many blacks gave
up unsuccessful farming in West Tennessee to come to good jobs in Sherwood.
Robinson concluded, “Gager didn’t care what color a man’s
skin was. If he worked hard, he hired him.”