“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE ” - LYDIA HAMILTON SMITH

Lydia Hamilton was born at Russell Tavern, in Adams County, Pennsylvania . She was the widow of a Gettysburg Negro barber named Jacob Smith, who died in 1852 ; by whom she had two children. Since she had an Irish father, she was a known as a “quadroon”( she had Caucasian features and a skin of light-gold tint...with Irish eyes, like her Irish father). In 1847, Lydia moved with her two boys to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to work as house keeper for Thaddeus Stevens[ the White Lawyer and Radical Republican who helped craft “The Historic 14th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution” ]. It was by managing Thaddeus Stevens business affairs and housekeeping that Lydia learned the skills that she would later use to run her own Businesses. After Thaddeus Stevens's death in 1868, in addition to buying his house in Lancaster{ partially from money that he left her in his Will }, Smith operated a prosperous boarding house across from the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., as well as invested in real estate and other business ventures. Maybe some of you all will remember that S. Epatha Merkerson’s portrayed Lydia Hamilton Smith in the 2012 film “LINCOLN.” In closing,The main reason I started off my series of articles about Black People who owned businesses is because, I feel that there is a great need for more Black Owned businesses here in Monroe( especially on the SOUTHSIDE & Eastside ).There once was a time in Monroe, Louisiana when Blacks had their own thriving economy. Where Blacks could buy and trade goods from one another.Why, I recently heard about how Rev Roosevelt Wright’s father had a taxi stand on Desiard St ; Also Mr Joseph Pendleton had a gas service station on Desiard St ; “THE RITZ,” Negro Theatre was located on Desiard St ; and then who could forget the Historic “MILLER ROY” building that’s being renovated on Desiard St too.! Yes, Black People certainly had it “going on” way back then! Well, now it’s 2022, over a Century later. While businesses are still being started near Black Communities in Monroe, there still aren’t enough Black Owned business establishments. Again, I say…Somehow ,Someway, and Someday soon…we need to start & maintain more Black Businesses to help build and support our Black Communities here in Monroe, Louisiana.