Thursday, March 10, 2011

Patrick Henry Harper and Family

Patrick Henry Harper of Danville, Virginia

In 1899 or early 1900, Richard Lee Harper (age 30 b Jan 1870) came to Danville from Mecklenburg Co., Virginia. On June 6, 1900, when the census taken came around, Richard and his wife Rosa H. (Connor) (b Aug 1871) had five children. Living with them were a brother Patrick H. Harper (b Mar 1883 age 17) and a sister Lula Harper (age 24 born Aug 1875). They were living at 331 East Thomas St. Richard was a sewing machine agent and Patrick and Lula worked at Riverside Cotton Mills.

In 1908, Patrick Henry Harper married his first wife Virgie. In 1910, Patrick and Virgie were living at 409 Cliff St. The area of Cliff St. was called Battery Hill. During the Civil War there was a cannon emplacement overlooking the Halifax Road which lead to Richmond. The cannon protected Danville from a Yankee attack from the north. Living with Patrick and Virgie in 1910 was widower J. D. Logan, who was an engineer in the power plant, and his three children aged 19, 14, and 10.

In 1917, Patrick and Virgie were living on Washington St. Extension. This house is on the corner of Seventh St. Next door, across the street was the home of Boyd D. Sides. He built this small house and rented it out. In 1927, Mr. Sides built a home directly across the street at 1628 Washington St. for our parents Marie (Jones) and Reuben E. Ricketts. Apparently Virgie died shortly after this time. On December 20, 1918, Patrick H. Harper married Minnie Lynn Taylor of Caswell County, North Carolina.

Later Patrick and family moved to a house at 119 Third Avenue.
The sun was setting on Seventh Street in 1952 when I painted this water color of the old house across the street from where I lived at 1628 Washington Street. I was eleven years old at that time. Patrick Harper and family lived here in 1920 and my parents had B. C. Sides build our house in 1920 for $700.
This census records at Boydton, Mecklenburg Co., Virginia shows Richard L. Harper to be six months old. He was born in January 1870. His brother (perhaps half-brother) Patrick H. Harper was born later i9n 1883.