Business
Charles Owens (?-1882)
A successful business owner and real estate investor, Charles Owens became one of the most prominent African Americans in Los...
Robert James Harlan (1816-1897)
Robert James Harlan was an entrepreneur, businessman, and army officer who devoted the second half of his life to political...
Dempsey Jerome Travis (1920- )
Dempsey Jerome Travis is a civil rights activist, business leader, military veteran, and author. From the inception of his first...
Herman J. Russell (1930- )
What started as a $125.00 purchase of a small parcel of land at 15 grew and blossomed over the years...
Thomy Lafon (1810-1893)
Born a free person of color in New Orleans, Thomy Lafon was the son of a Frenchman and a free...
Victoria Spivey (1906-1976)
Victoria Spivey grew up in a musical family where her father, Grant, played in a string band while sisters, Addie...
George Washington (1817-1905)
George Washington was a prominent pioneer in the state named, like he was, for America’s first president. He founded Centralia...
E. Russell “Noodles” Smith (?-1952)
E. Russell “Noodles” Smith, so named because he always kept enough money for a bowl of noodles after a night...
Stephen Smith (1795-1873)
Stephen Smith was born into slavery in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. At 21 he purchased his freedom for $50 and soon...
