Stories

Lunsford Lane was born enslaved in Raleigh on May 30, 1803. Lunsford was the only child of Clarissa and Edward Lane. Edward was enslaved originally by Colonel Joel Lane. Following Joel Lane’s death, Edward was willed to his wife Mary and then eventually bought by State Treasurer John Haywood.

Most of what we know about Friday comes from his 1883 autobiography Days of Bondage: Autobiography of Friday Jones, Being a Brief Narrative of his Tirals and Tribulations in Slavery. Friday was born enslaved in Wake County.

In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Cato Haywood was listed as a “laborer,” generating $.50 per day.

Tim Harrison was born around 1795. He is listed on the Capitol project as a “laborer” and his enslavers were compensated $.50 per day for Tim’s work. Tim sought freedom multiple times.

Boston Finch was born around 1800. Though we are unsure of many details of his early life, at some point he married his wife Harriett. He was listed on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol as a “laborer” compensated $.50 per day. Like most of the enslaved people on the Capitol project, Boston’s enslaver likely kept the money Boston’s labor generated.

We don’t know a lot about James beyond his name and the name of his enslaver. James’s name appeared in the 1834 May Time Books as a “quarry hand.” In order to provide building materials to the Capitol project, the state operated a granite quarry about a mile and a half southeast of the construction site - James worked at this quarry.

Ingram Coman was listed on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. Ingram was listed on the Capitol project as a “laborer” and was compensated $.50 per day.

Junius Brickle was probably born around 1806 to Bill Holmes and Nancy Brickle. He picked up his own compensation from the Capitol project - his mark can be seen in state records.

Arthur Baker was born around 1788. In 1834, he was listed in the Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol as a “laborer” compensated $.50 per day. Arthur was not able to keep the money his labor generated; it went to his enslaver, Dr. Simmons Jones Baker.