Lawrence, Josephine R. (1929- ), Collection, 1844-1986 (C3792) 26 folders, photocopies INTRODUCTION Papers of the Jackson and Lawrence families of Pennytown and Marshall, Missouri. The papers include newspaper clippings and unpublished manuscripts on the history of Pennytown, a black community near Marshall. There are also funeral cards, copies of legal documents, church and school records, and photographs of Pennytown and its residents. DONOR INFORMATION The Josephine R. Lawrence Papers were loaned to the University of Missouri for copying by Lawrence on 16 May 1988 (Accession No. 4835). HISTORICAL SKETCH Pennytown was a community of black farmers and laborers near Marshall, Missouri. Land purchased in 1871 by Joseph Penny became the nucleus of Pennytown, which grew to become the largest black community in Saline County. Residents of Pennytown performed agricultural, domestic, and other kinds of labor for the region. The residents formed a strong community based on mutual cooperation. Pennytown began to lose population in the 1920s as residents moved to other towns in Saline and Pettis Counties which were closer to their jobs. By the 1970s the only building still standing in Pennytown was the Free Will Baptist Church, which had always been one of the most important community institutions. Annual reunions are held in August so that former residents can retain their ties with Pennytown and preserve the history of their community. Josephine R. Lawrence, who was born in 1929 in Pennytown is a local historian with a keen interest in preserving and recording the history of Pennytown. Josephine R. Lawrence's mother was Nellie Jackson and her father was Fred Robinson. Her grandmother was Beulah Jackson. Aaron Jackson was her mother's first husband; Aron Jackson was her cousin. She had two brothers, Aaron and James Jackson, and a sister, Lorene Jackson Crobarker. Josephine's former husband was Clarence L. Lawrence. | |
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