Grayson County TXGenWeb

The Denison Press
Wednesday, January 29, 1941

A GOOD DENISON DARKEY
We say he is a good Denison darkey. We mean that word darkey in the sense of the good old ti me fellows whom we looked on with as much love and reverence as we did our earthly fathers almost. They loved the "white chile" like they did their own pickaninny and as children we sat on their knees a nd heard their lore and plantation songs and philosophy. Some of the type are still here, and this particular subject is one of them. He is loved in Denison as much possibly as any white man you might find - - - and by his white friends. He has lived here for more than 40 years, and knows the white folks as well as they know themselves. He has talked intimately through the years and, they have told him their deepest troubles, and such men as the late J.B. McDougal. B.C. Murray, R.S. Legate, W.L. Blackford, W.H. Munson and others, as well as those living like J.W. Madden, Enoch Hughes, Ross Stoddard, have been his advisers and he theirs. But he is a sick man today and has been in his home for several days fighting what may prove his last fight for life. He is able to be up some around the place, but still he is not a strong darkey and may never be again. He has seen days when he worked 14 men in his barber shop, could get all the money he wanted at any of the banks, has given thousands of dollars toward public projects here like buildings, railroads, factories, and schools. But he is ill now and may be in need of some of that good money he freely released long ago to help build Denison. His barber shop has come down to a two chair affair, and he now is unable to be at the old stand, and his pal of many years, and quite as good a darkey is running the place. This good darkey may need your help, or he may not, but for fear he might suppose you see what you can do, now that he can no longer do much for the town for which he has done so much and which he still loves dearly. His name is Peter Williams and his pal's name is Jim Love. The shop is on North Burnett avenue.

The Denison Press
Friday, October 27, 1944
pg. 8

DENISON NEGRO MEMBER GRAND JURY, GRAYSON
Jim Love, Denison Negro, and operating a barber shop for whites only in Denison for the past near half century, is a member of the Grayson County grand jury this term, the second Negro to serve in that capacity in the history of the county, it is claimed.
Jim, as all call him, is one of the most respected Negroes in the county and has as many friends among the white race as the Negro race. He has dedicated his life in this city to the task of keeping the best of relations between his people and others here and has at all times joined in the civic movements for the good of the people of Denison as a whole. He has none of the fancied ideas that would be injected into the society of today that the people of his race are not receiving fair treatment at the hands of the south. To those who know Jim, the fact that he is a member of the grand jury does not arouse on their part any forebodings.
Associated with Jim in most of the past fifty years as a barber has been his life-long friend Pete Williams. Pete has been confined with a serious gnawing sore at his side for several years now and may not be able to get out again.