Fayetteville's McAllister Fund, with roots in boyhood friendship, to distribute gifts Friday

The James McAllister Christmas Fund, which was started 96 years ago “in the interest of racial harmony,” holds its annual distribution Friday.

The event is 10 a.m. to noon in the fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church, 102 Ann St., Fayetteville. More than 190 people will receive gifts this year from the fund.

The fund has its roots in the unlikely friendship of two young boys, one Black and one white, who sparked a lifelong friendship playing at the foot of Haymount Hill in the late 1800s.

As the two grew up, they lived very different lives. James McAllister, a Black man, worked as a luggage handler at a train station.  W.W. Fuller, who was white, worked as a lawyer; he was admitted to the bar in 1880 and began to practice law in Raleigh, joining his father's firm, Merrimon and Fuller. He served at one time as general counsel for the American Tobacco Company.

More:How an unlikely Fayetteville friendship launched a 94-year-old tradition

Even though their lives took different paths, their boyhood bond remained strong, according to a 2001 Fayetteville Observer article.

In 1923, McAllister died and left his possessions, which included a little house on Franklin Street and a dray, a cart that he used to handle luggage, to Fuller.

Fuller sold the property for $5,000 and matched that amount with a gift of his own and created the trust fund from which selected Black residents of Fayetteville, which was known as Cross Creek Township, may receive a gift. Others added to the fund over the years.

2023 McAllister Christmas Fund recipients

The following people, in alphabetical order, have been selected to receive gifts:

Eva Anderson, 830 East Orange St.; Betty Baldwin, 415 Neville St.; Joan E. Barnes, 1719 Eldridge St.; Millie Barrett, 879 West Orange St.; Helen H. Bell, 727 A Hillsboro St.; Catherine R. Bellamy, 210 University Ave.; Deloris Best, 524 Eaton St.; Annette C. Billie, 749 Edgehill Road; Patricia A. Blue, 325 Moore St., Apt. No. 2; Elouise Brown, 2793 Eldorado Road; Frances Brown, 528 Spaulding St.; Nora Bryant, 6211 Mcdougal Drive; Reverend Althea Brunson, 1959 A James Hamner Way; Marie Buie, 1712 Harper St.; Hazelene Burrell, 2753 Eldorado Road; Anna Belle Butler, 612 Miller Ave.; Sarah L. Butler, 1023 Fontana St.; Ethel Campbell; 310 Highland Ave.; Mattie L. Campbell, 210 Pennsylvania Ave.; Elease Carlyle, 6203 Lynette Circle; Shirley Carner, 3002 D Scarlet Place; Eddie Cooper, 263 N. Windsor Drive; Bolene Cotton, 6112 Louise St.; Sarah L. Cromartie, 422 Alfred St.; Clara Crump, 747 Eufaula St.; Matthew Currie, 330 Harrison St.; Martha Davis, 1303 Essex Place; Ethel Mae Davis; 724 Blue St.; Martha C. Davis, 264 North Windsor Drive; Katherine Day, 806 Lakeland St.; Robert G. Deberry, 121 Langdon St.; Alexander Dixon, 411 South Dick St.; Retha Dixon, Barrington Circle; Ruth Dixon, 438 Holmstead Drive; Berlean Dockery, 2811 Kingdom Way; John L. Douglas, 1351 Taylor Drive; Mary Douglas, 1351 Taylor Drive; Callie Douglass, 1917 Southern Ave.; Elizabeth L. Drummond, 713 Shambrey St.; Cherry Dry, 305 Preston Ave.; Gertrude Evans, 314 Rhew St.; Terry Evans, 2146 Downing Road; Hazel Fisher, 801 Dublin Court; Lottie Foy, 3422 Bennett Drive; Robert Foy, 3422 Bennett Drive; Lillian Franklin, 1160 Sanford Road; Mary Fuller, 420 Vanstory St.; Abraham Gibson, Netherland Street; Thelma Gillespie, 801 Chadwick; Doris Gilmore, 415 Neville St.; Patricia Gilmore, 2005 Newark Ave.; Emma A. Graham, 2906 Coronada Parkway; Gene W. Graham, 1741 Bridger St.; Hattie Graham, 535 Crooked Creek Court; Marine Graham, 1007 Turnpike Road; Patricia Graham, 516 Donovan St.; Rosie Grant, 1332 Essex Place; Elouise Green, 224 Myrover St.; Ernestine Green, 3219 Barksdale Drive; Clara Gregary, 2303 Carbine St.; Maggie Griffin, 1841 Broadell Drive; Leola Harrington, 829 East Orange St.; Joan Higgins, 1235 Elliott St.; Armelia W. Holmes, 445 N. King St.; Dorathy Hood, 2810 Kingdom Way, Apt. 101; Winona Humphrey, 1852 Cascade St.; Adia S. Hunter, 318 Weisiger St.; James R. Ingram, 910 Southview Circle; Lillie M. Jackson, 1076 Danbury Drive; Clarence Jeffreys, 704 Rustland Drive; Ozie Mitchell Jiggetts, 201 Rosemary St.; Angela Johnson, 102 Nesting Lane; Betty J. Johnson, 1920 Armstrong; Clara Johnson, 1936 A Rosehill Road; Mamie E. Johnson, 526 Durham St.; Martha J. Johnson, 2336 Lake Ave.; Mary H. Johnson, 1710 Seabrook Road; Mary G. Johnson, 1731 Bridger St.; Valtona Johnson, 3009 Hickory Hill Road; Carmenthia Jones, 5125 Arizona Court; Elizabeth Jones, 1110 Stout St.; Hattie Jones, 2816 Kingdom Way; John H. Jones, 4421 Bennett Drive; Mary Jones, 4421 Bennett Drive; Wanta Kirby, 1455 Duncan St.; Patricia Lennon, 865 West Orange St.; Annie Lindsey, 222 Heather Ridge Drive, Apt. N; Clara Lock, 2144 Dobbin Holmes Road; Mary S. Mack, 803 Minurva Court; Charlie Malone, 1567 Boros Drive; Esther Marion, 510 Edwards St.; Mary Matthews, 1202 Sandra Drive; Elizabeth Mcallister, 3000 Scarlett Place, C10; Hazel Mcallister, 1914 Newark Ave.; Rubie McAllister, 125 Blount St.; Clarese McFayden, 416 B St.; Curtis Mcgeachy, 321 Grace Creek; Annie P. McKinnon, 230 Lincoln Drive, Apt. 312; Walter McKinnon, 730 Commons St.; John H. McKoy, 2817 Coronado Parkway; Mary McKoy, 1121 McCloskey Road; Anabella McLeod, 1723 Swann St.; Lizzie McLeod, Moore St.; Catherine McLinnahan, 2809 Coronada Parkway; Annie P. McMillan, 907 Weiss Ave.; Elizabeth McMillan, 1105 Stout St.; Walter McMillan, 518 Donovan St.; Annie McMillian, 3010 G Hickory Road; Doreatha McNeal, 430 Valor Way, Apt. E; Curtis Mcneill, 722 E Blue St.; Ruth Mcneill, 2909 Rosehill Road; Vernitta McPherson, 935 Fleetwood Drive; Louise C. McQueen, 1518 Swainey Ave.; Esther Melvin, Route 15, Box 111 C; Mary H. Melvin, 210 Hawthorne Road; Johnnye Merkerson, 4865 Forarty Drive; Dorothy Miles, 1818 Gillespie St.; Erma Mitchell, 4371 Fox Grove Circle; Jessie Bell Moore, 1915 Rosehill Road; Margaret Mosley, 2011 Owen Drive; Emmer Morris, 114 Jasper Drive; Barbara Murphy, 739 Sessoms St.; Dorothy Murphy, 618 Monagan St.; Flora A. Netcliff, 927 Fleetwood Drive; Leatha Parker, 522 Boundary Lane; Robert Peele, 306 Browns Lane; Ola Peterson, 520 Edwards St.; Margaret Pitchford, 2316 Lake Ave.; Fannie M. Pitt, 6210 Rannock Drive; Vera Pratt, 713 Chadwick Road; Dorothy Purdie, 109 Mary St.; Geneva Purvis, 989 Wayside Road; Jo Ann Quick, 2835 Rosehill Road; Rowena Ratliff, 260 North Windsor Drive; Willie Mae Rhodes, 2832 Coronada Parkway; Rosa Rhodes, 6234 Lansford Drive; Carolyn Rice, 749 Edgehill Road; Martha Richardson, 720 Teachers Drive; Ruby Richardson, 1907 Ernest St.; Jean Dell Robinson, 1643 Sweetgum Circle; Juanita H. Ross, 1243 Essex Place; Rosa Sanders, 724 Sage St.; Teresa McGeachy Shaw, 664 Monagan St.; Peggy Simmons, 555 Shoreline Drive; Queen R. Singleton, 810 Executive Place - Towers West; Annabelle Smith, 312 Point Place; Bessie S. Smith, 1559 Minurva Drive; Lillian M. Smith, 510 Edwards St.; Rose Spell, 5513 Livingston Drive; Roberta Stephens, 3233 Culbreth Road; Gladys Taylor, 1027 Deep Creek Road; Mary G. Taylor, 418 Adams St.; Truman M. Thames, 804 Deep Creek Road; Henry J. Thomas, 508 Donovan St.; Lena Thompson, 2205 B Murchison Road; Annie Thornton, 1202 Sleepy Hollow Drive; Ray Thornton, 1202 Sleepy Hollow Drive; Sophia A. Walker, 1533 Edgecomb St.; Estelle Walton, 2815 Eldorado Road; Lorene Washington, 1635 Derrydowne Court; Nathaniel Washington, 325 Moore St., No. 6; Vashti Washington, 1643 Seabrook Road; Mary M. Watts, 1863 Strathmore Ave.; Ellen Whitfield, 2006 Rosehill Road; Erwin Williams, 315 Forsythe St.; Eula Mae Williams, 1114 Simpson St.; Mamie R. Williams, 2374 Riverchase Place; Sylvia S. Williams, 307 Brookwood Ave.; Billy J. Wilson, 426 Campbell Ave.; Maggie M. Wilson, 518 Donovan St.; Annie R. Wright, 804 Perley St.; Roberta Stephens, 3233 Culbreth Road; Gladys Taylor, 1027 Deep Creek Road; Mary G. Taylor, 418 Adams St.; Truman M. Thames, 804 Deep Creek Road; Henry J. Thomas, 508 Donovan St.; Lena Thompson, 2205 B Murchison Road; Annie Thornton, 1202 Sleepy Hollow Drive; Ray Thornton, 1202 Sleepy Hollow Drive; Sophia A. Walker, 1533 Edgecomb St.; Estelle Walton, 2815 Eldorado Road; Lorene Washington, 1635 Derrydowne Court; Nathaniel Washington, 325 Moore St., No. 6; Mary M. Watts, 1863 Strathmore Ave.; Ellen Whitfield, 2006 Rosehill Road; Erwin Williams, 315 Forsythe St.; Eula Mae Williams, 1114 Simpson St.; Mamie R. Williams, 2374 Riverchase Place; Sylvia S. Williams, 307 Brookwood Ave.; Billy J. Wilson, 426 Campbell Ave.; Maggie M. Wilson, 518 Donovan St.; Annie R. Wright, 804 Perley St.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville's McAllister Fund enters 96th year of distributing gifts