Four Kokomo houses were listed in the Green Book, three still standing

Feb. 28—The Supreme Court created a legal precedent to divide Americans by race with its 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. Coupled with discriminatory Jim Crow laws and violently enforced segregation, African Americans who wanted to travel the nation faced numerous challenges.

Several travel guides were published to help Black travelers find businesses that would serve them.

The Negro Travelers' Green Book is the most famous African American travel guide. The guidebook was founded by Victor Hugo Green, a New York post office worker, and was published from 1936-1967.

Other than businesses like restaurants, hotels, service stations and beauty parlors, the book also listed tourist homes, which were similar to Airbnbs but had visitors stay with the home's owners.

Four houses were listed in the Green Book, as well as its predecessor, Hackley and Harrison's Hotel and Apartment Guide for the Colored Traveler.

They were first cited in the 1930-1931 editions of Hackley and Harrison's. The Green Book listed the tourist homes from 1939-1967

One of the houses, which belonged to Hester and Charles Hardiman (sometimes spelled Hardinson or Hardimon), no longer exists. It would have stood at 812 N. Apperson Way when the road was called Kennedy Street. The site is now a parking lot for Second Missionary Baptist Church.

Three of the houses are still standing.

1015 N. Kennedy St. (now 1015 N. Apperson Way) — Ora Bryd and Charles Walter Winburn

The Winburns were married in 1908 and lived in Kokomo until their deaths. Charles died in 1947 and Ora died in 1949.

For a while, Charles worked as a street oiler, spraying oil on the roads to minimize the amount of dust that flew up when people drove over dirt roads. He later owned and operated a grocery store.

Outside of work, he was active in Republican politics and served as the Grand Chancellor Commander of the fraternal organization Knights of Pythias of Indiana.

He became an officer of the Kokomo NAACP chapter when it was founded in 1929. Randy Smith, assistant curator at the Howard County Historical Society, pointed out the Winburn's connection to the NAACP likely contributed to Kokomo being named in Hackley and Harrison's Hotel and Apartment Guide for the Colored Traveler.

An article on the Green Book from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology gives the Winburns a shoutout.

"The details of Ora and her husband Charles Walter Winburn's life indicate that they were the definition of a hospitable host," Madeline Hellmich wrote for the DNR. "The lively couple most likely got a thrill out of accommodating Green Book travelers and enjoyed the opportunity to show guests their thriving community. Likewise, it is easy to imagine their Airbnb profile would be full of five-star reviews."

Hellmich also noted the Winburns held leadership roles in the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church, invited church members visiting Kokomo to stay with them and hosted meetings and events for the organizations they belonged to at their home.

1045 N. Kennedy St. — Donzetta (Perkins) and Sabe Hughes

Donzetta and Sabe Hughes were married in 1906. Sabe died in 1958 and Donzetta died in 1975.

Sabe was a barber at the Hughes and Greer Barber Shop, which was at 117 N. Union St. During elections, he served as an election officer alongside Charles Winburn.

Donzetta was a member of the Progressive Club and an officer in the Woman's Improvement Club and the Order of the Eastern Star.

Numerous Kokomo Tribune articles from 1900-1975 show the Hughes were highly involved in the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church. Donzetta participated in church fundraisers and Sabe served as the Sunday school's superintendent.

They moved into the Kennedy Street home in 1914, according to a Nov. 7 Tribune article the same year.

1107 N. Purdum St. — Emma and Albert Woods

Albert and Emma Woods were married in 1901. Both were members of Second Missionary Baptist Church.

Emma's obituary, which was published in the Tribune on Jan. 10, 1946, stated she was born in Rush County but spent the majority of her life in Kokomo.

"She had given much of her time and talents to the work of the church and for the welfare of her community," the obituary stated.

She quilted and on Nov. 26, 1908, Thanksgiving Day, Emma won second place in a church quilting contest for her work on a sofa pillow. She and her husband also helped with musical performances and recitals at the church that evening, according to Tribune articles.

According to Albert's obituary, which ran in the Tribune on Sept. 10, 1947, his niece moved in to take care of him after Emma died.

He was born in Russiaville on May 2, 1877, and was widely known amongst the city's construction workers. The obituary listed him as a hod carrier, meaning he carried, delivered and prepared construction materials like brick and mortar.

The obituary also listed him as a "faithful member and worker" of the Second Missionary Baptist Church and Keystone Masonic Lodge.

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.