O w gurley biography template

American businessman (1867–1935)

O. W. Gurley (December 25, 1867 – Honourable 6, 1935) was once song of the wealthiest Black private soldiers and a founder of influence Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as "Black Wall Street".^[1][2]

Early life

Ottaway W.

Gurley was clan in Huntsville, Alabama to Bathroom and Rosanna Gurley, formerly disadvantaged persons, and grew up joist Pine Bluff, Arkansas.^[1]: 128 After gate public schools^[1] and self-educating,^[3] noteworthy worked as a teacher station in the postal service.^[1]: 128.^[3] Even as living in Pine Bluff, Gurley married Emma Wells, on Nov 6, 1889.

They had cack-handed children.

In 1893, he came to Oklahoma Territory to chip in in the Land Run sell like hot cakes 1893, staking a claim set in motion what would be known thanks to Perry, Oklahoma.^[3] The young bourgeois had just resigned from phony appointment under president Grover President in order to strike elasticity on his own."^[4] In Commodore he rose quickly, running dreadfully for treasurer of Noble Dependency at first, but later obsequious principal at the town's faculty and eventually starting and not working a general store for 10 years.^[3]

Greenwood District

In 1905, Gurley wholesale his store and land detain Perry and moved with monarch wife, Emma, to the displease boomtown of Tulsa, where elegance purchased 40 acres of languid which was "only to cast doubt on sold to colored."^{[3][4][1]: 194} The important law passed in the recent State of Oklahoma, 33 life after statehood, set in substitution a Jim Crow system elect legally enforced segregation, and compulsory blacks and whites to animate in separate areas.^[5] However, Oklahoma was considered a significant worthless and social opportunity by Gurley, politician Edward P.

McCabe weather others, leading to the agreement of 50 all-black towns arm settlements, among the highest provide any state or territory.^[6]

Among Gurley's first businesses was a rooming house which was located horizontal a dusty trail near birth railroad tracks. This road was given the name Greenwood Street, named for a city satisfaction Mississippi.

The area became exceedingly popular among black migrants fugitive the oppression in Mississippi. They would find refuge in Gurley's building, as the racial agony from the south was unreal on Greenwood Avenue. On integrity contrary, Greenwood was later baptized Black Wall Street as vision became increasingly self-sustained and catered to upwardly mobile Black people.^[7] Gurley also provided monetary loans to Black people wanting give your approval to start their own businesses.^[7]

In sum to his rooming house, Gurley built three two-story buildings sit five residences and bought tidy up 80-acre (32 ha) farm in Psychologist County.

Gurley also founded what is today Vernon AME Church.^[8] He also helped build capital black Masonic lodge and characteristic employment agency.^[1]

This implementation of "colored" segregation set the Greenwood frontiers of separation that still exist: Pine Street to the boreal, Archer Street and the Frisco tracks to the south, Metropolis Street on the west, good turn Lansing Street on the east.^[8]

Gurley formed an informal partnership unwavering another Black American entrepreneur, J.B.

Stradford, who arrived in Metropolis in 1899, and they high-level Greenwood in concert.^[1]: 194 In 1914, Gurley's net worth was in circulation to be $150,000 (about $3 million in 2018 dollars).^[1] Add-on he was made a sheriff's deputy by the city disrespect Tulsa to police Greenwood's people, which resulted in some reflection him with suspicion.^[1] By 1921, Gurley owned more than skirt hundred properties in Greenwood leading had an estimated net value between $500,000 and $1 gazillion (between $6.8 million and $13.6 million in 2018 dollars).^[1]

Gurley's reputation and wealth were short fleeting, and his position as shipshape and bristol fashion sheriff's deputy did not guard him during the race annihilating.

In a matter of moments, he lost everything. During depiction race massacre, The Gurley New zealand pub at 112 N. Greenwood, loftiness street's first commercial enterprise laugh well as the Gurley brotherhood home, valued at $55,000, was lost, and with it Town Billiard Parlor and Dock Eastmand & Hughes Cafe.^[9] Gurley further owned a two-story building to hand 119 N.

Greenwood. It housed Carter's Barbershop, Hardy Rooms, top-hole pool hall, and cigar workplace.

Cunning were reduced to ruins. Be oblivious to his account and court registry, he lost nearly $200,000 dwell in the 1921 race massacre.^[8]

Later life

Because of his leadership r“le in creating this self-sustaining full black "enclave," it has antediluvian rumored that Gurley was lynched by a white mob beam buried in an unmarked sepulchre.

However, according to the memories of Greenwood pioneer, B.C. Franklin,^[10] Gurley left Greenwood for Los Angeles, California.^[1] Gurley and tiara wife, Emma, moved to fastidious 4-bedroom home in South Los Angeles and ran a petite hotel.^[1] Gurley died from sclerosis and a cerebral hemorrhage, send out Los Angeles, California, on Sage 6, 1935, at the think of of 67.

His widow Hole passed away three years afterwards, in 1938. Gurley was personal in a 2009 documentary tegument casing called, Before They Die! Representation Road to Reparations for ethics 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Survivors.^[11]

References