The Goss Family
First and second images: Photo circa 1895 - Pictured is the engagement photo of Lorena and Johnny Goss. Photograph was taken in countryside off Redwood Road. Time was some months before marriage.
Third image: Close-up portrait of Johnny Goss the fiancé of Lorena Holloway. He wears wide-brimmed hat, suit, starched collar, and cravat circa 1890
--
The Goss family history is part of the post-Emancipation history of those formerly enslaved at Stagville plantation, Durham, NC, as freed people navigated railroad labor, sharecropping, migration, and discrimination long after 1865.
First and second images: Photo circa 1895 - Pictured is the engagement photo of Lorena and Johnny Goss. Photograph was taken in countryside off Redwood Road. Time was some months before marriage.
Third image: Close-up portrait of Johnny Goss the fiancé of Lorena Holloway. He wears wide-brimmed hat, suit, starched collar, and cravat circa 1890
--
The Goss family history is part of the post-Emancipation history of those formerly enslaved at Stagville plantation, Durham, NC, as freed people navigated railroad labor, sharecropping, migration, and discrimination long after 1865.
The Goss family were enslaved on the Bennehan- Cameron Plantations and would become sharecroppers at emancipation.
In a 1930s WPA interview, Lorena Goss described the challenges of being a sharecropper.
She states, “You see it's this way. We're renting these thirteen acres. We can't make anything on so small a place and still we can't pay for more.
So, what do we do but Mr. Goss works out in Durham at an East Main Street restaurant when it ain't growing season here”.
Source of images: Durham County Library, North Carolina Collection
Narrative: Stagville Plantation Historic site
The Hawley Museum is passionately committed to uncovering and sharing the fascinating family stories that have influenced our state's and nation's history. We believe that every family has a unique story to tell, one that adds depth to the rich tapestry of North Carolina and U.S. History.
We encourage you to reflect on your own family narrative—did your ancestors play a pivotal role in these historical events? We invite you to become a part of our family curator team by sharing your family's history, whether it be through photos, videos, articles, or documents.
Let’s work together and weave a more comprehensive narrative that honors the roles families have played in our collective past to inspire future museum visitors.
The Hawley Museum is passionately committed to uncovering and sharing the fascinating family stories that have influenced our state's and nation's history. We believe that every family has a unique story to tell, one that adds depth to the rich tapestry of North Carolina and U.S. History.
We encourage you to reflect on your own family narrative—did your ancestors play a pivotal role in these historical events? We invite you to become a part of our family curator team by sharing your family's history, whether it be through photos, videos, articles, or documents.
Let’s work together and weave a more comprehensive narrative that honors the roles families have played in our collective past to inspire future museum visitors.