Andy Byers

1880 census records for Andrew Byers. Andrew Byers, 26 year old blacksmith, is listed as head of the household including his wife Judy, a 30 year old washerwoman, his sons Ernest, age 7, Andy, age 3, and John, 4 months old, his daughter Ora May, age 4, and stepson M. V. Holsclaw, age 12.
1900 census records for Andrew Byers. Andrew Byers, a 47 year old blacksmith, is listed as head of the household including his wife Katie, age 22, sons Earnest, a 27 year old clothes cleaner, Grayham, a 15 year old farm laborer, and Robert, age 2, his unnamed infant daughter, his granddaughter Judie, age 10, nephew James Smith, age 11, and boarder Levi Haris, a 22 year old day laborer.
Title
Andy Byers
Description
Listed among "college servants" in the 1870s. Blacksmith in the town of Davidson.
birthday
c. 1853-1854
Relation
Transcribed faculty minutes from February 14, 1879Faculty Minutes, February 14 1879
Occupation
"College Servant"
Blacksmith
"Sugar Wagon" Operator
Biographical Text
Born c. 1853-1854. Licensed as a "College Servant" in 1879. In 1880, he is listed as living in Davidson with his wife Judy, sons Ernest, Andy, and John, daughter Ora May, and stepson M. V. Holsclaw. In 1900, he is listed as living with his wife Katie, sons Ernest, Grayham, and Robert, unnamed infant daughter, granddaughter Judie, nephew James Smith, and boarder Levi Haris. In Ralph Johnson's autobiography, he is described as having a house on North Main Street with a barn and blacksmith shop behind it. Although the timeline is unclear, Johnson states that Byers was married to his second wife at that time, Mattie. During that time, he also apparently ran the town "sugar wagon", responsible for carting waste from the local privies.
Bibliography
Beaty, Mary D. A History of Davidson College. Davidson, NC: Briarpatch Press, 1988, 132.
Johnson, Ralph W. David Played a Harp: An Autobiography. Davidson, NC: Blackwell Ink, 2000, 23-27.
Item sets
Named Black Individuals, 19th Century
Media
1880 census records for Andrew Byers. Andrew Byers, 26 year old blacksmith, is listed as head of the household including his wife Judy, a 30 year old washerwoman, his sons Ernest, age 7, Andy, age 3, and John, 4 months old, his daughter Ora May, age 4, and stepson M. V. Holsclaw, age 12.1880 Census, Andrew Byers
1900 census records for Andrew Byers. Andrew Byers, a 47 year old blacksmith, is listed as head of the household including his wife Katie, age 22, sons Earnest, a 27 year old clothes cleaner, Grayham, a 15 year old farm laborer, and Robert, age 2, his unnamed infant daughter, his granddaughter Judie, age 10, nephew James Smith, age 11, and boarder Levi Haris, a 22 year old day laborer.1900 Census, Andrew Byers

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