Infant Daughter of Lizzie Calhoun

Black female, stillborn in Pensacola, Florida on 5 November 1917. Mother was Lizzie Calhoon, born in Alabama; father was L. Dorsen, born in Alabama. The informant was C. Largue (an employee of the undertaker, F.R. Pou). The death certificate shows the date of birth as 6 November 1917, perhaps indicating that the child was known to have died before delivery. The address of the child’s place of death was 113 N. Donelson Street in Pensacola. She was buried in the Escambia County Poor Farm cemetery.

I have not been able to locate an L. Dorsen in the records.

Lizzie Calhoun (assuming the death certificate was a misspelling of the name) was born about 1876 in Alabama, according to the 1950 census. A Lizzie Calhoun of about the right age was enumerated in the 1900 federal census for Pine Apple, Wilcox, Alabama, which may be her. She was 20 years old, born March 1880 in Alabama of two parents born in Alabama. She was identified as widowed and illiterate. She rented her home and engaged in farm labor for a living. Also in the household was another young woman of color, Ida Thompson. She was identified as 18 years old, but her birthdate was given as January 1892. She was identified as a lodger, also engaged in farm labor.

She first appeared in Pensacola records in the 1908 City Directory, when she lived at the rear of 211 W. Belmont and worked as a cook. In 1913, she lived at 700 W. Chase St., still working as a cook. In 1916, her address was the same, but her occupation was given as laundress.

She appeared in the 1920 federal census at 113 N. Donelson St., a residence she appears to be sharing with another woman of color named Sarah Kimball, who was listed as the head of her own solitary household rather than a boarder. Lizzie rented the home. She was 44 years old and single. She was born in Alabama of two parents born in Alabama, and was literate. Her occupation indicated she took in laundry.

The 1920 census was dated 9 January 1920, so at the time she was enumerated, Lizzie must have been pregnant with the son who was stillborn on 12 February 1920 at 113 N. Donelson St. This child’s father was listed as unknown, and he was buried in Holmes Cemetery by Richard Thompson.

Lizzie Calhoun appeared in the 1921 Pensacola City Directory at the 113 N. Donelson St. address, working again as a cook. In the 1924 directory, her address was the same but her occupation was laundress.

I have not located Lizzie Calhoun in the 1930 or 1940 federal census; and there is a long gap where there is no Lizzie Calhoun listed in the Pensacola City Directories until 1942. In that year, she was living at 916 E. Belmont and working as a cook. The 1948 and 1950 directories have her at the same address, but with no occupation listed.

In the 1950 federal census, Lizzie Calhoun was enumerated at 916 E. Belmont. She was 69 years; her marital status was “never married,” and her occupation code indicated she was unable to work. Also enumerated in the household was a lodger, a man of color named Jackson Ghant. He was 65 years old and was not working at the time but it was indicated that he was seeking employment.

A Lizzie Calhoun appears in the Florida Death Index as having died in Escambia County in 1951.

FAMILY:

Mother: Lizzie Calhoun

Sibling: Unnamed son of Lizzie Calhoun

SOURCES:

Florida Certificate of Death for Infant of Lizzie Calhoun (No. 11089), Florida Deaths, 1877-1939. Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Florida Certificate of Death for Infant of Lizzie Calhoun (No. 1736), Florida Deaths, 1877-1939. Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 27 November 2023. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.