Powell, Virgil and his Grandmother who was a slave and an African Princess

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St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Powell, Virgil and his Grandmother who was a slave and an African Princess

Entry/Object ID

9999.BHF.321

Scope and Content

Powell, Virgil (Yani) St. Joseph News-Press January 21, 1999, Savannah headstone has story all its own is a story written by Alonzo Weston. A child of Yani 1839-1936. The stone inspired the story by Virgil S. Powell of Savannah to write two books and to give his family a history. Adeline Warren was born into slavery in 1839. She was Mr. Powell's grandmother. She could trace her ancestry in a direct line back to an African princess named Yani who was brought to America on a slave ship in 1807. Mr. Powell published two books. From the Slave Cabin of Yani in 1977 and Adeline-A child of Yani in 1978 chronicling the lives of his ancestors. Yani came from Gambia. She had been abandoned by her family. Her father was King Kour of the Jaloff Tribe. Yani was brought to America with other slaves, was instructed in grammar and manners and used as a house servant. She was so well liked by the family that when she was mated to another slave named Koba, she was given a traditional wedding ceremony. Yani and Koba's son had a girl named Yola, who grew up to have a daughter, Lucinda. Lucinda married and had a daughter named Adeline. Adeline married Henry Warren and settled in Savannah. Her daughter Hester married Jeff Powell. Virgil S. Powell was one of their three sons. Virgil died at age 99 in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Lawrence Powell Virgil's nephew heard the story from his father Paul Leonard Powell. A picture of Lawrence "Bud" Powell and Cora Bullock, Mr. Powell's employer appears in the article. The folder has a photocopy of the 1870 Census Record of Black People in Andrew County. It lists Henry Warren 27 years, Adeline 25 years, Hester 7, and infant 1 Austin Waldron 46, Louisa 42, Robert 11, William 6, Laura 4 and Mary 1 1/2. Peter Powell 50, Fanny 28, Lewis 11, Jeff 9, Sam 7, Mary 4, Hettie 2, Louisa 26, John, 6 and Phillis 14. There is a color laminated cover of the book From the Slave Cabin of Yani that Virgil S. Powell wrote. February 3, 1980, is a photocopy of a picture of Virgil Powell in 1896 before his first haircut. On this day he first heard his grandfather Henry tell of his escape from slavery in Mississippi. St. Joseph News-Press February 10, 1996, is a photocopy of a story for Black History Month is a story about Virgil Powell. He was born in Savannah, Missouri in 1890 and is the son of Jefferson and Hester Powell, He moved to St. Joseph, where he grew up. He graduated from Bartlett High in 1909. His grandmother Adeline Warren was born into slavery in 1839. She could trace her ancestry back to 1807 when Yani an African princess came to America on a slave ship. Mr. Powell became the first black police chief in the United States, Heading the police department in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A copy of a letter written to Mrs. D. L Gibson from Virgil Powell is in this folder. The date is February 3, 1980. He thanked her for giving him information about the farming and family life of Peter Powell. There is a photocopy picture of the seven daughters of Adaline and Henry Warren. There is photocopy of an article by Mrs. D. L. Gibson of Union Star, Missouri. She wrote this with the help of Virgil S. Powell. The story is about Pete Hill. Mrs. Gibson has the original tax receipts showing that Peter Powell paid taxes in 1876 and 1877 on land he had purchased after being freed from slavery. St. Joseph News-Press October 29, 1979, is a newspaper photocopy of a story about Virgil S. Powell. His nephew Lawrence Powell talks about the book From the Slave Cabin of Yani written by Virgil. Thelma Chambers and Carol Barksdale are cousins of Virgil. They are residents of St. Joseph, Missouri. There is a photocopy of the book "Adeline, a Child of Yani. This was a copy of the book located St. Joseph Public Library. St. Joseph News-Press October 21, 1989, has article C. R. black history expert dies at 99. This is a photocopy. There is also a photocopy of pictures. One picture is of the Bartlett High School band. The other pictures are not identified.

Collection

Black Archives

Lexicon

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Slavery

Search Terms

Black Ancestry, Black History, Powell Family History

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

File, Folder

Maintenance

Maintenance History

Date

Feb 25, 2014

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Weston, Alonzo

Person or Organization

Virgil S. Powell

Person or Organization

Yani

Person or Organization

Warren, Adeline

Person or Organization

King Kour

Person or Organization

Koba

Person or Organization

Yola

Person or Organization

Lucinda

Person or Organization

Hester Powell

Person or Organization

Jeff Powell

Person or Organization

Paul Leonard Powell

Person or Organization

Lawrence "Bud" Powell

Person or Organization

Cora Bullock

Person or Organization

Waldron, Austin

Person or Organization

Adeline Hester

Person or Organization

Peter Powell

Person or Organization

Warren, Henry

Person or Organization

Mrs. D.L. Gibson

Person or Organization

Pete Hill

Person or Organization

Thelma Chambers

Person or Organization

Carol Barksdale