Studio portrait of William Payne. William Payne was a graduate of Denison University. Before settling in Pasadena in 1906, he had been an assistant principal at the Rendsvile School and a professor at the West Virginia Colored Institute. He was living in Pasadena when he met Allen Allensworth. Together with Allensworth, and others, he co-founded the town of Allensworth. Allensworth was a town founded in 1908, with the idea that African Americans could own property, learn, thrive, and live the American Dream. It was named by Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth. It had a school system by 1910. With the death of Colonel Allensworth in 1914, the town experienced extreme losses, coupled with severe drought and decreased crop yields. Many residents left the area following World War I. The town was memorialized as a state park in 1974, and hosts events annually to preserve its history.
Type
image
Identifier
uclalsc_1889_b11_f07_001.tif ark:/21198/z1dn5p5k
Subject
African American school principals Payne, William Alexander, 1877-1954
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