John Alexander was the second child of Charles David and Indiana Peru (née Twisdale) Poythress born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. His older brother was James Sneed (or Speed) Poythress, born 17 September, 1871.

Source: Date of birth confirmed by his WWI draft registration card.  Location of birth based on information relayed by his son to his niece: “Uncle Cecil told me that he and his dad were on a train passing through Goldsboro and his dad pointed out a log cabin and said that was where I was born.”

Notes:

• The 1880 Federal Census shows Indiana Peru’s name as India Peru although in her extant family Bible her name is written both as Indiana Peru and India Peru.
• Additional information about his siblings and ancestors is detailed in this Family Study of Lewis, David and Charles Poythress.

Charles David moved to Atlanta to accept a position with the Singer Sewing Machine Company. He had been a manager for Singer Sewing Machine Company in Henderson, North Carolina.  Cause of death was pneumonia.  His remains were later moved from the old family homestead to a gravesite in the family plot in the Elmwood Cemetery of Henderson, North Carolina.

The 1900 Federal Census shows John Alexander Poythress as a boarder in the Florence, South Carolina home of Lucy B. Eason (widow) and Effie L. Eason (daughter) on 9 June, 1900 when the household was visited by the census taker.

Notes:

• We do not know how long he may have been a boarder in this home.
• His occupation is listed as Machinist R.R.
• John Alexander’s sewing machine machinist territory may have included much of the Southeastern United States.

Source: United States Federal Census 1900; Census Place: Florence, Florence, South Carolina; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 0037; FHL microfilm: 1241528.

Also: Listed in the Norfolk, Virginia, City Directory, 1918  at the same address shown on the draft registration card.
Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Note:

• The city directory does not list his wife or children as living at the address given. The draft card, however, lists the Norfolk address as his permanent address and his wife, Effie, as his nearest relative and living at the Norfolk address.

Note: John Alexander appears to have learned to be a sewing machine machinist from his father.  The newspaper notices and advertisements below document that he started a career traveling to communities around the southern region of the country providing maintenance, repair and parts services for sewing machines. We do not know if he launched his business prior to his father’s death but these advertisements appeared less than one year after his father’s death in Atlanta.  It is perhaps only by coincidence that the earliest notices are from a very small community in West-Central Alabama where Poythress relatives are located.

It is unclear why the 13 April, 1893 notice identifies him as “the competent sewing machine repairer, of Sumterville”.  Possibly he may have been staying with Poythress family, although there is are no accounts or confirming records.  His mother, Indiana Peru, returned with her children back to Henderson after Charles David’s untimely death.

Note:  The family of James Speed Poythress (son of David Poythress and Mary Dortch) was living in Sumterville, Alabama at the time.  James Speed was John Alexander’s uncle.  Nearby in Livingston were other Poythress relatives.

John Alexander Poythress Household in Thirteenth Census of the United States

Age in 1910: 35

Birth Date: 1875

Birthplace:  North Carolina

Home in 1910: Durham Ward 2, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Street: Holloway Street

House Number: 429

Race: White

Gender: Male

Relation to Head of House: Head

Marital Status: Married

Spouse’s Name: Effie L Poythress

Father’s Birthplace: North Carolina

Mother’s Birthplace: North Carolina

Native Tongue: English

Occupation: Showman

Industry: Moving Picture

Employer, Employee or Other: Own Account

Home Owned or Rented: Rent

Farm or House: House

Able to read: Yes

Able to Write: Yes

Out of Work: N

Household Members: 5

Members of Household

Name Age Relationship

Effie L Poythress 28 Wife
John A Poythress 5 Son

Charles B Poythress 3 Son
Willis E Poythress 0 Son

Note:

• The entry for Effie L. indicates 5 children born, 3 living when the Census was done, 21 April, 1910.
• The 1909 Durham, North Carolina, City Directory lists his home address as 425 Holloway.  Occupation as Moving Pictures.

Source: Federal Census 1910; Census Place: Durham Ward 2, Durham, North Carolina; Roll: T624_1108; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0037; FHL microfilm: 1375121.

Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

John Alexander Poythress

713 W. Chapel Hill

Durham, North Carolina

Note:  Occupation listed as Moving Picture Operator

Source:  Durham, North Carolina, City Directory, 1911.

The home no longer exists.  It was in what is now the Takoma Park Historic District on the NPS Register of Historic Places.

Note:  Due to World War I austerities 1921 was the first White House Egg Roll since 1916.  It was estimated that more than 50,000 children attended.

Note:  This may place John Alexander living in Henderson in the Spring of 1915, however other accounts make it certain that the manager/owner of this property was James S. Poythress, John Alexander’s brother.  There is reason to suspect this news account may have misidentified the manager.

Effie was 52 years of age at the time of John Alexander’s death on 7 February, 1934.  She continued to live in Florida and Alabama with or near her sons and their families for more than 22 years after John Alexander’s passing.  Her grandchildren called her Nana and remember her warmly as a wonderful cook, very social and fond of entertaining friends and family.

She passed away in Jacksonville on 19 July, 1956 at the age of 74.  Her gravesite is adjacent to John Alexander in the Oaklawn Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida.

Charles B. was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina and lived to be 6 years of age.

17 June 1906 – 1912

His gravesite is in the Elmwood Cemetery, Henderson, North Carolina adjacent to a large stone Poythress monument and the gravesites of seven Poythress family members.

Cecil Adam was born in Durham, North Carolina and lived to be 86 years of age.

24 June 1912 – 20 November 1998

His gravesite is in the Hillside Cemetery, Ormond Beach, Florida.

India (or Indiana) Peru (née Twisdale) Poythress was the daughter of James H. and Tabitha Twisdale, born in North Carolina on 3 April 1852.

She married Charles David Poythress on December 8, 1870 at the home of her father James H. Twisdale in Warren County North Carolina.

Their five children are: James Sneed (Speed) (1871-1918), John Alexander (1874-1934), Charles Vance (1876-1906), Effie (1881-1946) and Benjamin Edison (1887-1971).

Her gravesite is located in the Poythress family plot in the Elmwood Cemetery, Henderson, North Carolina.

Note:  Below is an excerpt from a personal letter from John Alexander to his wife, Effie, asking about his sons and describing ways they could be of help.

Written April 5, 1920

Hotel La Fayetteville,

Fayetteville, NC

“What are the boys doing. I certainly hope they won’t worry you to death this week. Tell Jack and Willis to see how much they can help you with this week. The yard ought to get a real good cleaning. The ashes that was put on the back of the garden to be moved to rr – Chicken yard thoroughly cleaned. Tell Jack if he has sprayed it four or five times with oil a good white washing aout to help it.”