Clifford Berton Lawrence

Clifford was the son of George Lawrence and Ida A. Rogers. He was born in Seneca, South Carolina. He grew up in Wagner, South Carolina alongside of 15 brothers and sisters, including a twin sister named Birdie.¹

At the age of 25, he married Annie Juanita Love, of Franklin, North Carolina. ² Almost two years later, his first child, George Lawrence, was born. The following September, Juanita passed away, leaving Clifford to take care of his son as a single father. ³

On September 24, 1930, Clifford married Callie Louise Stewart, also of Franklin, North Carolina. Within five years, their first two daughters are born.

While in Franklin, Clifford worked in the dynamiting industry, helping to build roads and tunnels through the mountains of Western North Carolina. This work earned him $0.25/hour. When he realized that he could make triple that amount in New York while doing the same work, he decided to move his family up North, joining millions of other African American families who sought a better life during the Great Migration.⁴

Moving from North Carolina to New York

In 1938, when his family moved to Kent Cliffs (Putnam County), New York, they had the distinction of being the first Black family to live there. They rented a home on Peekskill Hollow Road from Solomon Heady and his wife, Hazel Heady. According to one of Clifford’s daughters, Mr. Solomon Heady rented out the home to their family to spite a community that had refused to vote for him during a local election. Heady had lost the election and was sure that bringing in a Black family would rile up the predominantly white community.⁵

During the late 1930s, Clifford worked as a driller on the Delaware Aqueduct, a nearly $300 billion project that was constructed to fulfill the New York City’s insatiable need for running water.⁶ He would go on to make about $1600 a year for this work. ⁷

An Accident at Work

A couple of years later, a second son, Alden, was born. During the fall of that year, Clifford fell victim to an accident during his work on the aqueduct.

Dynamite was a normal technique that was used to blast through rocks in order to create space for the aqueduct and would happen several times over the course of the day. Typically, those using the dynamite would announce that the explosion was about to occur and then other workers would be able to run away from the affected area. While working underground in the mine shaft, Clifford ran in the wrong direction as the rocky surface began to fall from the latest explosion. Rocks fell on him, pinning down his left arm and leg and trapping him under the rocks. He yelled for help, but by the time he was found, he was in shock and badly injured. Once he was rescued from the rubble, he was taken to Peekskill Hospital, the nearest hospital. He would stay at Peekskill Hospital for a grueling 3-6 months. His left leg had been fractured and his left arm rendered useless. The onset of gangrene in his left leg eventually required it to be amputated.

Once out of the hospital, Clifford decided to pursue a lawsuit against his employer. After winning the settlement, he received a sum that was significant enough to help him continue to provide for his family. With the money, the family purchased the home they had been renting for the past four years, as well as some of the surrounding land. The land was purchased from Ms. Bertha Foshay, a neighbor who often cared for the Lawrence children. The family continued to raise their animals and grow crops. Clifford also splurged a little on himself, purchasing a Packard convertible. ⁸

A Trip to Franklin

Shortly after, the family decided to take a trip down to Franklin, North Carolina to visit with Callie’s parents. Callie, having lived in Franklin most of her life, may have been feeling quite homesick. She still was not used to the ways of New York life and a visit to her family might help. The nearly 900-mile car ride was long and took several days to complete. Instead of staying at hotels where they may not have been wanted, they slept in the car. The South was a dangerous place during that time and the family was very aware of that. During that trip, Clifford’s son, Alden, went missing. After the incident, the family would never visit Franklin together again.

Another daughter and another son were born in the next few years.

The “Carmel Valet Service”

In 1949, the Clifford and Callie decided to purchase a laundromat, which they named the “Carmel Valet Service.” With Clifford’s injuries hindering his movements and the children starting to grow up, it was getting increasingly difficult for the family to earn a consistent living. Clifford could not work and Callie took care of the children, including the youngest member of the household, a 2-year-old son. On top of that, their oldest son, George, had enlisted in the navy and was no longer living in the home. ⁹

In 1951, Callie’s father, Joseph Elexander Stewart, passed away. ¹⁰ She left the family and travelled to Franklin, North Carolina for a few days to attend his funeral. During that time, Albert stayed to help Cliff watch and care for the children.

His Later Days

His later years consisted of more extended stays at the hospital. One daughter, who was studying to become a nurse, remembers proudly giving her dad a bed bath. He knew that he would not see her accomplish her goals, but he wanted to proudly see his daughter as a nurse.

The mystery of Alden’s disappearance continued to haunt Cliff until his last days. Another daughter recalls him calling the FBI over and over to follow up on the case up until his death.¹¹ Clifford Lawrence died on April 18, 1954. He was buried in the Union and Halstead Cemetery in Kent Cliffs, Putnam County, New York. ¹²

1. “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M56H-ZV1 : accessed 3 May 2019), George Lawrence, Wagener, Oconee, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 134, sheet 13A, family 190, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1469; FHL microfilm 1,375,482.
2. “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXTD-63F : 3 May 2021), Clifford Lawrence and Annie W Love, 12 Sep 1925; citing Macon, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 19,268.
3. “North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XHR7-K4Z?cc=1609799&wc=MJ4S-T38%3A1042613001 : 3 May 2019), 004216707 > image 1805 of 3124; State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh.
4. Interview by Olivia Dorsey, 2020
5. Ibid
6. “Giant Tube to Supply Water for Ten Millions.” Popular Mechanics, August 1933.
7. “United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MB-SV5Y?cc=2000219&wc=QZXR-FYS%3A790105101%2C798709701%2C805602201%2C805602202 : accessed 11 March 2019), New York > Putnam > Kent Town, Farmers Mills > 40-3 Kent Town, Farmers Mills, Putnam County Almshouse > image 15 of 50; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
8. Interview by Olivia Dorsey, 2020
9. Ibid
10. “North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994”, database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPHH-GLK : 29 September 2022), Joseph E. Stewart, 1951.
11. Interview by Olivia Dorsey, 2020
12. “Find A Grave Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24S-W7TW : 29 July 2020), Clifford B. Lawrence, ; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.