Tracing the Lemon’s from Columbia to Greenville to Charleston Using City Directories

Hopefully, you have seen how much city directories have helped in finding family especially when they moved from place to place. I first shared with you how I use city directories in African American Genealogy: Comparing City Directory Resources. Now, I would like to learn more about my great aunt, Virginia Vance Lemon. I found her last in the 1930 Census in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband, Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon and next to her father, Rev. Lafayette Franklin Vance:

Emma Lemon is the mother of Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon. She was staying with them on this census. In order to find more information about Virginia Vance Lemon, I knew I would have to use the city directories and follow her husband, Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon.

Columbia, SC in 1925 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon was a professor living at Allen University in 1925.

Columbia, SC in 1926 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon was a professor living at Allen University in 1926.

Columbia, SC in 1927 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon was a professor at Allen University in 1927.

Columbia, SC in 1929 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon lived at 415 Henderson.

Columbia, SC in 1930 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon lived at 2809 Marshall, and Rev. Lafayette Franklin Vance lived next door at 2811 Marshall. Their wives are not listed, but they were listed on the 1930 Census (see above).

Columbia, SC in 1931 City Directory

Rip Isaiah Lemon is for the first time listed as reverend and instructor at Allen University living at 2527 Marshall. His wife, Virginia is also listed.

Columbia, SC in 1932 City Directory

Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon, professor at Allen University and Virginia live at 2527 Marshall. Their daughter, Emma is also listed.

Greenville, SC in 1935 City Directory

Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon was pastor of Allen Temple AME Church and lived on 109 Green Ave. with Virginia.

Charleston, SC in 1942 City Directory

If I had not gone to the South Carolina History room at Charleston County Library to consult the city directories there, Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon and Virginia would have been lost to me because they did not appear online in Ancestry.com images. I had to look up 1942 and 1948 in the library.

Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon and Virginia V. are living at 243 Ashley Ave. Henrietta and Laura are living there too.

Charleston, SC in 1948 City Directory

Rev. Rip Isaiah Lemon was pastor of Morris Brown AME Church. He and Virginia lived at 194 St. Philip.

Sharpen the Saw

I have to find the years that are missing where they should appear in the city directories, but I do have resources that appear in the city directories above where I can trace Rev. Lemon and Virginia. 

Some are:

• Allen University in Columbia, SC.
• Allen Temple AME Church in Greenville, SC
• Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, SC

Do you have resources revealed in city directories that you have not checked? Let us know out on Facebook.