Charles H. Turpin
Charles H. Turpin (died 1935) was a constable[1] filmmaker, theater owner, and judge in St. Louis, Missouri.[2][3] In 1910, he became the first African American elected to city-wide office in St. Louis.[1][4] A legal dispute contested his estate.[2]
He was born in Ohio and moved with his family to Mississippi for a few years as a child.[5] Tom Turpin, a musician and ragtime composer, was his brother. Saloon owner and businessman John L. Turpin, proprietor of the Silver Dollar Saloon in St. Louis was their father.[6]
In 1913 he arranged to build a 1-story theater building in St. Louis.[7] He served as a constable in St. Louis Fourth District. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch advised readers not to re-elect him as constable.[8]
In 1937, Time magazine referred to him as a "taffy-colored Republican".[9]
Turpin was also involved in filmmaking.[10] He produced short documentary films.[11]
Thomas Million John Turpin Jr. was his brother.[12][13]
He owned the Booker T. Washington theater in St. Louis.[14][3]
Charles Udell Turpin was his son.[9] He was noted as a successful Remington salesman.[15]
He died December 25, 1935 in Miami Beach, Florida aged 60 and was buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in St. Louis.[16]
Booker T. Washington Theatre
[edit]
The Booker T. Washington Theatre was preceded by John L. Turpin's Silver Dollar saloon and then the Rosebud Café from 1800 to 1906 where his brother performed.[6] It became an important venue in St. Louis. The theater building, designed by J. M. Hirschtein, succeeded an Airdome theater Turpin operated on the site for several years.[17]
The theater hosted vaudeville, motion pictures, and musical acts including Clara Smith, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters and Bill Robinson. A young Josephine Baker performed with her children outside the theater seeking notice.[18][19][20] It closed around 1930.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Liberator 19 November 1911 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu.
- ^ a b "$125,000 Turpin Estate Settlement Not Settled". September 30, 1939. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Wright, John Aaron (July 25, 2002). Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites. Missouri History Museum. ISBN 9781883982454 – via Google Books.
- ^ "St. Louis Historic Preservation". dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov.
- ^ "The Messenger". Negro Universities Press. May 3, 1969 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "History of Ragtime". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ "American Architect and Architecture". American Architect. May 3, 1913 – via Google Books.
- ^ "unknown". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 31, 1914. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: Cite uses generic title (help)(subscription required) - ^ a b "Education: Turpin's Trust". Time. April 26, 1937.
- ^ Sampson, Henry T. (1995). Blacks in Black and White: A Source Book on Black Films. ISBN 9780810826052.
- ^ Richards, Larry (September 17, 2015). African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 9781476610528 – via Google Books.
- ^ "St. Louis Historic Preservation". dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov.
- ^ "Tom Turpin".
- ^ Bauman, Thomas (May 30, 2014). The Pekin: The Rise and Fall of Chicago's First Black-Owned Theater. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252096242 – via Google Books.
- ^ "From Sales 'Associate' to CEO - the success of African American businessmen". July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Obituary for Charles H. Turpin". The St. Louis Star and Times. 30 December 1935. p. 20.
- ^ "Booker T Washington Theater". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 1913-03-16. p. 29. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ "Booker T. Washington Theatre". Clio. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ "Booker T." McCaughen and Burr. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ "Josephine Baker". www.umsl.edu. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
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