The Migration and Life of African American Families Who Worked at JB Clow&Sons Inc. in Newcomerstown

Newcomerstown native Brent Dansby will present a program titled “The Migration and Life of African American Families Who Worked at JB Clow & Sons, Inc. in Newcomerstown, Ohio” in the community room of Dover Public Library on Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 PM. Dansby will focus on the history of the African American families who helped establish Clow Avenue in Newcomerstown, a predominantly African American neighborhood made up of families who migrated from several Southern states. In the early 1900s, they moved north to take advantage of job and housing opportunities offered by the J.B. Clow & Sons company.
Wadsworth resident Brent Dansby is a graphic designer and retired educator with a deep commitment to preserving African American history and heritage. Raised in the Clow Avenue neighborhood in Newcomerstown, Dansby has worked alongside a dedicated group of longtime residents — including the late Shirley Coker Kerr, Laura Okumu, and the late Wille Sterns, the neighborhood’s photo historian — to document and share the rich history of Clow Avenue as passed down through generations of elder residents. Dansby is passionate about recapturing and preserving the legacy of the African American families who helped establish Clow Avenue. Many of these families migrated from southern states in the early 1900s, seeking new opportunities in the North through employment and housing offered by the J.B. and Sons Clow Company in Newcomerstown. Their contributions helped shape the neighborhood into a vibrant and historically significant community whose stories continue to inspire future generations.
This program will be held on Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 PM at the Dover Public Library, located at 525 N. Walnut Street. To register, visit www.doverlibrary.org/events or call the library at 330-343-6123.