A 19th-century black family in Danbury, January 20, 1986

The Pines family, of the 19th century, worked in the hat factories. They were an accomplished family of African-Americans. They were descendants of enslaved persons who staffed households in the Hudson Valley near Kingston, N.Y. Alexander Pine was the first member of the family to come to Danbury in 1847. Most notably is James Wallace Pine who published two volumes of poetry, gave public lectures, preached at "white" churches, and organized black military company after the Civil War. The volumes were titled "The Pilgrim's Hope and Other Poems," published in 1867 and "The Shadows of the Evergreens," published in 1856. Both were housed in the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. According to his obituary, he was "licensed to preach," and acted as a substitute teacher. William H. Pine was the first African-American to serve on the jury. Possible in-law Legrand Cornell was the first black person to cast a vote in Danbury. He was one of eight African-Americans in Danbury who exercised their right to vote in April, 1871. Unfortunately, criminal James H. Riley used the alias "Sam Pine," which tainted the family's image. He murdered a woman from Brewster, N.Y. |Identifier: ms069_devlin_1986_01_20