Halson Vashon Eagleson, Sr. was born on May 17, 1851 in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. He was born a slave and came to Indiana in the 1880s. He was married to Eliza Anne Loggins and they had several children, five of whom were sons who all attended Indiana University.
 |
| 1907 Indiana University Arbutus Yearbook |
He died on December 20, 1921 at the age of 70. A long procession of automobiles left the church on 6th street and made their way to Rose Hill Cemetery where he was buried in Section C.
An article from 1922 notes that Halson Jr. was possibly kidnapped by the KKK and held in Spencer to keep him from being part of the band playing in the IU-Purdue football game. Three students were accused of the crime and a civil suit was filed agasinst them, but the case ended with a hung jury.
Unfortunately, there is little about him in the archives that I could find. He was the head of a prominent family in Bloomington the late 19th century, but little seems to have been recorded about his life. His sons went on to do great things, even his grandsons. The most notable of which was Wilson V. Eagleson, also known by his nickname "Swampy". He was a highly decorated serviceman, having served in World War II in the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, better known as the Tuskegee Airman. In the early 1950s, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by safely landing a damaged cargo plane in the Philippines.
Reference:
Wilson V. Eagleson - Wikipedia
Wilson V. Eagleson, Jr. - Indiana University The Golden Book
Bloomington, IU to rename Jordan Avenue after prominent residents who escaped slavery - The Herald-Times
Monroe County Timeline - Monroe County Public Library
Bloomington Near West Side - National Historic Register of Places
0 comments:
Post a Comment