Street and three tailors, whose location could not be ascertained,
were enterprises of promise.

In 1839 and 1840, there were a pleasure garden and saloon in Anthony
Street and a similar establishment on King Street, with an "Amusement
House" on Spring Street, and near it Brown and Wood ran a
confectionary and fruit store. Richard Carroll ran a bathing
establishment in Church Street. A coal-yard in Pearl Street, a watch
and clock maker, three private schools, and a "dry-goods store of the
female Trading Association," complete the list of firms that was
contained in the record of the period.

A number of these enterprises are known to have continued for a number
of years after 1840. Testimony of witnesses[72] as late as the time of
the Civil War shows that a number of the above-named enterprises were
in existence as late as 1860.

Also that second-hand clothing shops were frequently run by Negroes,
and barber-shops and restaurants of excellent equipment were evidences
of activity comparable with the earlier period. Thomas Downing kept a
restaurant at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets and from it amassed
considerable wealth bequeathed to his children.

In 1869, the Negro caterers had such a large share of this business
that the dozen leading ones came together and formed the Corporation
of Caterers which was a sort of pool to control the conduct of the
business and which was so enlarged after three years under the name of
the United Public Waiters Mutual Beneficial Association, that the
original purpose was largely sidetracked.[73]

There is little direct evidence available for the period from about
1875 to 1909. The census of 1900 gave a return of Negroes in
occupations which may indicate proprietors of establishments, but
there is no way of ascertaining whether they owned, operated or were
employed in such lines of business. There were in all 488 distributed
as follows: Among the males, boarding and lodging-house keepers 10,
hotel-keepers 23, restaurant keepers 116, saloon keepers 27, bankers
and brokers 5, livery-stable keepers 9, merchants and dealers 162
(retail 155, wholesale 7), undertakers 15, clock and watchmakers and
repairers 2, manufacturers and officials 36, and photographers 22. The
females included boarding and lodging-house keepers 50, milliners 9,
and photographers 2. A goodly number of Negro enterprises are very
probably represented in this list. That this is true is evident from
the large numb