William Watson was born in Prince Edward, Virginia on September 15, 1883 to John Morton Watson (1862 - 1926) and Nannie Lee Holmes (1863 - 1941). He met his future wife Addie L. Daly of Boyton, Virginia while both were living in New Jersey and the two married in 1904. After moving to Morristown, William initially found work as a farm laborer and later as an ash collector, a job that he turned into a successful waste removal businesses which ultimately branched out to included trucking and real estate. Together, he and Addie raised seven children: William Nathaniel "Nat", Jr. (1904 - 1947); Clara (1906 - 1996); Francis "Buster" (1909 - 1984); John "Mort" Morton (1910 - 1981); Hazel (1911 - 1982); Gertrude (1915 - 1971); and Eveylen (1918 - 2006), all of whom attended and graduated from Morristown High School.
William owned and operated the ash and rubbish removal business William Watson and Sons, located a short distance from the couple's home at 47 Spring Street in Morristown, directly opposite of where Headquarters Plaza would later be built. In an oral history recorded in 1983, Clara Watson recounted how her father built the family a new home on Hanover Avenue employing tradesmen from the local African American community, and how he also collected rent from real estate investments in town. In his spare time, William also founded the Morris County chapter of the NAACP, was a leader of the Colored Republican Club, president of the Booker T. Washington branch of the YMCA, and member of both the Elks and Union Baptist Church in Morristown.
According to his obituary, William N. Watson died of a heart attack suffered while at work on the evening of November 1st, 1933; he was 49-years old. Mr. Watson's unexpected passing shocked his many friends and associates who had grown to respect the entrepreneur and community leader. William was laid to rest at nearby Evergreen Cemetery. Following her husband's death, Addie Watson continued living at the couple's home on East Hanover Avenue with several of her children, including sons Francis and J. Morton who continued running the family business until the 1970s.
William Nathaniel, Jr. was born on June 25, 1904. As a student at Morristown High School, his classmates described him as good-natured and popular. Nataniel, or "Nat" as he was known amongst his peers, was a member of the orchestra, class relay team, Hi-Y club, and the Science Club. When he registered for the draft in 1941 he was working at Picatinny Arsenal, and during World War II he initially served as a Private in the Army before attaining the rank of Technician Fifth Grade in the Signal Corps. Following the War, Nathaniel became one of the first Black mail carriers employed by the Morristown Post Office. He obtained a degree from Bodee Dental Institute in New York City but, according to his sister Clara, could not find employment as a dentist on account of his race. William Nathaniel, Jr. died at Memorial Hospital on April 7, 1947 following a brief illness; he was 43-years old.
Clara E. Watson was born on December 5, 1906 at her parent's home on Center Street. She attended Morristown High School and graduated in 1925, after which time she found work at a Montclair real estate firm. During the Great Depression, Clara was employed as a caseworker for the Emergency Relief Administration and after the outbreak of World War II she assembled munitions at Picatinny Arsenal. In 1942, Clara began training as a nurse at Provident Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland; upon graduating, she found employment as a registered nurse at Community Hospital in Newark and then took a position at Lyons VA Hospital from 1946 to 1960.
In addition to her career, Ms. Watson remained busy volunteering with the NAACP, Morris County Urban League, Neighborhood House, Collinsville Civic and Improvement League, and in 1975 was the first African American to head the Morris County American Legion Auxiliary. She was briefly married to Carter Pinkman, a plumbing and heating contractor who died in 1958, and she remained close with his family. Clara Watson Pinkman continued with her volunteer work until the age of 76 and passed away in 1996; she was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery.
Francis "Buster" Watson was born on April 23, 1909. Like his siblings, he attended Morristown High School where his classmates described him as quiet but bright and affable. After high school, he attended Union University in Virginia where he graduated pre-med. However, rather than pursuing a career in medicine, Francis assumed management of William Watson and Sons with his brother John following their father's death in 1933; they operated the business for four decades prior to selling it in 1973. Francis died in 1984 at the age of 73.
John Morton Watson was born on April 5, 1910. He was a star varsity football player at Morristown High School where he was also on the track team and a member of the Hi-Y club. John married Mary Ella Gist (1912 - 2006) with whom he had two sons, John Morton Watson, Jr. (1934 - 1988) and George R. Watson. John worked as a contractor for William Watson and Sons, which he ran with brother Francis from 1933 until retiring in 1976. John was a member of the Union Baptist Church in Morristown, as well as Tyrian-Widows' Son Lodge #34, and Freemasons of Morristown. John M. Watson died on July 22, 1981 and was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery.
Hazel Watson was born on August 14, 1911. As a student at Morristown High School she was described by her classmates as a serious student with a good sense of humor. In addition to her role as captain of the basketball team she was also a star hockey player, and a member of both the glee club and Hi-Y club. After graduating high school, Hazel trained to become a beautician and obtained work at a local beauty parlor. She never married and eventually moved to Lake City, Florida where she died on July 20, 1982.
Gertrude Watson was born in February 1915 and attended Morristown High School where she was active in the school choir, Junior Civic Association, and popular amongst her classmates. She graduated in 1934 and in 1936 she married Phillip Moore Bass, Jr. (1911 - 2003) in Hallifax, Virginia. Gertrude died in 1971.
Evelyn Watson was born on April 28, 1918 and as a student was known for her good humor and muscical abilities. While at Morristown High School she was a member of the choir, Latin club, Hi-Y club, Junior Civic Association, and on the hockey team. Following high school, Evelyn attended the State Normal School at Newark where she trained to become a teacher, graduated in 1938 and taught in the city. In 1951 she married Walter L. Ford, Sr. and together they had two children. She would eventually retire to Tallahassee, Florida where she passed away on December 16, 2006. Eveyln Watson Ford was laid to rest beside her sister Clara at Evergreen Cemetery.
The collection consists of various documents related to the history of William and Addie Watson's family in Morristown, New Jersey; William was one of the town's early 20th century proprietors who created a successful business that his two sons inherited following their father's unexpected death. The material will be of interest to those studying 20th-century African American history, business practices and middle-class life in northern New Jersey. The 0.5 linear foot collection primarily consists of paper records with some photographic material. Material in the collection dates from 1913 to 1981, with the bulk of the records dating from 1922 to 1971.
A number of obituaries and funeral programs are included for William Nathaniel Watson, Sr., as well as a couple unrelated town leaders. An account book and invoice are artifacts of the day-to-day work of William Watson and Sons, and a number of diplomas, yearbooks, and reunion programs underline the family's emphasis on education as a means to financial security. A small series of letters to Nannie Watson from her grandchildren and children reflect a close-knit family that regularly visited and communicated with each other. The collection includes photographs of patriarch William N. Watson, Sr. and his son William, Jr., in addition to the former's obituary that also includes a portrait. A small group of ephemera hint at some of the family's charitable, religious, and social activities, including a history program sponsored by the local NAACP, a testimonial dinner offered upon the retirement of Capt Charles Anderson, and two Baptist picture cards.
A number of photographs of several Watson and Pinkman family members exist in the Morristown - African Americans photograph collection. These may have been donated by Clara Watson Pinkman as part of the Morristown African American Oral History Project.
Filed within the collection was a marriage certificate for Alexander Bennell (1844 - 1931) and Matilda "Tillie" Le Fever Coulter (1854 - ) who do not appear related to anyone in the Watson family. According to federal census records, Bennell was a grocer and tea dealer from Jersey City who immigrated from England in 1865. Together they had one son, Raymond Bennell (1890 - ) who worked as a salesman at a hardware company. Alexander is listing in the Jersey City Directory for 1892 as being the proprietor of Turner and Bennell located at 241 Washington Street in that city with a home address at 25 Prospect Street in Morristown. The marriage certificate was transferred to the Miscellaneous Manuscripts collection.
The William Watson Papers are arranged into eight series: I. Obituaries and funeral services, II. William Watson and Sons, III. Personal Business, IV. Correspondence, V. Certificates, VI. Education, VII. Ephemera, and VIII. Photographs. The materials are organized chronologically within each series.
Series I consists of an obituary published in the "Morristown 'Y' Bulletin" for William N. Watson, Sr., as well as three funeral programs for his son John M. Watson and two local community members. Series II includes an account book and invoice from the business, William Watson and Sons. The sole item in Series III is a contract for the sale of an automobile purchased in 1923 by William Watson, Sr.; a luxury item that had only recently become attainable by some middle-class Americans.
Series IV is comprised of personal correspondence between various family members, especially Nannie Watson and her grandchildren. Series V is comprised of diplomas, professional certificates and awards, as well as membership in the People's Aid Society. Series VI consists of yearbooks, commencement programs, and reunion programs owned by the Watson children. The ephemera in Series VII includes religious picture cards, the program to a local 1951 NAACP talk, and a testimonial dinner program for a presumed friend of the family. Two photographs round out Series VIII, one of William Watson, Sr. and the other of his son, William N. Watson, Jr..
This collection is open for research under the conditions set forth in the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center archives access policy. All archival material should be handled with care and kept in its original order; notes may only be taken in pencil or with a computer, and food and drink are prohibited in the Reading Room. Records may be copied for scholarly or personal research using the edge scanner or a digital camera without flash; however, researchers must obtain copyright permission prior to publishing material from the collection.
The collection was donated by Clara Watson Pinkman.
William Watson Family Papers, 1913 - 1981, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center, Morristown and Morris Township Library.
Processed, described and encoded by Jeffrey V. Moy, Archivist, February 2026.