Elijah Granger (1849-1937)

Portrait by Andrew Raquan, 2024

Elijah Granger was born enslaved in 1849 near Cowpens, South Carolina, to Rebecca Haynes and Stephen Granger. As a child, many of his siblings were sold away, but Elijah remained on the plantation where he was born through the Civil War. After the Civil War, the Granger family remained in South Carolina for a short time until Becca moved Elijah and at least four of his siblings to Cabarrus County, North Carolina some time between 1870 and 1880. In 1896 he married Laura Mahaffey, but she died within a few years.

By 1902, Elijah had saved enough money to by a large tract of land - over 100 acres - in the Mallard Creek Township in northeast Mecklenburg County. Granger family histories indicate that Elijah owned land in the area in 1885, though there is no official record of the purchase until 1902. By 1910, he was remarried and had two children with his wife, Mary. Elijah and Mary built a white farm house on the property where many of his children and grandchildren were born, lived, and married. The house was demolished some time in the 1950s, but many of his descendants still live on or near Legranger Road (named for Elijah Granger) almost a century after his death in 1937.

Though Elijah did not receive a formal education himself, he is remembered by his descendants for insisting that they educate themselves. His granddaughter, Mary Granger McClure, remembers that "He'd pat his forehead and say, 'You get something up there, and that's something they can't take away.'" Another of Elijah's granddaughters, Martha Barringer, remembers that he boarded a local teacher employed at the nearby Siloam School at his home during the week so the teacher did not have to travel so far to get to work each day. At 101 years old, Martha the only living alumni of the Siloam School, which was moved to the Museum campus and restored in 2024.

About the Artist

Check out Andrew Raquan's work on instagram: @quanchalant