The Breakfast Club - IDKMYDE: The 1st Black Owned Business

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

On this episode of #IDKMYDE, we're delving into a piece of history you might not be familiar with. Did you know that E.E. Ward Moving and Storage is recognized as the oldest continuously operating Black-owned business in the United States? Tune in as we uncover more hidden gems in history and celebrate the resilience of Black entrepreneurship. IG: @_idkmyde_ | @BdahtTV | @blackeffectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On today's episode of I Didn't Know,

maybe you didn't either. I would like to echo the sentiments. Support black business. I've been saying this a lot this February, and I'm sure I'll be saying it again in June for Juneteenth. But do you know what the first black owned business was? Because I didn't. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. I didn't know. I didn't know, maybe you didn't think. I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know. E.E. Ward, moving and storage, is recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the oldest continuously operating black owned business in the United States. It was founded in 1881 by William Ward and John T. Ward. See, in the 1830s, John T. Ward moved to Columbus, and while he was there, he serviced one of the travel points or the mile marker points of the Underground Railroad. He would stuff as many black folks as he could in his wagon, and very inconspicuously, he would travel for a half day or maybe even a full day, just getting them black

folks as close to up north as they could so they could get the freedom. See, John T. Ward, he had the horses and the wagons. And William Ward, he was a former foreman and a supervisor of the Union Transfer and Storage Company of Columbus. So after the Civil War, John T. Ward, he got government contracts so he could haul ammunition and supplies and equipment for the army. So what'd he do? He finessed it. In 1881, around that time, when he was using the freight wagons to carry the supplies for the war, he simultaneously was starting E.E. Ward Moving and Storage in Columbus. See, in 1881, it was Ward Transfer Line. Then it was later called Ward Storage and Transfer Company. But by 1899, it became E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company. That was after John T. Ward's

grandson, Edgar Earl, took over the business. Edgar Earl. Cot Almighty. Yeah, you got to roll with E.E. Ward on that one. But now E.E. Ward is a nationally recognized leader in transportation and relocation. It was operated by the Ward family from 1881 to 2001, but now it's owned by Brian and Dominique Brooks. But they did more than expand the business. When the Brooks family took over, E.E. Ward had five employees. Now, they got between 75 and 100. You seen them big trucks with the blue backgrounds and the white letters that say North American? That's E.E. Ward now.

They got two locations, too. They still got their headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and they also got a branch in where I stay, Charlotte, North Carolina. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. No. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about

starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory.

Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka Stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.