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John and Loula Williams: The Black American Power Couple Who Defied the Odds
by Giovanne Robb on Apr 02, 2023
Meet Mr. John and Loula Williams! Both were black American entrepreneurs who made a significant impact in the black business world during a time of widespread discrimination.
The couple met in MS but made their way to Tulsa in about 1903. The U.S. Census from 1910 lists the couple as being married for 5 years then. Mr. John started out operating the steam-powered chilling equipment at an ice cream company in 1909. His skill was in such demand and the job paid so well, that by 1911, the family purchased Greenwood’s first car: A brand new Chalmers “Thirty Pony Tonneau,” named for its 30 horsepower. The car cost $1,600 at the time (about $53,000 in today’s dollars.)
Mr. John learned to do all the repairs and maintenance on his car, and soon found himself earning money on the side working on others cars. By 1912, he had such an extensive clientele that he resigned from his job to open his own auto repair garage. Williams’ One Stop Garage ❤ Mrs. Loula also left her teaching job and opened a store. The store sold candy, ice cream, and featured a fully-stocked soda fountain. It quickly became the most popular hangout for teens and young couples. The couple then built a three story build from the profits of the auto mechanic shop. The first floor housed the store, the family lived on the second floor, and rented the black lawyers rented out the third floor.
By 1914, with the profits from the auto repair shop, store as well as the commercial renting allowed them to open a movie theatre. The new theatre had a seating capacity of 750, with movie tickets costing 15 cents. "The Dreamland Theatre" quickly became just as popular and another success. The family along with their son worked all the businesses until the night of the massacre.
The family survived and rebuilt, but were never able to reach the level of prosperity they had before the massacre. The couple were never given a dime to recuperate their businesses Mrs. Loula fell ill and passed away in Sept, 1927. Mr. Wesley lived until January of 1940.
