Washington State’s Black History: Wesley “Wes” Craven
All month, we’ll be partnering with The Black Heritage Society of Washington State to bring you artifacts, photos and stories from our community’s history.
The BHS archives hold items of The Craven Family who are an early pioneering Black family rooted in Roslyn and Seattle, WA. The souvenir t-shirt and boxing gloves belong to Wesley “Wes” Craven.
The Cravens are forever linked to Washington State with the arrival of seventeen year old Harriet Jackson (Taylor) Williams and her young son to Roslyn, WA in the late 1880s where she courageously homesteaded over 250 acres. Roslyn’s history as a coal mining town was an early struggle as Black men whose families accompanied them were recruited from southern states to work the mines beginning in 1888. Misled and unbeknownst to them they came as strikebreakers and not to the welcome they anticipated. In 1902, David Williams arrived and shortly after married Harriet. From this union came daughter Ethel Florence who married Samuel Craven and the bloodline continues.
Wes Craven, born and raised in Roslyn, is the second son of Samuel and Ethel. He and his siblings grew in the love of their parents to be hard-working and proud of their family legacy. As a young man, Wes became a celebrated boxer and was a Golden Glove Welterweight and Heavyweight Champion in Seattle. His boxing career was cut short due to a serious eye injury.
Wes remains a resident of Rosyln and follows in his father’s footsteps as he tends to Roslyn’s Mt. Olivet Cemetery (aka Black Miners Cemetery) to honor Craven ancestors and other early Black pioneers buried there. Roslyn Black Pioneers Picnic is an annual event attended by The Craven’s and extended family to pay tribute to their ancestors and others who paved the way. Wes is responsible for roasting the pig. August 2022, Converge Media attended and filmed at the picnic to document the day. You can find more on that on our instagram and at the link in our bio.
*Note: Wes’ brother William was appointed Mayor of Roslyn in 1975 and was elected in 1976. He served until 1979 as the first elected Black mayor in the state of Washington.
