Eighth Generation

92. Alvin Vernon ACREE Sr. (^^)⁴⁶ was born on 1 June 1878 in Owenton, King and Queen County, VA.^{6,25,44,46,47,48,49,50,51} (His World War I Military Draft Record listed his birth year as 1877, his military Report of Interment lists it as 1879, and the Virginia Archive of Births lists it as 1879. His gravestone and the Find-a-Grave website lists it as 1878, which is believed to be correct. Also, his obituary lists his age at death as 74.) He appeared in the census in 1880 in Newtown, King and Queen County, VA.³¹ He served in the military from 9 May 1899 to 6 May 1904 in Philippine Islands.^47,50 He was mustered in June 1899 and served as a Private in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Spanish American War. Among other places, he served at the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, League Island, PA; the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY; and, beginning in October 1899, at the Marine Barracks Naval Station Cavite in the Philippine Islands. In November 1902, he mustered to the U.S. Naval Station on the island of Guam. In December 1903, he returned to the United States.

On 15 July 1926, he began to receive a pension for injuries that he received in the Marines.
Alvin appeared in the census in 1900 in Philippine Islands.³⁵ He was serving (along with his brother James) as a Private in the U.S. Marines and was based at the Olongapo Arsenal. His residence was listed as Indian Neck, Virginia. He lived in Masonville Community, Baltimore (City), MD in 1909.⁵² His occupation was Laborer. (No address is listed--only Masonville.) He appeared in the census in April 1910 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD.^53,54 His household was on Mason Street in the 3rd Precinct of the 5th District and his occupation was "Carpenter, House." (His given name was spelled "Alvan.")

Masonville was a residential community and suburban neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Historically, the town was one of five neighboring communities (along with Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, Fairfield and Wagner's Point) sought and ultimately annexed by Baltimore City from Anne Arundel County in 1918. The town was razed in its entirety in the 1950s to accommodate the expansion of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Curtis Bay terminal.

The town that would be Masonville was founded in the 1890s, centered on what was then Ninth Street & Chesapeake Avenue, directly adjacent to the newly-expanded lines of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's (B&O) Curtis Bay Branch. Along with other communities bordering the Patapsco River, Anne Arundel County extended electric light to the town in 1902.  A new Methodist Episcopal Church, was dedicated in 1903 at a cost of $3,000 (equivalent to $90,478 in 2021). A small fundamentalist church and related school were also established about this time.

Despite its small size, Masonville boasted its own saloon, and, along with its neighboring settlements, was one of the few "wet" areas in Anne Arundel County as prohibition was gathering strength. From at least 1910, Masonville also supported an amateur sports team, the Masonville Country Club (also known as Masonville Athletic Club), which competed in intra-city baseball and basketball.

Around 1915, Masonville benefited as a hub from the increased rail traffic toward Curtis Bay and Fairfield, where the oil industry in both places was experiencing boom growth. The Masonville B&O yard became a large storage site for the hundreds of tanker cars needed to supply this industry. 25 acres near the town were used to store cars for wheat as well, and demand on the railroad branch (the sole line that serviced the peninsula) was to only increase with the commencement of construction of the B&O's enormous coal pier in Curtis Bay in 1916. So rapid was the railroad's expansion that it had to house 75 of its workers at Masonville in converted rail cars rather than homes. By 1917, the B&O's yard at Masonville had grown to nearly 50 acres.

Plans for a proper sewer system, which had not previously existed outside of neighboring Brooklyn, were finally initiated by the county in 1916. Citizens of Masonville, along with their neighbors, complained of what they perceived as the lawlessness coming from the many saloons directly adjacent to - but not under the jurisdiction or regulation of - Baltimore City itself. These citizens formed a Home Defenders League to demand action be taken against these taverns and resorts, which catered to Baltimore residents.

Arguing World War I made it a national security issue, the Home Defenders League advocated the creation of areas of alcohol prohibition around the growing industrial areas on the peninsula.

Masonville's proximity to the growing Baltimore City invited consideration of its annexation nearly from its founding. The Brooklyn Improvement Association had proposed a bill to annex Brooklyn & Masonville to Baltimore City as early as 1910. Among the two communities, 81% of respondents supported being annexed, with supporters complaining of the currently inadequate water supply, fire services and road maintenance provided by the county. A 1914 fire for instance destroyed seven Masonville homes, and endangered the entire neighborhood, due to a lack of water for fire fighting, followed by another uncontrolled fire that destroyed a further four homes two months later. Residents also complained that the county's contractor for sanitation failed to collect the town's garbage even weekly, let alone biweekly as the contract had required. Masonville was included in Baltimore City's initial 1916 proposed annexation map, and was included within the portion of Anne Arundel County ultimately annexed by the legislation passed in March 1918.

In the early 1950s, the same railroad that had been the cause of its creation also became the cause of its destruction, as the town was razed to accommodate the expansion of the B&O's Curtis Bay terminal. The railroad sought to avoid antiquated and dangerous underpasses and at-grade crossings, and the required land required the purchasing of the land under the town by B&O, who in turn deeded it to Baltimore city for demolition and redevelopment. The last buildings were destroyed to make way for the Harbor Tunnel Thruway in 1957.

The remaining land north of the railroad yards remained in the hands of the Arundel Corporation for many years, which operated a dump at the site. Beginning in 1976, the State of Maryland pursued plans for an ambitious 250-acre redevelopment of the waterfront at Masonville as a new marine terminal, and two years later, the Maryland Port Authority purchased the requisite land from the Arundel Corporation. Within the year, the land was being partly used for storage of excess automobile freight. When development of the new container terminal failed to materialize over the next decade, the port authority began plans to semi-permanently lease a third of the territory to auto importers.  He registered for the Military Draft on 12 September 1918 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD. ⁵⁵ His WW I draft registration listed his residence as being on Mason Street in Masonville, Anne Arundel County. His occupation was "Carpenter," and his description was "Tall" and "Stout," with Brown Eyes and Black Hair. His wife's name was listed as "Fannie E. Acree." Alvin appeared in the census in 1920 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD.⁵⁶ His household was at 4 Mason Street and his occupation was "Carpenter, House." He lived in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD in 1921.⁵⁷ His household was at 4 Mason Street in the Masonville section of Baltimore and his occupation was Carpenter. Masonville was a small community of 52 houses on the south side of the Patapsco River in northern Anne Arundel County (1910 U.S Census).

In 1910, Baltimore City acquired Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, Fairfield, Masonville and Wagners Point and those communities became part of Baltimore City. A number of street names in the communities were changed because they were the same as those in Baltimore. He lived in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD in 1924.⁵² His household was on Holland Street and his occupation was Carpenter. Alvin lived in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD in 1927.⁵² His household was at 724 Light Street and his occupation was Carpenter. He lived in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD in 1928.⁵² His household was at 907 South Charles Street and his occupation was Carpenter. He lived in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD in 1929.⁵² His household was at 1643 South Hanover and his occupation was Carpenter. Alvin appeared in the census in 1930 in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD.⁴⁶ His household was at 1643 South Hanover Street and his occupation was "Carpenter, Shirt Factory."

He appeared in the census in April 1940 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore County, MD.⁵⁸ His household was at 1625 Cereal Street in Curtis Bay and he was Retired. In addition to his wife and four of their children (Alvin Jr, Wilbur, Glenwood and Helen), his household consisted of his grandson, Lawrence Acree, age 3; and his granddaughter, Delores Bergman, age 12. Lawrence was the oldest son of his son Alvin, and Delores was the oldest daughter of his daughter Esther. He appeared in the census in April 1950 in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD.⁵⁹ His household was at 1410 Clarkson Street. His wife was listed as the Head of Household and he had no occupation. Alvin died on 27 November 1952 at the age of 74 in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD.^25,47,50,51 Obituary Notes: "On November 27, 1952, Alvin V. Sr., of 1410 Clarkson Street, aged 74 years, the beloved husband of Frances E. Acree. Funeral services will be at the William Cook Mansion, St. Paul and Preston streets, on Monday at 10:30 A.M. Interment in Baltimore United States National Cemetery."

Obituary Notes: "He was the son of James Harvey Acree and Mary Jane Turner. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps." He was buried on 1 December 1952 in Baltimore (City), MD.⁴⁷ in the Baltimore National Cemetery (Sec. N, Plot O, Grave No. 2060). His gravestone was made in Vermont and was delivered to the cemetery on 2 January 1953. (According to the 1930 Census, his parents were both born in Virginia.)

Alvin Vernon ACREE Sr. (^^) and Frances E. "Fannie" CHANEY (^^) were married about 1908 in Maryland.⁴⁶ Frances E. "Fannie" CHANEY (^^), daughter of Joseph E. CHANEY and Rosa A. TAYMAN, was born on 2 October 1891 in Owenton, King and Queen County, VA.^10,47,59,60 Her birthplace was listed as Maryland in the 1950 Census. She appeared in the census in 1900 in Brooklyn Park, Anne Arundel County, MD.⁶¹ She appeared in the census in 1910 in Masonville Community, Baltimore (City), MD.⁵⁴ Fannie served in the military about 1918.⁶² According to her gravestone, she served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. The dates of her military service are not known. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD.⁵⁶ She appeared in the census in 1930 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD.⁴⁶ Fannie appeared in the census in April 1940 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore County, MD.⁵⁸ She appeared in the census in April 1950 in Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD.⁵⁹ She was listed as the Head of Household and living with her were her husband, Alvin, her daughters Helen Cox and Betty Patricia, her "son" (actually grandson) Lloyd Cox (age 3), and her Nephew, Lawrence Acree (age 13). Her occupation was "Meat Cutter, Abbatoir." She lived in Baltimore (City), MD in 1952.⁵⁰ At the time of the death of her husband, her home was at 1410 Clarkson Street. Fannie died on 10 March 1966 at the age of 74 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore County, MD.^6,47,63 Obituary Notes: "On March 10, 1966, Frances E. (nee Chaney) of 1410 Clarkson Street, beloved wife of the late Alvin V. Acree; devoted mother of Mrs. Esther Smith, of Pasadena, Md.; Alvin V. Acree, Jr. of Vero Beach, Fla.; Glenn E. Acree, of Pasadena, Md., and Mrs. Helen E. Cox of Baltimore, and sister of Tayman Chaney of Pasadena, Md. Also survived by thirteen grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Services at the McCully Funeral Home, 130 East Fort Avenue, on Monday at 1 P.M. Interment in Baltimore National Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. starting Friday." She was buried on 14 March 1966 in Baltimore (City), MD.^47,50 in the Baltimore National Cemetery (Sec. N, Plot O, Grave No. 2061). (According to the 1930 Census, both of her parents were born in Maryland.)

Alvin Vernon ACREE Sr. (^^) and Frances E. "Fannie" CHANEY (^^) had the following children: