We're finishing up our three-day look at the African Americans of Mayberry, with a look at Mayberry, North Carolina's most prominent black citizen......
From the Mayberry Wiki:
Ralph Barton is a Mayberry citizen played by actor Charles Lampkin in seven episodes of 'Mayberry R.F.D.'
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Here are the episodes of 'Mayberry RFD' in which we got to see Ralph Barton "in action":
Sam pushes for a new youth initiative that will allow students to take up the major role in running the town for a day. The children embrace their roles with far more enthusiasm than anyone thought.
Sam runs into trouble with the police after he makes a turn without signaling. Sam doesn't think he's done anything wrong, but is unsure if he should contest the ticket in court.
117 "Driver Education"
The local school decides to institute a new driver education program. Everyone in the town council is very supportive, however the question of who will teach the students creates some interesting problems.
120 "Sam the Expert Farmer"
Sam is concerned his string bean crop has turned out very poorly. He becomes more concerned when Millie grows the same vegetable with far better results.
203 "Howard the Poet"
Howard is commissioned to write a poem for a literary magazine. He is very proud and excited at the prospect of being published. Writer's block spoils his happiness and frustration soon takes over.
When Howard becomes convinced Goober is not an effective deputy sheriff he decides to prove it - by robbing the Mayberry bank.
218 "Goober's Brother"
Goober's brother is returning to Mayberry to visit him. He hopes his brother will be impressed with his accomplishments but those hopes are soon dashed when he discovers his brother is an important engineer for the space program.
(All plot summaries are from the IMDb)
We never saw Ralph in the parent series, 'The Andy Griffith Show', but that doesn't mean he wasn't there. I don't think he was a recent transplant to Mayberry; instead, I think his family had deep roots in the area. We never got to see all 400 members of the Enterprise crew on 'Star Trek', but we knew they were there. The same should hold true for Ralph Barton.
And when I say Ralph's family had deep roots in the area, that means they were there back in the days of slavery.....
From The North Carolina Civil War Sesquientennial site:
From The North Carolina Civil War Sesquientennial site:
While North Carolina did not have the same investment in slavery as the Deep South, African Americans still suffered greatly in the Tar Heel state. During the antebellum period (between 1800 and 1860) the institution of slavery became more deeply entrenched in Southern society. Restrictive laws gripped North Carolina's enslaved people, and the state's free blacks fared little better.
One of the sad, enduring legacies of slavery would be the surnames carried by the descendants of those slaves. Their ancestors were the property of the slave holders and as would happen with property, those owners put their names on what they owned.
Perhaps the most famous slave in Toobworld would be Kunta Kinte. But that was his African name. He was forced to take the slave name of Toby and - as the property of John Reynolds, he was fully known as Toby Reynolds.
The same would hold true for the ancestors of Ralph Barton. They were owned by the landed gentry of the area who were known as the Bartons. The white Bartons still lived in the environs of Mayberry, but maybe they never had a clue that in their midst lived a man whose ancestor once was the chattel of their own ancestors.
Perhaps the most famous slave in Toobworld would be Kunta Kinte. But that was his African name. He was forced to take the slave name of Toby and - as the property of John Reynolds, he was fully known as Toby Reynolds.
The same would hold true for the ancestors of Ralph Barton. They were owned by the landed gentry of the area who were known as the Bartons. The white Bartons still lived in the environs of Mayberry, but maybe they never had a clue that in their midst lived a man whose ancestor once was the chattel of their own ancestors.
The Barton family, who lived in the downtown area during the 1960s, consisted of Elsie and her daughter, as well as Mr. Barton. He had a cousin who was a detective in Siler City. And their common ancestor who owned the slaves saw his brother and family move West to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. There young Seth Barton began courting Mary Ingalls until he found out that she was blind. (As someone posted online, "She went blind and he went south.")
I like to think Ralph Barton lived a long life, at least as long as Charles Lampkin who portrayed him. (Lampkin died in the late 1980s.)
'Mayberry RFD'
Barton
- Millie, the Secretary (1970)
'The Andy Griffith Show'
Mrs. Barton
- Sam for Town Council (1967) ... Woman
- Barney Comes to Mayberry (1968) ... Mrs. Barton
Mrs. Barton
- Sam for Town Council (1967) ... Woman
- Barney Comes to Mayberry (1968) ... Mrs. Barton
'Mayberry R.F.D.'
- The Mayberry Road (1970) ... Elsie
O'Bservation: I see no reason why we can't combine Elsie with Mrs. Barton and the woman who greeted Barney Fife at the Tina Adams movie premiere.
- The Mayberry Road (1970) ... Elsie
For more about slavery in North Carolina, click here.
BCnU!
A big thanks to the aforementioned Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. whose blog "Thrilling Days of Yesteryear" looked at episodes of 'Mayberry RFD' in detail. It's from those blog posts where I stole a lot of these pictures of Ralph Barton and one of Elsie Barton.
A big thanks to the aforementioned Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. whose blog "Thrilling Days of Yesteryear" looked at episodes of 'Mayberry RFD' in detail. It's from those blog posts where I stole a lot of these pictures of Ralph Barton and one of Elsie Barton.
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