Bristow, Priscilla

Priscilla and her husband John C. Bristow emerged as central figures in the organized recruitment of Black domestic workers from the South, beginning around 1903. At the request of Englewood’s white, wealthy residents, the Bristows arranged for Black workers—primarily from South Carolina—to relocate to Englewood, providing transportation and acting as intermediaries between employers and employees. This system transformed what had previously been an informal and sporadic labor flow into a systematic migration pipeline, bringing more than 150 Black domestics (not including dependents) into the city over roughly 25 years.

Crucially, the Bristows’ impact went far beyond labor placement. After settling in Englewood, they purchased property in the Little Texas area, subdivided housing, and sold part of their home to another Black family, directly contributing to the creation and expansion of a stable Black residential neighborhood. John Bristow also founded Englewood’s first employment agency specializing in Southern Black labor, further institutionalizing economic opportunities for Black migrants and helping newcomers secure work quickly upon arrival.

This migration laid the groundwork for Englewood’s Black population growth before World War I and shaped the city’s racial geography, labor market, and community life for decades. While the work existed within—and was constrained by—racial inequality and wage disparities, the Bristows nonetheless functioned as key builders of Black community infrastructure, helping transform individual domestic workers into a rooted population with homes, networks, and a shared stake in Englewood’s future.

The Record, 1938

1938