This multi-part blog series discusses important Black figures in early Tacoma history. It underscores their contributions to the city’s history. These men and women helped shape and develop Tacoma, providing lasting impacts that can still be seen today.
The first article is about the Conna family who were the first Black family to live in Tacoma and is available here.
The second article is about George Putnam Riley who was the first Black investor in Tacoma and is available here.
This third article is about Nettie Asberry, a leading Black voice in Tacoma history.
A Leading African American Voice in Tacoma
Nettie Craig Asberry was born in Kansas in 1865. She was a musical prodigy who connected people through art, built lasting community relationships, and advanced social justice causes. The youngest of six children born to Violet Craig, an enslaved woman, and plantation owner William Wallingford. In January 1865, Violet was pregnant with Nettie when slavery finally ended in Missouri. Violet soon left Wallingford and moved to Leavenworth, Kansas where Nettie was born. Leavenworth was the largest city in Kansas at the time and it continued to grow as thousands of formerly enslaved people sought refuge there following the Civil War.
Undated photo of Viola "Violet" Craig Turner, 1828-1906, mother of Nettie Craig Asberry.
At the age of eight, Nettie began to demonstrate her musical talent when she started to study piano. She later learned fluent French and German. In her teens, she began to take up political activism. At the age of 13, she attended a speech by Susan B Anthony whose brother was a newspaper editor in Leavenworth. Nettie was so moved by this encounter that she became secretary of a woman's suffrage club.
In 1879, her mother and stepfather moved the family to Nicodemus, Kansas. The year 1879 was also the peak of the Exoduster movement when thousands of formerly enslaved people arrived in Kansas in search of a better life. Nettie's family were part of a wave of settlers hoping to establish all-Black homestead communities that offered safety, economic opportunity, and a level of political autonomy.
Photo of Nicodemus' Washington Street in Nicodemus including the community's first stone church and Williams General Store. Undated photo from the Library of Congress.
At a time when few women and few Black Americans attended college, Nettie received a degree from the Kansas Conservatory of Music and Elocution in 1883. She also took classes on teaching through the Kansas Normal School. She began teaching and giving music lessons in Nicodemus, and later in Kansas City and Denver, where a few of her siblings settled.
"Graduating Exercises" sharing that Nettie Craig sang a very difficult solo, played piano and cornet, and gave a recitation to a standing room crowd. Published in The Leavenworth Times on June 13, 1883 from the archives of Tacoma Public Library.
In 1890, Nettie and her new husband Albert Jones set off towards Seattle. The Seattle Fire had recently demolished the city and the two had high hopes that the rebuilt town would be a promising place to begin their life together. Nettie became the first organist and musical director at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Albert initially worked as a barber, but in 1894 he was tragically killed in a coal mining accident.
A Mine Horror published in the Washington Standard (Olympia) on August 31, 1894 describing the coal mining accident in which 37 men died including Albert Jones, husband of Nettie Craig (later Asberry). From the newspaper archives of the Library of Congress.
The following year, Nettie moved to Tacoma where she married Henry Asberry. He was also a barber and had been working in the city since 1890. Around the time of their marriage, Henry became sole owner at the prestigious Tacoma Hotel Barbershop. He continued operating the business for 44 years. In addition to providing haircuts and shaves to famous visitors, Henry was active in local real estate and community organizations.
Photo of the Tacoma Hotel staff, including Henry Asberry seated in vest. From Tacoma History Live.
In Tacoma, Nettie became the organist and choir director of the Allen AME Church. She was an accomplished musician and began giving music lessons to local children. In 1902, she established the Mozart Music Club encouraging Tacoma youth to expand their knowledge of classical music. A year later, she and Henry purchased a home at 1219 S 13th Street in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. From the piano in her music room, she taught hundreds of students and held annual public recitals. Later in life, she donated musical instruments to the Hilltop community.
Nettie Asberry biography, printed by The News Tribune, 1977.
Throughout much of Nettie's life, she embraced community empowerment and stood against segregationist practices. In 1908 she began by forming the Clover Leaf Art Club, showcasing the creative talents of Black women in Pierce County. Their award-winning creations were featured at the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Nettie also continued her efforts for women's suffrage ensuring that Black women were included when Washington legalized women's right to vote in 1910.
This image of Nettie Asberry can be found on the walls of Tacoma's Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. It is part of a series of historical plaques installed along MLK Avenue in June 2010.
Nettie's civil rights activism led her to cofound Tacoma's NAACP chapter in 1913 -- the first branch on the west coast. She went on to establish additional chapters in Washington and Oregon. She spoke out about issues of local and national importance. Nettie's Clover Leaf Art Club became an umbrella organization for multiple women's clubs in Tacoma, and then a charter member of the Washington State Federation of Colored Women's Organizations. In 1925, she served as president of this group. At its peak, the organization grew to include over 120 clubs with 500 members across the state. During her time in these leadership roles, Nettie helped Black women to foster their relationships through shared interests and mutual aid. She also taught children about Black history and encouraged local schools and newspapers to share more about this topic.
Image of a plaque honoring Nettie Asberry. It is one of 10 markers along N 30th Street celebrating the legacy of women who have enriched Tacoma's history. They were installed in 1998 by the Old Town Business & Professional District in coordination with students from Annie Wright School.
Nettie passed away in Tacoma in 1968. The following year, the mayor declared May 11 as Nettie Asberry Day. Nettie left a lasting impact in Tacoma and she is remembered with commemorative plaques in the Hilltop and Old Town neighborhoods. Recently, the Tacoma City Association of Colored Women's Clubs bought the Asberry house with plans to restore it honoring Nettie's enduring legacy. In 2022, the building was added to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places. Nettie's family, community organizations, and local historical researchers have helped to ensure that her exemplary life continues to be remembered.
About the Author
Charlee Dobson Cohen completed an internship with Job Carr Cabin Museum in summer 2025 as a junior at University of Puget Sound majoring in History and Art History and minoring in African American Studies and Study of Consciousness. With this, she hopes to go into curatorial work in museums.