At the turn of the 20th century, the population of Richmond had reached 85,050, making it the most densely populated city in the Southern United States. Slave-freed African Americans established a thriving business community in the city’s historic Jackson Ward, which became known as the “Wall Street of Black America”. In 1903 African American businesswoman and financier Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank and served as its first president.
The former city of Manchester merged with the city of Richmond in 1910. Henrico County’s Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park areas were also annexed to the city in 1914. Richmond became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1914. After World War I ended, Philip Morris was established in the city in 1919. During the 1920s, the Fan district also began to develop. During the early 20th century, Jake Wells built several vaudeville theaters and opera houses in Richmond.
These fascinating historical photos will take you back to Richmond, Virginia, in the 1900s.
![Gamble's [i.e. Gamble] Hill Park, Richmond, 1908](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_93.jpg)
![Jefferson Davis house [i.e. Confederate Museum], Richmond, 1905.](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_60.jpg)
![Tomb of Jefferson Davis, Hollywood [Cemetery], Richmond, 1905.](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_82.jpg)
![R.E. Lee camp, Confederates' [i.e. Confederate Soldiers'] Home, Richmond, 1908](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_99.jpg)
![Washington memorial, Capitol park [i.e. Capitol Square], Richmond, 1908](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_100.jpg)
![Confederate Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Libby Hill [Park], Richmond, 1908](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Richmond_1900s_101.jpg)
