Overton Businesses

Anthony Overton Jr. established the Overton Hygienic Manufacturing Company in 1898 in Kansas City, Missouri and expanded the company once he and his family moved to Chicago in 1911 Overton Hygienic initially sold baking powder but later targeted African American women, a niche audience, with “High Brown” talcum face powder and other cosmetic products. The building that was eventually built to house Overton Hygienic would become part of the Black Metropolis district in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Overton Hygienic continued even after Anthony Jr.'s death in 1946 and was run by his son, Everett, until his death in 1960.

Anthony Jr.'s wife, Clara, and his children were essential to business operations for Overton Hygienic. Eva worked as a secretary and stenographer for the company, and her sister, Mabel worked as the bookkeeper in 1910.

The Chicago Bee evolved from Half Century Magazine which Anthony Jr. established in 1915. The Bee ran from 1925 until Anthony Jr.'s death in the late 1940s and was created to promote Overton Hygienic products. At its height, the Chicago Bee had a circulation of 50,000 papers. The paper covered news of interest to the Black middle class and covered current events happening in Bronzeville. Bronzeville is a term that was coined by James J. Gentry, an editor working with Anthony Jr., to highlight the concentration of Black businesses and culture of the area and provide an alternative to the way other media outlets described the neighborhood.

The Chicago Bee operated out of a building close to the Overton Hygienic Building, and soon all of Anthony Jr.'s businesses found a home in the multi-use Bee Building.

Eva provided journalism support for the Chicago Bee. The press pass below indicates that she may have attended community events or news scenes to gather information for the newspaper.

In 1921, Anthony Jr. began a new venture by establishing Douglass National Bank. It was the second black-owned bank to be nationally chartered. Julian served as a director for the bank during its early years. Given that the economic downturn of the Great Depression coincided with the bank’s formative years, the doors to Douglass National Bank officially closed in 1932.

A few years later in 1924, Anthony Jr. founded Victory Life Insurance. It was the first insurance company owned by an African American granted a license to conduct business in New York and Indiana. Victory Life Insurance also took a hit during the Great Depression, and Anthony Jr. was asked to step down and relinquish leadership to Dr. Lacy Kirk Williams as Victory Life transitioned to Victory Mutual.