Sarah Lim: Seeing Merced through the eyes of a black poet

Through the eyes of poet William J. Creque, Merced is beautiful, peaceful and spiritual.

Creque, a resident of Merced in the early 20th century, was a black immigrant from Anegada, an island in the British Virgin Islands. He published a collection of his poems in 1908, titled “Poems: A Flash From Afar Ut Pignus Amicitiae” and dedicated to the Fountain City, a nickname for Merced.

Creque was not a poet by training. In fact, as he describes in his poetry, he became a sailor boy when he was not even 14 in the West Indies.

He worked as a waiter in the Hughes Grill in Fresno and as a handyman while living in Merced. His poems were mostly personal and his mood evolved from upbeat and exciting youth, to sentimental and sorrowful adulthood, to peaceful and spiritual middle-age in a span of 20-plus years.

Growing up on a beautiful island in the West Indies, Creque played “Amongst ferns and love vines,” enjoyed “battling with the tide,” and courted his “mermaid” Marie “whose charms are like morning dew.” In the late 19th century, he entered the United States through New York City where he saw the Statue of Liberty.

Coming to America marks the end of Creque’s carefree youth as he faced new challenges in a strange land. These experiences were often expressed in his longing and sorrowful verses. One of his earliest poems was written in Reno and titled “Under the Oleander Tree.” He spoke of the promises that he made for his love and how “Loving hearts shall not wonder” and “That dear thoughts grow fonder.”

Around the turn of 20th century, Creque was a married man with children, a son named William and a daughter named Ella Devere; however, tragedies soon struck Creque. His wife, Mary Metieger Creque, died before 1903 and, as a result, he had to put his 6-year-old daughter in the St. Francis Girls’ Directory Orphan Asylum in San Leandro. Creque wrote about Ella in a poem titled “First Letter to My Little Girl” dated June 2, 1907. It is unclear what happened to his son.

By 1906, Creque had already made Merced his home and lived in a cottage behind the Radcliffes who sponsored him. Charles D. Radcliffe was a publisher of the Merced Evening Sun who lived at 515 W. 21st St. with his wife Fanny, a suffragist. As a newspaper man, Radcliffe may have encouraged Creque to have his poems published. Mrs. Radcliffe helped him get odd jobs in the neighborhood.

Creque was content with his life in Merced, as seen in several of his poems from 1906 to 1907. As a spiritual man, he often saw the beauty of Merced through its churches. In addition to the Cumberland Church in “Evening in Beautiful Merced,” he talked about the Episcopal Church in “In Merced, California” and the South Methodists and their social gathering in “In Beautiful Merced.”

Creque also found beauty in Merced’s physical landscape and seasons. His poem about Bear Creek describes both elements as he writes peaceful creek “Winding around the willowy bend” and the falling leaves in the creek moved “Like flakes of shining gold.” In a poem titled “Madrienne of San Joaquin,” he describes the San Joaquin Valley as Eden where “Fields of ripening grain/ Swaying with the breeze; Orchard and vineyard so complete.”

Finally, Creque’s life was filled with the laughter of neighborhood kids. One of these neighborhood kids was Bill Bedesen, who remembered Creque as a man who loved to tell stories. The kids were so mesmerized by his tales that they actually believed Creque had ridden on General Robert E. Lee’s horse. Kenneth Wood was another one who remembered being invited to a party given by Creque for his “little friends” although he did not attend.

Creque was, no doubt, a good friend of the children. He had the privilege to watch a show by the kids in the Cornell hay barn which was the subject of his poem titled “Paean.” The boys from the Castle, Cornell, and Mackenzie families organized the Cas-Corenzie Company and put together a show for a selected few. Wilmer Cornell and Chandos Castle formed the magnificent “Wilmer and Chandos’s Orchestra” whose “Notes were flying like fiery chords.” Hall Mackenzie was the renowned clown and Martin Kidd was the great detective. Nathan Lucius Cornell was the hypnotic who singlehandedly revived the two bank robbers who had been shot by Detective Kidd.

When Creque published his book of poetry in 1908, The Fresno Republican newspaper immediately claimed that “many Fresno scenes tempt his Muse” as he also wrote about Fresno. By 1920, Creque had moved to San Francisco to be close to his daughter, Ella. William J. Creque died in 1924.

During Black History Month, take a moment to remember the legacy and struggles of Merced County’s African American communities. African Americans have deep roots in Merced County and some of the black pioneers of our county include Harriet Russell, A. E. Talley, Emanuel Quivers, Burrell Mintz and William Webb.

For more Merced County history, please visit the Courthouse Museum. Our temporary exhibit that celebrates the 10th anniversary of UC Merced is on display until the end of this month.

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Sarah Lim: Seeing Merced through the eyes of a black poet."