What I know about Frederick Douglass Allen.

He was born on April 25, 1886 and his name was recorded Fred Allen. His father, Thomas W. Allen, married Mattie A. Young in Toledo in 1879. Thomas, born in Louisiana about 1858, worked as a sleeping car porter at the time. Thomas' father, Warren Allen, was born in Kentucky and his mother was born in Tennessee. Fred's mother, Mattie, was born in Philadelphia in May 1858. Both of her parents were born in Delaware. They lived on Wisconsin av. (first at 168 then at 553). Fred's brother, Irving was born on September 25, 1888.

Sometime between 1893 and 1900 the family moved to 116 Erie. Mattie’s name appeared in the City Directory for the first time in 1901, with no Thomas. But Thomas reappears at 116 N. Erie after a few years, at least by 1909.

Frederick was educated at Toledo Polytechnic School. He is a designer in 1903, laborer in 1904, waiter along with his brother in 1906, decorator in 1909, and a commercial artist for Buckeye Eng Co. in 1910, when the family moves to 553 Woodland av. He's listed as an artist in 1914. Irving and his father, Thomas lived at 551 Woodland a little later on. Irving joined the National Guard on September 6, 1914.

On July 11, 1917, Irving, a guardsman in the Med. Corps 9th battalion, 372 Infantry, married 21 year-old Anna B. King (b. Philadelphia), daughter of Harry King and Hattie Wilson. She lived at 16 S. Ontario and turned 22 on December 31, 1917.

The fall of 1918 was tragic. Fred filed a Draft Registration Card on September 12, 1918. On October 9, 1918, while serving in the defensive sector of the Meuse-Argonne, one of the bloodiest single battles in U.S. history, Irving died of wounds received in action. It was just a month before Armistice Day, November 11. His father, Thomas W. Allen, contracted bronchial pneumonia and died on November 13. Irving is buried in France, Thomas is buried at Forest Cemetery in Toledo. His occupation was paperhanger on his death certificate.

Mrs. Anna Allen, who had no children with Irving, appeared in the Toledo City Directory only once after that, in 1920, home at 346 Lucas. She died on Feb. 8, 1920, age 24.

In 1920 and for several years, Fred's profession is "painter." He lives at 551 Woodland with Mattie.

1925: There is a Mattie living at 1034 Champlain. In 1926 Fred is a decorator, same address, but Mattie is not listed. 1927 Fred is a painter, no Mattie. 1928 and 1929, no Fred or Mattie. 1930, 31, Fred is back, at 551 1/2 Woodland now, has 3 boarders, and lists his profession as "real estate." Two Matties are listed, one at 370 Lucas and a Mrs. at 137 Illinois, both domestics.

Our Mattie, who would have been 67 in 1925, may have died. The Mattie that lives at the new addresses who is a maid appears to be the wife of Charles. She was born in 1903 in Arkansas, moved to Toledo, and died in 1945.

In 1932, two Matties again, one on Wabash and one at Ft. Meigs Hotel. Fred, portrait painter, is listed with (Antoinette) next to his name. 1933 - artist, Antoinette, and h do added at the end. Mattie, maid at Ft. Meigs Hotel, r 356 John R. 1934, again artist, (Antoinette C), and h do added at the end.

1935: Fred is listed with the same h and do, but no Antoinette. 1936: age 48 - no Fred in any more directories. The last appearance of our Fred is in 1935, a year after the disappearance of Antoinette. A new Fredk D appeared, first as a student in 1936, becoming a clerk, a proofreader, then advertising man at Owens Corning.

In 1942 when Frederick was 56 he started a job with the lithograph department in the government printing office in Washington, and worked there for at least 5 years, as reported in the Blade in 1947 when he returned to Toledo for a visit.

Where did Fred go between 1936 and 1942, when he worked in Washington?
Who were his friends in Toledo that he came back to visit in 1947?

Was Fred married to Antoinette? Did he have a child? Where else did he live? When did he die? Where are his paintings?

I checked Forest Cemetery where father is buried. I found a Fred Allen in an unmarked grave, buried on 4/12/1962 at the age of 75 – exactly the age our Fred Allen would have been on that date. But it’s not him – this Fred is buried next to his parents, and they all lived at the same address on Toledo’s east side.

Fred was one of the first students of the Toledo Museum School of Design. He was a member of the Art Student's Guild, and one of the first members of the Toledo Art Klan in 1913.

He exhibited at the 135th St. Branch of the New York Library in 1916.

He studied for 3 years at the Chicago Art Institute, where he exhibited in 1916 when he was 30. He exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art in 1927 and 1931.

He was in the First Annual Exhibition of the Toledo Federation of Art Societies in 1918, and again in 1921, 1922, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935 and 1936.

He is referenced in the Harmon Foundation Non-Jury Exhibition of Works of Negro Artists, 1933.

Paintings in Toledo --
Rev. T.D. Scott, hung at M.E. Church, at least until 1935
Postmaster W. T. Huntsman for St. John's Church

Other paintings --
Dr. R. R. Wright, Jr. president of Wilberforce University, painted in 1934
Richard B. Harrison ("De Lawd") painted in 1935
Louisa

Toledo Museum shows were probably:
May 1-31, 1927 Work of the Public Schools and The Museum School of Design
Oct 1-31, 1931 Exhibition of the Work of the Public Schools and The Museum School of Design.