Charles Edwin Spicer was born in Nash County on Nov 8, 1868, By 1893, a twenty-five-year old Spicer was living in the northwest quadrant of Rocky Mount and serving as trustee of the First Colored Baptist Church of Rocky Mount (Mount Zion). A couple of years later in 1895 he was living and voting in Raleigh where he was employed as a circulation manager for the *[[Enterprises/The Gazette|The Gazette]]* - an African American weekly that had been purchased by [[James Hunter Young]] in 1893. Spicer's move to Raleigh exemplified the growing economic and social opportunities available to African Americans across North Carolina during the Fusion Decade. He became a prominent and active member of the Republican party in Raleigh and an alternate delegate to the 1896 national convention in St. Louis. After the Republican landslide in that year's election, he joined with his friend and newly elected Republican State Senator, [[W. Lee Person]], to incorporate the [[National Protective Association]] (NPA) which was chartered by the General Assembly on March 5, 1897. The Association was incorporated to promote education and economic development for African Americans in North Carolina. W.C. Coleman was treasurer and the NPA was a heavy investor in the construction of the Coleman Mill in Concord NC - the first Cotton Mill in America owned and operated by African Americans. On June 1, 1898, in Rocky Mount, C.E. Spicer married Miss Theodosia Horne - daughter of Pompey and Harriet Dancy Horne. Senator Person applied for the marriage license and was a witness at the couple's wedding on that happy day. But less than 6 months later North Carolina’s white supremacy campaign led to the demise of the Raleigh Gazette and Charles returned to live full time in Rocky Mount. He purchased a home at 703 W. Thomas Street down the block from his brother, Alfred T. Spicer, in the Happy Hill Suburb. Alfred Spicer was a house contractor and Charles Spicer was soon employed as a painter. In 1899 Charles E. Spicer served as the second African American Town Commissioner from the 5th Ward. This was the pivotal year between the fusion politics of the 1890s and the emerging white supremacy rule over North Carolina. (There is no record of his achievements as a Commissioner - the minutes from this period have been removed from Rocky Mount’s record book) By 1925 Charles and Theodosia Spicer were living apart. Rev. Spicer now lived at 907 W. Thomas Street with his sister Mamie Simpson - she ran a boarding house in her home after her husband's death. Theodosia Horne Spicer died on March 19, 1954, and the Rev. Charles E Spicer died on May 25, 1962, at the advanced age of 94! Both Rev. Spicer and his wife are buried in [[Unity Cemetery]].