Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee at the Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Marker Ceremony
Dublin Core
Title
Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee at the Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Marker Ceremony
Alternative Title
Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee and Heritage Marker #3
Subject
Sanford (Fla.)
Georgetown (Sanford, Fla.)
African Americans--Florida
Historical markers--Florida
Description
The Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee a the ceremony commemorating the completion of the Sanford Avenue Streetscape and the unveiling of several heritage markers. The unveiling of the heritage markers was held in Paulucci Park, located at the southwest corner of First Street and Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida, on November 20, 2014. Pictured in the photographs, from left to right, are Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright, Bette Robinson, Ollie Williams, Christine Dalton, Patricia Ann Black, and Christine Kinlaw-Best.
Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Black (1956- ). Her father, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin.
Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black (1956-).
Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Black (1956- ). Her father, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin.
Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black (1956-).
Creator
Lester, Connie L.
Source
Original color digital images by Connie L. Lester, November 20, 2014.
Date Created
2014-11-20
Is Part Of
Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
164 KB
158 KB
Medium
2 color digital images
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Palucci Park, Sanford, Florida
Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Connie L. Lester.
Rights Holder
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
"Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Markers." Department of Recereation, City of Sanford Government. http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=20&recordid=3760.
Delinski, Rachel. "City to celebrate completion of Sanford Avenue." The Sanford Herald, November 17, 2014. http://mysanfordherald.com/view/full_story/26115431/article-City-to-celebrate-completion-of-Sanford-Avenue?instance=home_news_bullets.
Carroquino, Carmen. "Sanford Avenue reopens after $2.9 million makeover." MyFox.Orlando.com, August 18, 2014. http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/26308142/sanford-avenue-reopens-after-29-million-makeover.
Flewellyn, Valada S. African Americans of Sanford. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2009.
"Pathways to History - Historic Georgetown." City of Sanford. http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=483.
Collection
Citation
Lester, Connie L., “Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee at the Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Marker Ceremony,” RICHES, accessed December 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4657.