George W. Oden (1862-1939) was a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Born in Sylacauga, Alabama, Oden moved to Apopka by 1902. He owned four businesses and five parcels of land, where he grew citrus. In 1933, Oden donated land for the construction of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, located at 1202 South Central Avenue. Oden was also the recipient of the City of Apopka's Fifty Years in Business Award.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> H & W. B. Drew Company

]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu.specialcollections/.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu.specialcollections/.]]>
George W. Oden (1862-1939) was a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Born in Sylacauga, Alabama, Oden moved to Apopka by 1902. He owned four businesses and five parcels of land, where he grew citrus. In 1933, Oden donated land for the construction of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, located at 1202 South Central Avenue. Oden was also the recipient of the City of Apopka's Fifty Years in Business Award.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> H & W. B. Drew Company

]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
George W. Oden (1862-1939) was a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Born in Sylacauga, Alabama, Oden moved to Apopka by 1902. He owned four businesses and five parcels of land, where he grew citrus. In 1933, Oden donated land for the construction of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, located at 1202 South Central Avenue. Oden was also the recipient of the City of Apopka's Fifty Years in Business Award.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
Ella Wall (1874-1938) was an entrepreneur and businesswoman of Apopka who served as the inspiration for a character in Zora Neale Hurston's novel Mules and Men. Wall was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1874 and moved to Apopka as a widow. Throughout her lifetime, Wall purchased four parcels, of land. She operated an orange grove and also constructed small wooden buildings that she rented out to migrant workers. Wall was also a friend of Michael Gladden, Jr., the executor of the George W. Oden estates, until her death in 1938.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
Michael Gladden, Jr. (1899-1982) was the executor of the estate of George W. Oden (1862-1939), a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Gladden was born in South Carolina in 1899. He married Elizabeth Gladden and together they had a son, William, who was born around 1904. According to census records, the Gladden family had moved to Jacksonville as early as 1910 and then moved to Apopka. After Oden's death in 1939, Gladden continued to manage the legal documents of Oden's estate.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
Ella Wall (1874-1938) was an entrepreneur and businesswoman of Apopka who served as the inspiration for a character in Zora Neale Hurston's novel Mules and Men. Wall was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1874 and moved to Apopka as a widow. Throughout her lifetime, Wall purchased four parcels, of land. She operated an orange grove and also constructed small wooden buildings that she rented out to migrant workers. Wall was also a friend of Michael Gladden, Jr., the executor of the George W. Oden estates, until her death in 1938.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
Michael Gladden, Jr. (1899-1982) was the executor of the estate of George W. Oden (1862-1939), a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Gladden was born in South Carolina in 1899. He married Elizabeth Gladden and together they had a son, William, who was born around 1904. According to census records, the Gladden family had moved to Jacksonville as early as 1910 and then moved to Apopka. After Oden's death in 1939, Gladden continued to manage the legal documents of Oden's estate.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Special Collections University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]> Mules and Men. Wall was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1874 and moved to Apopka as a widow. Throughout her lifetime, Wall purchased four parcels, of land. She operated an orange grove and also constructed small wooden buildings that she rented out to migrant workers. Wall was also a friend of Michael Gladden, Jr., the executor of the George W. Oden estates, until her death in 1938.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Carol E. Mundy Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, 1720-2010 finding guide.]]> Special Collections and University Archives in 2009.]]> http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.]]>
Pilgrim and his wife, Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), 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-).]]> United States Employment Service, United States Department of Labor]]> United States Employment Service, United States Department of Labor: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.]]> United States Employment Service, United States Department of Labor.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> United States Employment Service and owned by Pilgrim Black.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Dr. Starke opened his practice in 1927. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Starke became one of only four African-American physicians to be accepted by Harvard University for residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He practiced for several years in Boston and then returned to Sanford in 1933 and continued to practice medicine until his death at age 80. Dr. Starke was also the first African-American doctor to acquire membership in the Florida Medical Association and the Seminole County Medical Association, as well as the second to join the American Medical Association. In 1971, the City of Sanford named George Starke Park, located at 1501 West Third Street, in his honor.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
William Bigham III was born in Rochester and raised in Wayne County, New York. He began teaching microbiology and anatomy at the SUNY Brockport in 2013. He is the son of Patricia Black, the grandson of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), and the great grandson of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934), who migrated to Sanford, Florida, from South Carolina in the 1800s. Bigham's grandparents, Pilgrim and Lula, were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at the Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health started failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford." Francis left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of, including three home-cooked meals; mothers were also taught basics in infant care. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. If a mother could not afford the costs, Marie Francis would not turn her away. "There's a lot of charity here but I wouldn't feel good taking money and knowing the mother can't eat when she leaves here," Francis mentions in a newspaper article. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwives. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre, Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital. The "Midwife of Sanford" Marie Francis and her family contributed to Sanford's development and well-being for the better half of the twentieth century.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford." Francis left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> The Little Sentinel, April 4, 1979: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> The Little Sentinel]]> The Little Sentinel, April 4, 1979.]]> The Little Sentinel, April 4, 1979, page 26.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Little Sentinel.]]> The Little Sentinel and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> All Florida, a TV guide published by The Florida Times-Union, for November 17, 1963. The cover features Albin Polasek, who was also featured on page 10 of the TV guide. All Florida also featured other artists from Orange County, including Hal McIntosh, Maury Hurt, and Bill Orr.

Polasek is a local art legend in Orange County who is also recognized nationally and internationally for his work. Polasek was born in Frenštát pod Radhošt?m, Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), on February 14, 1879. He later migrated to Vienna, Austria, where he apprenticed as a woodcarver. In 1901, at age 22, Polasek immigrated to the Midwestern United States. At age 25, he began attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied under Charles Grafly. Two of his most well-known sculptures were created while he was a student: Man Carving His Own Destiny and Eternal Moment. Polasek was granted American citizenship in 1909 and he earned the Prix de Rome in 1910, which granted him a three-year fellowship at the American Academy of Art in Rome, Italy. He also received the Paris Salon for The Sower in 1913 and the George D. Widener Memorial Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1915 for Aspiration. After completing his studies in Rome, Polasek migrated to New York City, New York. In 1916, when he was 37, the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, invited Polasek to head its sculpture department. While in Chicago, he sculpted Forest Idyl, Victorious Christ, and The Spirit of Music. In 1927, he was elected as an Associate Member of the National Academy of Design, which is an honorary degree conferred to America's top painters, sculptors, and architects. Polasek also achieved full academician status in 1933.

In 1950, when Polasek was 70, he retired to Winter Park, Florida, where he built a home on Lake Osceola. That same year, he suffered from a stroke, which paralyzed the right side of his body. Seven months later, he married one of his former students, Ruth Sherwood, who died just two years later. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Polasek was able to create 18 major works in his later years. In 1961, he married Emily Muska Kubat and the set up the Albin Polasek Foundation, opening up the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park, which featured his personal galleries, chapel, and gardens. On May 19, 1965, Polasek passed away and was buried beside his first wife at Palm Cemetery. In 2000, Polasek was named a "Great Floridian," a distinction reserved for those who have made a significant contribution to the state culturally and historically. In 2004, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.]]> The Florida Times-Union, November 17, 1963: Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> The Florida Times-Union]]> The Florida Times-Union, November 17, 1963.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection, Winter Park Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Florida Times-Union.]]> The Florida Times-Union and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Polasek, known internationally for his sculptures, retired to Lake Osceola in Winter Park in 1950. The same year that he had moved to Florida, Polasek suffered from a stroke, which paralyzed the right side of his body. Seven months later, he married one of his former students, Ruth Sherwood, who died just two years later. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Polasek was able to create 18 major works in his later years. In 1961, he married Emily Muska Kubat and the set up the Albin Polasek Foundation, opening up the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located in parts of Polasek's home and studio, which featured his personal galleries, chapel, and gardens. On May 19, 1965, Polasek passed away and was buried beside his first wife at Palm Cemetery.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection, Winter Park Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> The Seminole Herald, February 16, 2003: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> The Seminole Herald, February 16, 2003.]]> The Seminole Herald, February 16, 2003, page 1C.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, RICHES of Central Florida, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Seminole Herald.]]> The Seminole Herald and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Polasek, located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, around the time of its construction. Polasek, known internationally for his sculptures, retired to Lake Osceola in Winter Park in 1950. The same year that he had moved to Florida, Polasek suffered from a stroke, which paralyzed the right side of his body. Seven months later, he married one of his former students, Ruth Sherwood, who died just two years later. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Polasek was able to create 18 major works in his later years. In 1961, he married Emily Muska Kubat and the set up the Albin Polasek Foundation, opening up the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located in parts of Polasek's home and studio, which featured his personal galleries, chapel, and gardens. On May 19, 1965, Polasek passed away and was buried beside his first wife at Palm Cemetery.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection, Winter Park Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Polasek, a local art legend in Orange County, Florida, who is also recognized nationally and internationally for his work. Polasek was born in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), on February 14, 1879. He later migrated to Vienna, Austria, where he apprenticed as a woodcarver. In 1901, at age 22, Polasek immigrated to the Midwestern United States. At age 25, he began attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied under Charles Grafly. Two of his most well-known sculptures were created while he was a student: Man Carving His Own Destiny and Eternal Moment. Polasek was granted American citizenship in 1909 and he earned the Prix de Rome in 1910, which granted him a three-year fellowship at the American Academy of Art in Rome, Italy. He also received the Paris Salon for The Sower in 1913 and the George D. Widener Memorial Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1915 for Aspiration. After completing his studies in Rome, Polasek migrated to New York City, New York. In 1916, when he was 37, the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, invited Polasek to head its sculpture department. While in Chicago, he sculpted Forest Idyl, Victorious Christ, and The Spirit of Music. In 1927, he was elected as an Associate Member of the National Academy of Design, which is an honorary degree conferred to America's top painters, sculptors, and architects. Polasek also achieved full academician status in 1933.

In 1950, when Polasek was 70, he retired to Winter Park, Florida, where he built a home on Lake Osceola. That same year, he suffered from a stroke, which paralyzed the right side of his body. Seven months later, he married one of his former students, Ruth Sherwood, who died just two years later. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Polasek was able to create 18 major works in his later years. In 1961, he married Emily Muska Kubat and the set up the Albin Polasek Foundation, opening up the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park, which featured his personal galleries, chapel, and gardens. On May 19, 1965, Polasek passed away and was buried beside his first wife at Palm Cemetery. In 2000, Polasek was named a "Great Floridian," a distinction reserved for those who have made a significant contribution to the state culturally and historically. In 2004, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection, Winter Park Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Polasek with Mayor Allen Trovillion in Polasek's home and art studio, located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. Trovillion served as the Mayor of Winter Park from 1962 to 1966. A Republican, he later went on to represent District 26 in the Florida House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002.

Polasek, known internationally for his sculptures, retired to Lake Osceola in Winter Park in 1950. The same year that he had moved to Florida, Polasek suffered from a stroke, which paralyzed the right side of his body. Seven months later, he married one of his former students, Ruth Sherwood, who died just two years later. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Polasek was able to create 18 major works in his later years. In 1961, he married Emily Muska Kubat and the set up the Albin Polasek Foundation, opening up the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located in parts of Polasek's home and studio, which featured his personal galleries, chapel, and gardens. On May 19, 1965, Polasek passed away and was buried beside his first wife at Palm Cemetery.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection, Winter Park Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The article also highlights Marie Francis, the "midwife of Sanford." Francis left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> The Sanford Herald, July 24, 1964: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> The Sanford Herald]]> The Sanford Herald, July 24, 1964.]]> The Sanford Herald, July 24, 1964, page 3.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> The Sanford Herald and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> The Sanford Herald: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> The Sanford Herald and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
One of the honorees for 1988 was Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford." Francis left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> The Sanford Herald: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> The Sanford Herald]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> The Sanford Herald and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Seminole County Florida Government, Seminole County, FL: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.]]> Seminole County Florida Government]]> Seminole County Florida Government, Seminole County, FL.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Seminole County Florida Government and owned by Pilgrim Black.]]> Seminole County Florida Government and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Dr. Wright was born and raised in Goldsboro, an historic black community in Sanford. He lived in Sanford for most of his early life, except for one year that he attended school in Lakeland during ninth grade. He attended Goldsboro Elementary School and Crooms High School, where he graduated in 1964. For his college education, Dr. Wright attended Volusia County Community College in Daytona for one semester, Gibbs College (now merged with St. Petersburg College) in St. Petersburg for the first part of his bachelor's degree in English, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for the second part of his bachelor's education degree in English, Atlanta University for his master's degree in English, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in for his doctoral degree in Linguistics and Rhetoric.]]> Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Tallahassee, Florida: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Tallahassee, Florida.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and owned by Marie J. Francis.]]> Florida Department of Health and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
While today it has fallen into disrepair, Hopper Academy remains a symbol of Georgetown, representing the enduring legacy of Sanford’s African Americans raising themselves through education. Hopper Academy served as a black elementary school for grades 1 – 6 from 1926 to 1961. Professor Joseph Nathaniel Crooms was principal of Hopper from 1906 to 1926, thereafter becoming principal of Crooms High School in Goldsboro. Key individuals who studied at the school include Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston and Sanford’s midwife Marie Francis. In 1968, the Hopper Academy ceased to operate as a school.]]> Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Florida State Board of Health]]> Florida State Board of Health, Jacksonville, Florida: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> Florida State Board of Health, Jacksonville, Florida.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida State Board of Health and owned by Carrie Jones.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Florida State Board of Health]]> Florida State Board of Health, Jacksonville, Florida: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.]]> Florida State Board of Health, Jacksonville, Florida.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida State Board of Health and owned by Marie Jones Francis.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Herman L. Refoe, Jr. and Shellye L. Refoe began teaching at Midway Elementary School in 1946. They quickly became involved with the school and the students, starting clubs and coaching teams, along with teaching African Americans in the Midway and Canaan areas. Their daughter, Annye Refoe, was born on January 29, 1951. Herman became an Assistant Principal of Goldsboro Elementary School in 1959. About two years later, he became the Principal. Herman remained the school principal for over 11 years, until his retirement in 1972. Shellye continued teaching at Midway until 1962, when she began teaching at Crooms High School, followed by South Seminole Middle School, Milwee Middle School, and finally Lyman High School. She moved around as a result of Seminole County’s School Board’s attempt to integrate black teachers. Shellye retired in January 1974.

Annye graduated from Seminole High School in the class of 1969. After her treatment in the newly integrated Seminole High School, she decided to enroll in a historically black college/university. She graduated from Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee, with a bachelors’ in English in 1973. Upon her return from college, Annye began teaching in August 1974 at Lake Howell High School. In 1982, she started teaching at Seminole Community College, where she later became the Dean of the Arts and Humanities.]]> Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Georgetown was established by the city's founder, Henry Shelton Sanford, as a suburb for African-American residents in the 1870s. The neighborhood spans along Sanford Avenue, with its commercial district between First Street and Fifth Street and its historic district between Seventh Street and Tenth Street. Though originally much smaller, Georgetown spanned to its present boundaries from East Second Street to Celery Avenue and from Sanford Avenue to Mellonville Avenue. Georgetown thrived at its height from circa 1880 to 1940, particularly in agriculture and transportation.]]> Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Goldsboro is one of the historic African-American communities in Sanford, Florida. On December 1, 1891, William Clark, a storeowner and businessman, organized 19 other black registered voters to incorporate the town of Goldsboro, which was the second African-American city to be incorporated in Florida. Goldsboro's early economy was driven by rail yards, fields, groves, ice houses, and produce houses. A year after its incorporation, Goldsboro opened a school led by Katie Stubbins. Goldsboro's proximity to Sanford prevented it from expanding further west. Instead, the City of Sanford passed a resolution to absorb Goldsboro, despite opposition from the latter town's officials. Nonetheless, the Florida Legislature revoked Goldsboro's incorporation, in order to allow its absorption into Sanford on April 6, 1911. The identity of Goldsboro began to erode as the City of Sanford renamed several of its historical streets. In 2007, Goldsboro was included in plans for Sanford's revitalization efforts. In 2011, the Goldsboro Historical Museum was opened in the town at the site of its original post office.]]> Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.]]> Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.]]> Goldsboro Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Orange County Regional History Center.]]> Sanford Museum.]]> Orange County Regional History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Goldsboro Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
At the time that the photograph was taken in 2011, the house was being occupied by Marva Y. Hawkins. Hawkins lived in Goldsboro her entire life and attended Goldsboro Red School and Crooms High School, where she graduated in 1954. She has worked in various positions, such as for Family Services, as an insurance agent, and as a columnist for The Sanford Herald.]]> Goldsboro Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
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-).]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The latter three children are from Patricia's marriage to William Bigham, Jr. (1952-). William III was born in Rochester, New York, and raised in Wayne County. He began teaching microbiology and anatomy at State University of New York in Brockport in 2013. Both Brandon and Tempestt graduated from North Rose Wolcott High School in Wolcott, New York. At age 19, Brandon attended Shear Ego, a barber school in Rochester. He also founded a barber shop called B. Black's Barber Shop, located on Route 414 in North Rose. As of 2013, Tempestt was attending Elmira College in Elmira, where she was studying nursing. She also joined the U.S. Army and is currently serving, as of 2013.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Black 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-).]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Patricia Black Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios.

With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.]]> Art Legends of Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Sanford Herald in December 1918. The following names are engraved on the pillar: George W. Calhoun and M. W. Lowell, Jr. from the Navy; Frank A. Campbell, Handy Jenkins, Joseph S. Laing, Archie B. Liles, Arthur D. Lossing, Carl Marm, Harry Phillips, Edwin J. Robinson, and James Oscar White from the Army. There are also engravings on all four sides of the base.

On February 23, 1919, the monument was dedicated in present-day Centennial Park, formerly named Central Park. The memorial was presented by Frank L. Miller and received by Judge E. F. Housholder. It is known as the first monument to soldiers of World War I. A feature that is unique for the time period in which it was erected is the inclusion of the names of two African-American men. This inclusion assured the resulting crowd of over 1,500 people in attendance for the ceremony was made up of people from all races. The memorial has since been moved to various locations including: American Legion Post 53, known locally as the "Legion Hut" until its destruction, at 3506 Orlando Drive on February 24, 1985; the new American Legion Post 53 at 2874 South Sanford Avenue in June 1988; and Veterans Memorial Park on November 11, 2006. The monument was rededicated to the people of Seminole County on May 28, 2007.]]> Central Florida Monuments Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Hidden in Plain Sight: A Selection of Central Florida Monuments." RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1930.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination. This trend is made apparent in the total value of principle crops listed by the U.S. Census of Agriculture in 1924. In 1919, principle crops were valued at $186,229 in comparison to drop in value in 1924 to $22,509 for the same identified crops.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Mosquito County, a massive county south of St. Johns County that consisted of much of Central Florida, was established in 1824. In 1845, Mosquito County was renamed Orange County when Florida earned statehood. This new county included present-day Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Volusia counties. Orange County was named so for the area's major fruit crop: oranges. The area was devastated by a freeze during the winter of 1895-1896, which allowed for subsequent land speculators to initiate a land boom in Florida, with Orlando becoming a "boom town." Seminole County separated from Orange on April 25, 1913 and was named for the Seminole tribes that originally inhabited the area. In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Mosquito County, a massive county south of St. Johns County that consisted of much of Central Florida, was established in 1824. In 1845, Mosquito County was renamed Orange County when Florida earned statehood. This new county included present-day Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Volusia counties. Orange County was named so for the area's major fruit crop: oranges. The area was devastated by a freeze during the winter of 1895-1896, which allowed for subsequent land speculators to initiate a land boom in Florida, with Orlando becoming a "boom town." Seminole County separated from Orange on April 25, 1913 and was named for the Seminole tribes that originally inhabited the area. In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Seminole County Collection]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1920.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1925.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1930.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1935.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1940.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1945.]]> U.S. Census of Agriculture 1950.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In the early-1900s, Seminole County was known for its agricultural development and close proximity to shipping lanes. By the 1920s, citizens in Seminole County, particularly in Sanford, soon shifted their interests in making the area a tourist destination.]]> Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.]]> Seminole County Public Schools Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The earliest known occupant of Suite 325 was A. E. Dobbins Shoe Repair in 1924. J. J. Melton worked as an electrician at from this address in 1924. By 1926, Melton moved his new business, Melton Electric Company, to 321 South Sanford Avenue. That same year, Hopkins Shoe Shop was listed at this address. Suite 325 housed Hopkins Grocery & Market in 1947 and Bill Harvey's Home Service Company Radio Sales & Service in 1952.

F. A. Stone, a grocer, was the first known occupant of 327 S. Sanford Ave. in 1924. Stone operated his business from this location from approximately 1924 to 1926. He had previously managed the Palm Leaf Broom Straw Company, located at the corner of South Oak Avenue and West Eighth Street, in 1917.

The earliest known resident of Suite 329 was C. H. Leffler in 1917. Leffler was one of the four men from Sanford who planned an expedition to Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1898. The others included: Dolph Edwards, Charles H. Beck, and Eugene Muller. Leffler only got as far as Seattle, Washington in February, where he decided to open a grocery and supply store. He returned to Sanford in May 1898. By 1947, Lovett's Grocery was occupying this lot, followed by Tip Top Super Market in 1965 and Park & Shop in 1975.

At the time that these photographs were taken in January 2012, 232-327 Sanford Avenue was vacant with no buildings. Sanford Supermarket was occupying at 329 South Sanford Avenue. and Gator Auto Insurance, located at 345 South Sanford Avenue, can also be seen in this photograph.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford Avenue Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
The earliest known occupants of 322 S. Sanford Ave. were two African-American residents: Mack Battle in 1911 and Elvy McClaine in 1917. From approximately 1924 to 1926, Dimitios Cavoura ran his grocery from this location. W. S. Broderick, a local poultry dealer, was the earliest known resident of Suite 322 in 1911. In 1910, Broderick was beaten and robbed of $20 after leaving his business, which was also located on South Sanford Avenue. In 1917, Rivers Brothers was listed at this address. From approximately 1924 to 1926, W. T. Klicker Meats was located here. Klicker, the store's owner, resided at 133 South Sanford Avenue in 1917. Outlet - The Department Store, which originally encompassed Suites 322-326 in 1947, was expanded to include Suite 320 by 1952. In 1965, Sanford Feed Store was located at Suite 320 and Suite 322 was listed as vacant. By 1975, the Friendly Cafe, Fine & Dandy Wig Shop, and Tom & Joe's Variety Store were operating from Suite 320, Suite 322, and Suite 324, respectively. The cafe had previously been located at 309 South Sanford Avenue. At the time that this photograph was taken in January 2012, this lot was used as a parking lot for Diamond Glass Company, Inc. Diamond Glass Co. is a glass installation business based in Alpharetta, Georgia, with a Sanford location at 305 Palmetto Avenue.

The earliest known occupant of Suite 326 was the Beehive Inc. Department Store in 1924, as well as Dr. G. E. Sargeant, an African-American physician, who housed his office in the rear of the building. By 1926, Dave's Store, a department store, was located here. Outlet - The Department Store, which originally encompassed Suites 322-326 in 1947, was expanded to include Suite 320 by 1952. Suite 326 housed Mooney's Appliance Service in 1965 and C & C Liquor Store in 1975. C & C was originally owned by grocer and Italian immigrant Batista Ceresoli and his wife Carolina C. Ceresoli from approximately 1947 to 1965, when the liquor store was located at 312 South Sanford Avenue. Their son, Martin Q. Ceresoli, later owned the liquor store until his death on January 27, 1997. At the time that this photograph was taken in January 2012, this lot was vacant with no building.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford Avenue Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973 reported that the Oviedo's new sanitary sewer system was still on schedule to be built that year. Through a joint effort between a group of developers, engineers, and city officials, the 10-acre site, just south of the city limits and east of Florida State Road 520, should generate enough revenue according to most projections.]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.]]> The Oviedo Outlook]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973.]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Oviedo Outlook.]]> The Seminole Voice and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Oviedo Outlook on August 1, 1973. The article discusses the case of Arthur Lott, who was convicted by a circuit court jury of a lesser charge of resisting arrest without violence for his altercation with police office Arthur Barkley during a routine traffic stop. Lott was acquitted of aggravated assault charges, despite allegations that he pulled a knife on Officer Barkley. Lott was ultimately ordered to pay a $250 fine and received a two-year suspension.]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.]]> The Oviedo Outlook]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Oviedo Outlook.]]> The Seminole Voice and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Oviedo Outlook on August 1, 1973. This article details a number of thefts that were reported to the Oviedo City Police Department in August of 1973. These thefts included cigarettes, a mower, and a $1,200 construction theft.]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection on Dan Beistel.]]> The Oviedo Outlook]]> The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Oviedo Outlook.]]> The Seminole Voice and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> 00:00:31 RECORDING CUTS OFF
00:00:32 Introduction
00:01:16 Education
00:02:45 Growing up in Goldsboro
00:04:40 Wright family
00:07:00 The community's role in Wright's upbringing
00:07:50 J. R. White
00:11:20 Crooms High School and segregation
00:15:46 Teachers and teaching black history
00:16:29 Comparing Crooms to high school in Lakeland
00:18:24 Working while in school
00:22:49 Decline of Sanford Avenue's commercial district
00:25:27 Comparing Goldsboro to the white part of Downtown Sanford
00:26:51 Interaction between Goldsboro and Georgetown
00:29:47 Crooms High School
00:31:48 Volusia County Community College
00:33:35 Integration
00:36:55 Comparing communities in Daytona, St. Petersburg, and Boca Raton
00:41:23 Florida Atlantic University
00:48:14 Interactions with Cubans, Hispanics, and whites in Boca Raton
00:55:13 Atlanta University
00:59:11 Miami and its poetry scene
01:01:11 Comparing Miami and Atlanta
01:02:02 Experience in Indiana, Pennsylvania
01:13:35 Teaching at Crooms High School
01:20:09 Teaching high school and teaching community college
01:22:24 How Sanford changed over time
01:24:59 Race relations in Sanford
01:27:03 How Goldsboro changed over time
01:29:11 Naval Air Station Sanford
01:31:37 Vietnam War
01:36:24 Sanford during the 1980s, the 1990s, and today
01:47:57 How students changed over time
01:53:10 Sanford's aging population
01:57:20 Closing remarks]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Goldsboro Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> QuickTime.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> 0:00:32 Growing up in Sanford
0:01:36 Richard Wright's depictions of the South
0:03:09 First time being called "nigger"
0:03:48 Education
0:04:15 Comparing Georgetown and Midway
0:11:56 Growing up in Georgetown and attending Crooms High School
0:15:31 Desegregation at Seminole High School
0:20:02 Interaction with white people in the business district
0:26:38 Working at a drug store
0:30:54 Seeing The Great White Hope at the Ritz Theatre
0:32:00 Seminole County Public Schools
0:34:51 White teachers' reactions to having black students
0:37:44 Ku Klux Klan riots
0:38:59 Experience at Fisk University in Nashville
0:41:25 Majoring in English and dream of being the first female sports columnist
0:42:37 Interacting with communities in Nashville and student protests
0:45:30 Moving back to Sanford and then to Winter Park
0:46:50 Influence of her parents on her life and the community
0:54:51 How Sanford changed oved time
1:00:17 Teaching at Seminole County College
1:00:24 RECORDING CUTS OFF
1:00:24 White teacher barred from teaching ballet to African-American children
1:02:08 Returning to Sanford and employment after college in the 1970s
1:07:21 Experience as teacher and later as dean at SCC
1:13:58 Experience teaching right after college and being called "nigger" by a student at Lake Howell High School
1:19:20 How Refoe distanced herself from Sanford
1:21:03 Disintegration of sense of community due to integration
1:23:02 Need for preserving past
01:23:37 Annye's definition of Sanford while growing up and in the present
1:27:56 Annye's gratitude for being a teacher
1:30:10 How people connect to Sanford
1:33:50 Sanford and other small towns losing their history]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> QuickTime.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.

Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.]]> 0:00:23 Growing up in Sanford
0:01:12 Interaction between black and white community
0:02:12 Layout of Georgetown
0:03:25 Sanford Avenue
0:12:04 East Sixth Street
0:13:00 Locust Avenue
0:14:37 Hickory Avenue
0:15:06 Goose Hollow
0:34:42 Marie Jones Francis and Carrie Jones
0:16:45 Students trained by Francis
0:19:15 Memories of her mother and her childhood
0:26:56 Experience as a teacher
0:30:01 African-American businesses and people in Georgetown
0:39:53 Parents
0:47:52 Age and mental retention
00:51:26 Education, employment, and siblings
0:53:38 Childhood neighborhood
0:57:31 Reflections on life
0:59:53 Growing up in Sarasota
1:02:46 How children have changed over time
1:04:26 Friends and family
1:11:24 Working at a health food store
1:12:18 Former students
1:15:11 Importance of being polite and respectful
1:16:16 Importance of reading
1:18:08 Daily plans and the RICHES project
1:19:39 Goldsboro
1:23:58 Childhood neighborhood
1:29:40 Closing remarks]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> QuickTime.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> The Sanford Herald.]]> 00:00:57 Hawkins family
00:02:15 Thirteenth Street
00:03:24 Celery industry
00:04:10 Hawkins' Meat Market
00:04:37 Hawkins family
00:06:22 Goldsboro community activities and schools
00:08:14 Migrant labor
00:09:40 African-American policemen in Goldsboro
00:10:25 Thirteenth Street
00:17:27 Closing down of businesses
00:18:14 Churches and businesses in Goldsboro
00:19:12 Growing up in Goldsboro
00:21:37 How children and families have changed over time
00:22:13 Social organizations
00:23:32 Crooms High School
00:23:46 RECORDING CUTS OFF
00:23:48 Crooms High School
00:28:42 Scholarships
00:30:23 Education and career
00:32:19 Relations with communities outside of Goldsboro
00:36:27 How Sanford has changed over time
00:39:08 How the community work ethic has changed over time
00:39:37 Interaction between Goldsboro and the white community
00:42:01 RECORDING CUTS OFF
00:42:02 Interaction between Goldsboro and the white community
00:43:26 How Sanford changed during integration and the 1960s
00:47:37 Typical day for Hawkins' Meat Market and present use of building
52:00 Hawkins' brothers and their families
54:15 How Sanford has changed over time
01:01:50 Closing remarks]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Goldsboro Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> QuickTime.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Orlando Evening Star from December 18, 1963. The article discusses the current polluted state of Lake Apopka and various theories about the source of Lake Apopka's problems. The article also mentions possible methods to clean up the lake.]]> The Orlando Evening Star: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> The Orlando Evening Star]]> The Orlando Evening Star, December 18, 1963.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> The Orlando Evening Star.]]> The Orlando Evening Star and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Moody believes the cause is either pesticides or an unknown fish disease.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Scott Carpenter (1925-2013), Wally Schirra (1923-2007), and Gordon Cooper (1927-2004). The other men in the photographed are unidentified.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Prince Butler Boston was the son of a Georgia slave owner, Dr. Alexander Atkinson, who moved to Central Florida in 1885, when he was 14 years old. After the citrus freeze during the 1890s, Atkinson abandoned citrus growing and migrated to Miami, leaving most his land to his son. Boston was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 61 years, beginning in 1886 until his death in 1947. He was ordained as a deacon in the church and also became the superintendent of the Sunday school. Once membership in the church began to grow, he designed a second choir stand and two additional classrooms.]]> Oviedo Historical Society Collection, Oviedo Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>