Last week, I touched on the similarities and differences between Central Florida’s African American communities. Doing so will help form and contribute to more comprehensive narratives of their histories. As history is a measure of change over time, I plan to continue investigating threads of development in these communities while documenting aspects of their local histories. One significant thread of development was the expansion of spaces for Black communities. Through their development, these spaces reflect the history of their communities.
In the interest of applying my internship experience collecting local history toward institutional knowledge at the Sanford Museum, I took a research foray into the juke joints of Sanford. Newspaper records for the Sanford Herald are available on physical microfilm at the Sanford Museum and digital microfilm on RICHES—however, not word-searchable. (A project for later.) Given that a juke joints’ location was often limited to local knowledge, I contacted two of the best sources of local knowledge I know: Ms. Amanda Alexander and Ms. Bea Martin—two former staff members at the Sanford Museum and long-time Goldsboro residents.
Together, they identified several juke joints by providing me with names and approximate locations. These include the 2 Spot on State Road 46 in Midway—an African American community with agricultural roots, primarily in the celery industry. Goldsboro establishments include the Do Duck Inn, the Hole in the Wall, and the Deluxe Bar. The closest equivalent Sanford has to a Chitlin’ Circuit site is likely the Deluxe Bar. Ms. Alexander remembers it as the site where several big musicians performed, while Ms. Martin specifically remembers both B.B. King and Lloyd Price performing there.
To fully document these sites, further support the oral record, and begin mapping their locations, I next sought to identify their addresses using Polk City Directories. Selecting at random, I found the addresses for the Goldsboro sites in the 1961 directory. In the future, a more thorough examination of the directories can establish a “years active” timeline, but for now, these addresses provide mapping points for our geographic data visualization of both juke joints and Chitlin’ Circuit sites.
Deluxe Inn—located at 1921 Southwest Road with Mrs. Osceola Morgan as manager
Hole in the Wall—1229 West 13th Street with William Jones as manager
Do Duck Inn—901 West 13th Street, owned by John A. Hall
The last address comes from an interesting source, and one which reflects the development of Central Florida’s African American communities. When first identifying the sites, Brigitte—curator at the Sanford Museum—mentioned seeing the name when doing research about Willie Sutton, Sanford’s first Black police officer. The Sanford Police Benevolence Association published an annual yearbook with photographs of department staff and activities alongside advertisements from local businesses. The program continues, showing pictures of departments for nearby Seminole County communities and pictures of their business districts. There are pictures of the Police Wives Auxiliary Club, alongside poorly censored, graphic photographs on car accidents as a reminder to obey traffic laws. On the very last page of these programs is Willie Sutton—the lone portrait alongside photographs from Goldsboro and of the Starke Professional Building in Georgetown. Even in the yearbook, Mr. Sutton, black owned businesses, and scenes of black life are regulated to the back.
Looking at a different aspect of the yearbook reveals significant evidence of a trend of development among these communities. In 1958, there are only a few ads. However, over the years, the ad sections for black owned businesses expand, eventually spanning two pages. Most of the addresses are located on 13th Street (Goldsboro) and Sanford Avenue (Georgetown). These coincide with the business districts of those communities, evidencing a growing black middle and upper class.
Notable features include Dr. George Starke—a highly accomplished doctor beloved by those who knew him for his generosity within his community, both black and white. Another is Wilson Eichelberger Ambulance; Wilson Eichelberger Mortuary is a Sanford mainstay with Eunice Wilson known as a longtime resident of Georgetown. It continues operating as a funeral home today. Following the murder of Harry T. Moore on Christmas 1951, Burton Funeral Home held his body in wake before a service and burial were arranged in Mims. Mr. Moore was brought to Sanford following the bombing of his home as Fernald-Laughton Hospital, where Dr. Starke practiced, was the closest medical care facility available to black people.
Another notable aspect? An ad for "Merritt's Bar," a bar and package store in Altamonte Springs—likely one of Condor Merritt’s.
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