Tr oO LL, = African American Pioneers Canter Brown, Jr. & Barbara Gray Brown rue pioneers, the first generations of African American families in Tampa and Hillsborough County grappled with imposing challenges of place and time. Dating their presence to the Recon- struction, Civil War, and even antebellum eras, these families contributed a cast of farmers, merchants, educators, doctors, politicians, artisans, and other memorable personages who helped to build one of Florida’s great cities and counties. This pathfinding book recounts the stories of one hundred and seven pioneer African American families. While genea- logical research always challenges histo- rians, this work presented special prob- lems which the authors have surmounted to reveal a past often thought to be be- yond the historical record. Not the dry, repetitive reading dea of genealogy, this text pulses with the drama of human experience: success and tragedy, heroes and scoundrels, builders and wreckers, and the many people who simply gave their best for their families. These compelling histories tear away the gloss of historical oversimplification, re- vealing remarkable complexity and diver- sity. Divorces, desertions, and abandon- ments testify to the truth of human frailty. Still, the common and widespread desire to build a better life for loved ones prevails and resounds clearly across the years. Illustrated with rare photographs, ac- companied by a rich list of sources, and conveniently indexed for quick reference, this book invites you to explore. Come and acquaint yourself with some unsung pio- neers who first made ‘Tampa home. ABOUT THEAUTHORS anter Brown, Jr., is a historian and attorney who presently serves as visiting professor of history at Florida A&M University, Tallahassee. He is the author or coauthor of numerous critically acclaimed works, including Florida’s Black Public Offi- cials, and (with Larry E. Rivers) Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: sa s The Beginnings of the AME Church in Florida, 1865-1895. Brown served from 1996 to 1999 as historian in resi- dence at the Tampa Bay History Cen- ter, during which time he authored Tampa Before the Civil War and Tampa in Civil War and Reconstruction. Lee ms Gray Brown, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, gradu- ated from the University of South Florida. She is coauthor of More Genea- logical Records of the African American Pio- neers of Tampa and Hillsborough County and Supplementary Genealogical Records oft he African American Pioneers ofT ampa and Hillsborough County. tealaeii e l The Tampa Bay History Center is dedicated to cel- ebrating and pre- serving the unique history and heritage of Tampa Bay. The Center serves the community through the preservation of historic artifacts and support for re- search, publication, and exhibitions. FAMILY RECORDS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PIONEERS OF TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER'S Family Records OF THE African American Pioneers OF TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY a LSRQ. LES LA FN Canter Brown, Jr. & Barbara Gray Brown Tampa Bay History Center Reference Library Series No. 13 University of Tampa Press ‘Tampa, Florida 2003 “The Legacy” Copyright © 2002 by James E. Tokley, Sr. Published here by permission of the author. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003 by The Tampa Bay History Center All Rights Reserved No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Address inquiries to The Tampa Bay History Center, 225 South Franklin Street, Tampa, Florida 33602 Telephone: (813) 228-0097 » www.tampabayhistorycenter.org The Tampa Bay History Center gratefully acknowledges the City of Tampa for its support of this book. This publication has been financed in part with Historical Museums Grants- in-Aid Program assistance provided by the Bureau of Historical Museums, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, Secretary of State Manufactured in the United States of America Printed on acid-free paper First Edition ISBN 1-879852-84-5 The University of Tampa Press 401 West Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, Florida 33606 Browse our catalog at http://utpress.ut.edu Jacket design by Ana Montalvo; book design by Richard Mathews Jacket photo from a portrait of the Andrew Williams family Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Brown, Canter. Family records of the African American pioneers of Tampa and Hillsborough County / Canter Brown, Jr. & Barbara Gray Brown. p. cm. — (Tampa Bay History Center reference library series ; no. 13) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 1-879852-84-5 (acid-free paper) 1. African Americans—Florida—Tampa—Genealogy. 2. African Americans—Florida—Hillsborough County—Genealogy. 3. African American pioneers—F lorida—Tampa—Genealogy. 4. African American pioneers—Florida—Hillsborough County—Genealogy. 5. Registers of births, etc.—Florida—Tampa. 6. Registers of births, etc.—Florida—Hillsborough County. 7. Tampa (Fla.)—Genealogy. 8. Hillsborough County (Fla.)—Genealogy. I. Brown, Barbara Gray, 1952- II. Title. III. Series. F319.T2 B757 2003 929'.2’08996073—de2 1 2002154243 | This book is dedicated to the memory of JFanett Martin in recognition of her unselfish devotion to the City of Tampa and her support for the Tampa Bay History Center