Florida Slave Narratives: Maxwell, William Henry (Federal Writers' Project 1936-1938, page 218)
"Up from Slavery" might well be called this short biographical sketch of Henry Maxwell, who first saw the light of day on October 12, 1858*, in Lowndes County, GA. His mother Ann Doe*, was born in Virginia, and his father, Robert, was born in South Carolina. Captain Peters, Ann's owner, bought Robert Maxwell from Charles Howell as a husband for Ann. To this union were born seven children, two girls-Elizabeth and Rosetta and five boys-Richard, Henry, Simms, Solomon and Sonnie. After the death of Captain Peters in 1863, Elizabeth and Richard were sold to the Gaines family. Rosetta and Robert (the father) were purchased from the Peters' estate by Isham Peters, Captain Peters' son, and Henry and Simms were bought by James Bamburg, husband of Izzy Peters, daughter of Captain Peters. (Solomon and Sonnie were born after slavery.)
Just a tot when the Civil War gave him and his people freedom, Maxwell's memories of bondage-days are vivid through the experiences related by older Negroes. He relates the story of the plantation owner who trained his dogs to hunt escaped slaves. He had a Negro youth hide in a tree some distance away, and then he turned the pack loose to follow him. One day he released the bloodhounds too soon, and they soon overtook the boy and tore him to pieces. When the youth's mother heard of the atrocity, she burst into tears which were only silenced by the threats of her owner to set the dogs on her. Maxwell also relates tales of the terrible beatings that the slaves received for being caught with a book or for trying to run away.
After the Civil War, the Maxwell family was united for a short while, and later they drifted apart to go their various ways. Henry and his parents resided for a while longer in Lowndes County, and in 1880 they came to Titusville, FL, with the two younger children, Solomon and Sonnie. Here Henry secured work with a farmer for whom he worked for $12 a month.
In 1894, he purchased a small orange grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1936, he owned over 30 acres of orange groves and controlled nearly 200 more acres. He was said to be worth around $250,000. William Henry Maxwell was Titusville's most influential and respected colored citizen.
In 1900, he married Matilda Irvin Maxwell. They did not have children of their own, but adopted and raised several children, including Mrs. Louise Jones Davis, the daughter of his first cousin, Dixie Jones; Willie Baskin Maxwell, Henry Baskin Maxwell, Luada Wade, Willie Milton, and a boy named Tyler.
SOURCE:
EXCERPT FROM "HENRY MAXWELL", PAGE 218, TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; VOLUME III FLORIDA NARRATIVES PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITER'S PROJECT OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
*Date of birth corrected from October 17, 1859, to October 12, 1858, based on information obtained from William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651. The last name, Doe, added to Ann (mother), was also based on William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651.
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Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950.
Sold As Slave In 1862,
He Came Here In 1880
HENRY MAXWELL, PIONEER NEGRO resident of Titusville, FL, contributed the following article for the Star-Advocate over 50 years ago. He tells particularly of how the black section was established and how it grew:
"I landed in Titusville on the twenty-third day of October, 1880. At that time there were thirteen black people here, the greater part of them children. Some of the older ones who are partly responsible for the conduct of the black people here and who owned their own homes at that time were: Andrew Gibson, Dick Wright, Noel Gibson, Betsy Thomas. These people had families."
"Andrew Gibson was jailor at that time and fed the prisoners from his little home where he prepared it. He lived in a 12 by 20 building of rough boards sawed at a little saw mill that sat just south of the foot of Walker bridge and which was owned by John Einig. Andrew Gibson was a handy man at that time and worked as the supervisor of the only public road in Brevard County. He was a trustee, and the white people knew it. He had these two public offices at the same time and the county turned the first poor over to him. This man's name was Stone."
"Andrew took him and nursed him for the county. There was very little growth in the black community until 1886. After the completion of the J.T. and K.W. Railroad, there were many who worked on the road and made their homes here. Among them was a man by the name of Louis Ufollow."
"He and Andrew Gibson started the first black church in that year in a little 12 by 12 upright shack owned by Andrew Gibson. In a very short time after they began their services, they found that the house was too small. Andrew, who knew everybody, went to Tom Smith, who had a larger house, but not as large as his heart. He opened the doors to them."
"IN A VERY SHORT TIME, Lewis Ufollow went to Mrs. M. E. Titus to make arrangements to get a lot for a church. Mrs. Titus, with her big heart, named William Gibson, Isaiah Gory and Lewis Ufollow as trustees and gave a lot for a school and a church. From that day on, the white people took more interest in blacks and then their little settlement grew."
"Among those who were benefactors of the blacks who I can't fail to mention is the late Col. Robbins. He saw that there were people here living in tents who could clear land for groves and truck farming, but had no place to live. He at once built a house for them 125 feet long. In 1886, the only black home north of South Street was where the section house is located, and it was then owned by Dick Wright, a black man who was well thought of and mail carrier at that time. The route was from Titusville to Eau Gallie. I can recall many times making the trip with him. That was before Dr. A.A. Stewart, our then clerk of the circuit court, moved here. I met him with Dick Wright many times on Dick's boat called the Dolphin."
"The name, Colored Town, came about in this way: Mr. E.L. Brady moved his store from LaGrange, which was on the corner of Mr. Ives' lot at that time. He did not move the building, but being a good business man, he moved his business. As soon as Mr. E.L.'s business was established, he found use for a new thing in Titusville: a delivery wagon was put on. When goods were to be sent to the black people, he would say 'this goes to Andrew Gibson or George Ellen Wood or Andrew Gibson as the case may be. But soon Titusville's black section grew to where Mr. Brady, nor his clerk, could name them so easily. Then Mr. Brady would put the black people's goods in certain baskets and would say to his delivery man. 'This load goes out in Colored town. And it has been called Colored town ever since."
"A GREAT MANY BLACKS bought homes here in the eighties and nineties, but as there was not enough employment, they would go south to get work, which caused the black people to be slow about building nice homes. Mr. Brady and others turned their attention to Turnbull Hammock. This put a spirit in the blacks to own nice home, and believe that 95 per cent of them are paid for. And today those who have homes say that there is no place so near self-sustaining that they know of, as this section."
"Many of the old timers who help to build up this part of Titusville, have left us; but there are a few of the older people still living. Some of them may read this who do not live here now. I will mention a few of them: Andrew and his wife Myrtle Gibson, Ellis Cobbs, Bettie Edmonson, Ella Foster, Haywood Boumny, very aged; William Harris and Will Gibson. The writer has only mentioned the oldest settlers and not all who own homes. He also lives in Titusville, owns his home, but he is not very old. I was sold as a slave in 1862. (I) came to Titusville, FL, in the year 1880, and believe that accounts for my youthful feelings."
William Henry Maxwell (October 12, 1858; November 25, 1952 source findagrave.com)
Per Orlando Star, 26 January 1941, page 11). Mr. Maxwell was 82 years old and had spent 60 years in Titusville area by the time Ewart Henry wrote the article about him in the Orlando Evening Star entitled "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities."; It says that & he achieved recognition as a citrus expert; an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has added materially in the solution of some of its pressing cultural problems, and who by his quiet modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the people that know him. One article said he lived in Mims, Florida.
Continuing the article states that in 1886, he was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer. He and his business survived the big freeze of 1895. He participated in a study on the yellow fungus and on the white fly with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station. He owned between thirty and forty acres of citrus. These were planted with Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and valencias and some parson brown oranges. He used the McFarland Land Tents on his grove in 1900 (Florida Star, Titusville). He also owned a half share in the B. H. W. Groves and was employed as a production superintendent by several other grove owners (including the Goodall Grove). He contributed produce to local fairs and exhibitions to further the reputation of Florida's citrus. His longevity in the citrus business allowed him to share his experience with others in the area.
He lived on Dummit Street in Titusville. He was seven years old when his family received freedom from slavery in 1865. His family moved to Titusville in 1880 five years before the Atlantic, St. John's and Indian River Railroad would reach the area and twelve years before the Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad would reach Titusville (1892). He was one of the early settlers of the Titusville area; in 1890 the population of Titusville was 746 people. In 1894, at the age of 44, he purchased his first grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1900, he married Matilda Irwin Maxwell. Henry Maxwell passed away in 1952 at the age of 94.
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Henry, Ewart. "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities" The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, page 11. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54532884/orlando-evening-star/
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORLANDO EVENING STAR, 26 JAN 1941, PAGE 11.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JANUARY 26, 1941 -- Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim For Culture Abilities by EWART HENRY Our Own Staff Correspondent
TITUSVILLE -- If William Henry Maxwell, pioneer negro citrus grower, merely owned and successfully operated 30 acre of citrus grove, his position In the Industry still would be without precedent, at least In this rich section of the Indian River citrus belt, where few members of his race ever rise above the rank of grove laborer or picker. But, during his 60-odd years' residence In and about Titusville, the 82-year-old Maxwell has achieved recognition as a citrus expert an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has aided materially In the solution of some of Its pressing cultural problems, and who, by his quiet, modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the citrus leaders who know him.
BORN IN SLAVERY
Henry Maxwell was born In slavery, near Valdosta, GA, in 1859, and remembers being sold as a slave. Before he was 21, he decided to become a school teacher, and secured a first grade certificate a distinction he says he acquired by answering satisfactorily these questions: "Have you a horse, saddle and bridle, and can you ride the horse?" He taught school for a year, then decided to come to Florida, arriving at Titusville, then Sand Point, somewhere around his 21st birthday. Citrus, of course, had just begun to claim the attention of a few scattered pioneers, but the ambitious young colored man as able to obtain employment at what he now calls very low wages, and two years later, brought an almost infinitesimal parcel of land and planted the first orange trees of his own. At that time Maxwell set for himself a goal of expansion of one acre of grove a year based upon the aspirations of his white contemporaries most of whom he says never expected to plant more than 40 acres. While slowly building his own grove, he continued to work for others in the expanding industry familiarizing himself with every phase of production and shipping methods. Fruit was hauled, he recalls, more than thirty miles by boat packers, made their own crate hoops from palmetto leaf stems and hickory branches oranges brought from $15 to $20 a thousand fruit in the grove and the grower got his money promptly without questions asked.
FIRST FERTILIZATION
In 1866, against the almost vehemently offered advice of his white friends, Maxwell decided to use commercial fertilizer on his trees and thereby acquired the distinction of being in the section to use it. His fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by E. O. Painter Co. of Deland (FL) arrived on the first train to reach Titusville over the old Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway. In the bleak days immediately following the 1895 freeze, Maxwell found that he had three or four orange trees with enough life left in them to provide budwood but other desperate growers learned about them, too, and took some of them. Maxwell says, laughingly, did not always take the trouble to come to his house on their way to his precious source of new life for their devastated trees. The yellow fungus mortal enemy of the whitefly which now makes possible the certain control of this pest was discovered in one of Henry Maxwell;s groves. Cooperating with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville experiment station. Maxwell made a close study of the effects of the fungus and modestly asked the experts if they had found that the whitefly carried its enemy with it. Some weeks later after further observation, the scientist informed him that they had found this to be the case. For some time, thereafter, Maxwell continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying fungus from his grove. He still contends that the yellow fungus is more efficacious against the whitefly than either of the subsequently discovered red and brown fungi but points out that it is harder to propagate and transplant than the other species.
OWNS 40 ACRES
Today, Henry Maxwell owns outright between 30 and 40 acres of citrus Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and some Valencias and Parson Browns. He owns, besides, half interest in the 40-acre B. H. W. Groves, has extensive real estate holdings in both North and Central Brevard County, and is employed as production superintendent by several other grove owners who recognize the soundness of his citricultural ideas and practices. Despite his four score years and more, the veteran citrus expect is constantly on the job. He doesn't take even a brief siesta after lunch, and he drives his own service truck from grove to grove. Maxwell makes no secret of his conviction that the citrus industry is over regulated, and that the small grower is doomed. Too many men, he says, produce citrus for reasons other than to make a living, and when these have succeeded in regulating the small grower out of existence, then, of course, they will run the industry entirely to suit themselves, as they do now to a great extent.
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WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL NOMINATION TO THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME
September 28, 2020
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
2506 Gardens Pkwy
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410
Subject: Nomination of William Henry Maxwell to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
Attn: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Nomination Committee
As one of a few surviving family members and the adopted great-grandson of Mr. William Henry Maxwell, I am honored to fully support and put forward his name in nomination to the prestigious Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I have become familiar with Mr. Maxwell's accomplishments and his major activities in the Citrus Industry and I understand that the following activities were checked regarding his major activities: Pioneering; Research; Marketing, Fresh Fruit; and Other. The categories that I wanted to address in this letter are Pioneering, Research, Fresh Fruit, Other/Community and Other/Family.
Pioneering: It is remarkable that Mr. Maxwell, not only survived, but thrived after the abolishment of slavery. Mr. Maxwell arrived in Titusville, FL, on October 23, 1880. He obtained employment working in citrus groves, bought a small parcel of land and planted his first orange trees with a plan to expand his groves by one-acre per year. Mr. Maxwell and early citrus grove owners participated in an experiment to determine which citrus varieties would do well in this location. He was interviewed by a local newspaper (Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950), where he detailed the genesis of the black community and the early residents. I had the good fortune to discover many news articles related to Mr. Maxwell and have presented the historical accounts about him and other early black pioneers of Titusville, FL, to various groups. I have also had the pleasure to interview community elders who shared fond memories of his citrus groves, his various financial contributions, and his community support. The news articles that Roz Foster of Titusville, FL, and Leo Griffin of Seattle, WA, have graciously provided to me thoroughly documented Mr. Maxwell's involvement in t'he citrus industry and his community at large. I really appreciated Mr. Griffin's efforts. He provided me with the landmark news article (Henry, Ewart's "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities." The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, pg. 11) that documented Mr. Maxwell's major contributions to the citrus industry.
Research: In 1886, Maxwell was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by the H.O. Painter Company of Deland that was transported to Titusville by train on the Jacksonville, Tampa, Key West Railway, according to the Orlando Evening Star article. The article stated that Mr. Maxwell discovered yellow fungus growing in one of his groves and in cooperation with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station, made a close study of the effects of yellow fungus to control the whitefly. He continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying yellow fungus from his grove for research. [Vol. 20 (1907): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society published 12/15/1907, Control of the White Fly by Natural Means, pg. 76] Mr. Maxwell was also one of the first to use McFarland Fruit Protection Tents that were manufactured in Titusville in 1900 to protect his trees from frost. His groves survived the freezes of 1894, 1895, 1899 and 1917. While slowly building his own groves, Mr. Maxwell continued working for others, familiarizing himself with every phase of citrus production and shipping methods.
Fresh Fruit: The Florida Star newspaper lauded Mr. Maxwell for his fruit and vegetable contributions to the local editor. He cited Mr. Maxwell's participation in Brevard County's Goodall Citrus Exhibit at the Florida Exposition Fair in February 1909. Based on my interviews with local elders, he would invite local youth to enjoy the strawberries he grew in the area, including those he grew in the backyard of his home. Mr. Maxwell was recognized for shipping a large bearing orange tree to the McFarland Fruit Protection Company in Jacksonville, FL, where it was planted in front of the company's office.
Other/Community: Mr. Maxwell was a pillar of his community as well as a successful businessman in the citrus industry. He had extensive land ownership. Mr. Maxwell sold numerous property plats to homeowners of his community and specifically to prominent family members of Andrew Jackson Gibson, one of the first black pioneers of Titusville, FL. He also financially helped many families during the Great Depression in the Titusville area. In 1953, Public Housing was established with over 130 units to serve the black community. His namesake, (William) Henry Maxwell Homes, was recognized and placed on the dedication plaque by the Housing Authority of the City of Titusville, Florida, with the Assistance of Housing and Home Finance Agency under the President Harry S. Truman Administration. Mr. Maxwell was a strong supporter of his faith and contributor to the former Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall that was located across the street from his residence on Dummitt Avenue in Titusville, Florida.
Other/Family: Mr. Maxwell was interviewed in “The Florida Slave Narratives (Federal Writers' Project, Works Project Admin. 1936-38, pg. 218) that documented his life as a former slave and other early black settlers. He described his early life and his arrival in Titusville, Florida, in 1880.
Mr. Maxwell and his wife Matilda adopted my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louise Jones Teal Davis, along with her adopted brothers, William, and Henry Maxwell during the early 1900's. I continue to discover new aspects of my family's genealogy and knowledge about my great-grandfather and other family members. Although my grandmother rarely shared aspects of her life growing up as Mr. Maxwell's adopted daughter, she would, from time-to-time, provide me some interesting stories about him. My grandmother shared information with me about his orange groves, his land holdings, and his wealth. Many historical records have revealed that Mr. Maxwell excelled in life after gaining his freedom from slavery. During his lifetime and residency in Titusville, FL, Mr. Maxwell achieved recognition as an outstanding citrus industry expert and as an early black pioneer who contributed to the development and growth of the citrus industry and his local community.
Thank you for this opportunity to share some of the history of my great-grandfather and his contributions to Florida's citrus industry.
Sincerely,
Kirk A. Davis,
Adopted Great-Grandson of William H. Maxwell
P.O. Box 1108
Titusville, Florida 32781
Mobile Phone: 321-795-6305
email: [email protected]
Attachments
"Up from Slavery" might well be called this short biographical sketch of Henry Maxwell, who first saw the light of day on October 12, 1858*, in Lowndes County, GA. His mother Ann Doe*, was born in Virginia, and his father, Robert, was born in South Carolina. Captain Peters, Ann's owner, bought Robert Maxwell from Charles Howell as a husband for Ann. To this union were born seven children, two girls-Elizabeth and Rosetta and five boys-Richard, Henry, Simms, Solomon and Sonnie. After the death of Captain Peters in 1863, Elizabeth and Richard were sold to the Gaines family. Rosetta and Robert (the father) were purchased from the Peters' estate by Isham Peters, Captain Peters' son, and Henry and Simms were bought by James Bamburg, husband of Izzy Peters, daughter of Captain Peters. (Solomon and Sonnie were born after slavery.)
Just a tot when the Civil War gave him and his people freedom, Maxwell's memories of bondage-days are vivid through the experiences related by older Negroes. He relates the story of the plantation owner who trained his dogs to hunt escaped slaves. He had a Negro youth hide in a tree some distance away, and then he turned the pack loose to follow him. One day he released the bloodhounds too soon, and they soon overtook the boy and tore him to pieces. When the youth's mother heard of the atrocity, she burst into tears which were only silenced by the threats of her owner to set the dogs on her. Maxwell also relates tales of the terrible beatings that the slaves received for being caught with a book or for trying to run away.
After the Civil War, the Maxwell family was united for a short while, and later they drifted apart to go their various ways. Henry and his parents resided for a while longer in Lowndes County, and in 1880 they came to Titusville, FL, with the two younger children, Solomon and Sonnie. Here Henry secured work with a farmer for whom he worked for $12 a month.
In 1894, he purchased a small orange grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1936, he owned over 30 acres of orange groves and controlled nearly 200 more acres. He was said to be worth around $250,000. William Henry Maxwell was Titusville's most influential and respected colored citizen.
In 1900, he married Matilda Irvin Maxwell. They did not have children of their own, but adopted and raised several children, including Mrs. Louise Jones Davis, the daughter of his first cousin, Dixie Jones; Willie Baskin Maxwell, Henry Baskin Maxwell, Luada Wade, Willie Milton, and a boy named Tyler.
SOURCE:
EXCERPT FROM "HENRY MAXWELL", PAGE 218, TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; VOLUME III FLORIDA NARRATIVES PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITER'S PROJECT OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
*Date of birth corrected from October 17, 1859, to October 12, 1858, based on information obtained from William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651. The last name, Doe, added to Ann (mother), was also based on William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651.
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Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950.
Sold As Slave In 1862,
He Came Here In 1880
HENRY MAXWELL, PIONEER NEGRO resident of Titusville, FL, contributed the following article for the Star-Advocate over 50 years ago. He tells particularly of how the black section was established and how it grew:
"I landed in Titusville on the twenty-third day of October, 1880. At that time there were thirteen black people here, the greater part of them children. Some of the older ones who are partly responsible for the conduct of the black people here and who owned their own homes at that time were: Andrew Gibson, Dick Wright, Noel Gibson, Betsy Thomas. These people had families."
"Andrew Gibson was jailor at that time and fed the prisoners from his little home where he prepared it. He lived in a 12 by 20 building of rough boards sawed at a little saw mill that sat just south of the foot of Walker bridge and which was owned by John Einig. Andrew Gibson was a handy man at that time and worked as the supervisor of the only public road in Brevard County. He was a trustee, and the white people knew it. He had these two public offices at the same time and the county turned the first poor over to him. This man's name was Stone."
"Andrew took him and nursed him for the county. There was very little growth in the black community until 1886. After the completion of the J.T. and K.W. Railroad, there were many who worked on the road and made their homes here. Among them was a man by the name of Louis Ufollow."
"He and Andrew Gibson started the first black church in that year in a little 12 by 12 upright shack owned by Andrew Gibson. In a very short time after they began their services, they found that the house was too small. Andrew, who knew everybody, went to Tom Smith, who had a larger house, but not as large as his heart. He opened the doors to them."
"IN A VERY SHORT TIME, Lewis Ufollow went to Mrs. M. E. Titus to make arrangements to get a lot for a church. Mrs. Titus, with her big heart, named William Gibson, Isaiah Gory and Lewis Ufollow as trustees and gave a lot for a school and a church. From that day on, the white people took more interest in blacks and then their little settlement grew."
"Among those who were benefactors of the blacks who I can't fail to mention is the late Col. Robbins. He saw that there were people here living in tents who could clear land for groves and truck farming, but had no place to live. He at once built a house for them 125 feet long. In 1886, the only black home north of South Street was where the section house is located, and it was then owned by Dick Wright, a black man who was well thought of and mail carrier at that time. The route was from Titusville to Eau Gallie. I can recall many times making the trip with him. That was before Dr. A.A. Stewart, our then clerk of the circuit court, moved here. I met him with Dick Wright many times on Dick's boat called the Dolphin."
"The name, Colored Town, came about in this way: Mr. E.L. Brady moved his store from LaGrange, which was on the corner of Mr. Ives' lot at that time. He did not move the building, but being a good business man, he moved his business. As soon as Mr. E.L.'s business was established, he found use for a new thing in Titusville: a delivery wagon was put on. When goods were to be sent to the black people, he would say 'this goes to Andrew Gibson or George Ellen Wood or Andrew Gibson as the case may be. But soon Titusville's black section grew to where Mr. Brady, nor his clerk, could name them so easily. Then Mr. Brady would put the black people's goods in certain baskets and would say to his delivery man. 'This load goes out in Colored town. And it has been called Colored town ever since."
"A GREAT MANY BLACKS bought homes here in the eighties and nineties, but as there was not enough employment, they would go south to get work, which caused the black people to be slow about building nice homes. Mr. Brady and others turned their attention to Turnbull Hammock. This put a spirit in the blacks to own nice home, and believe that 95 per cent of them are paid for. And today those who have homes say that there is no place so near self-sustaining that they know of, as this section."
"Many of the old timers who help to build up this part of Titusville, have left us; but there are a few of the older people still living. Some of them may read this who do not live here now. I will mention a few of them: Andrew and his wife Myrtle Gibson, Ellis Cobbs, Bettie Edmonson, Ella Foster, Haywood Boumny, very aged; William Harris and Will Gibson. The writer has only mentioned the oldest settlers and not all who own homes. He also lives in Titusville, owns his home, but he is not very old. I was sold as a slave in 1862. (I) came to Titusville, FL, in the year 1880, and believe that accounts for my youthful feelings."
William Henry Maxwell (October 12, 1858; November 25, 1952 source findagrave.com)
Per Orlando Star, 26 January 1941, page 11). Mr. Maxwell was 82 years old and had spent 60 years in Titusville area by the time Ewart Henry wrote the article about him in the Orlando Evening Star entitled "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities."; It says that & he achieved recognition as a citrus expert; an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has added materially in the solution of some of its pressing cultural problems, and who by his quiet modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the people that know him. One article said he lived in Mims, Florida.
Continuing the article states that in 1886, he was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer. He and his business survived the big freeze of 1895. He participated in a study on the yellow fungus and on the white fly with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station. He owned between thirty and forty acres of citrus. These were planted with Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and valencias and some parson brown oranges. He used the McFarland Land Tents on his grove in 1900 (Florida Star, Titusville). He also owned a half share in the B. H. W. Groves and was employed as a production superintendent by several other grove owners (including the Goodall Grove). He contributed produce to local fairs and exhibitions to further the reputation of Florida's citrus. His longevity in the citrus business allowed him to share his experience with others in the area.
He lived on Dummit Street in Titusville. He was seven years old when his family received freedom from slavery in 1865. His family moved to Titusville in 1880 five years before the Atlantic, St. John's and Indian River Railroad would reach the area and twelve years before the Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad would reach Titusville (1892). He was one of the early settlers of the Titusville area; in 1890 the population of Titusville was 746 people. In 1894, at the age of 44, he purchased his first grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1900, he married Matilda Irwin Maxwell. Henry Maxwell passed away in 1952 at the age of 94.
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Henry, Ewart. "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities" The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, page 11. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54532884/orlando-evening-star/
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORLANDO EVENING STAR, 26 JAN 1941, PAGE 11.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JANUARY 26, 1941 -- Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim For Culture Abilities by EWART HENRY Our Own Staff Correspondent
TITUSVILLE -- If William Henry Maxwell, pioneer negro citrus grower, merely owned and successfully operated 30 acre of citrus grove, his position In the Industry still would be without precedent, at least In this rich section of the Indian River citrus belt, where few members of his race ever rise above the rank of grove laborer or picker. But, during his 60-odd years' residence In and about Titusville, the 82-year-old Maxwell has achieved recognition as a citrus expert an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has aided materially In the solution of some of Its pressing cultural problems, and who, by his quiet, modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the citrus leaders who know him.
BORN IN SLAVERY
Henry Maxwell was born In slavery, near Valdosta, GA, in 1859, and remembers being sold as a slave. Before he was 21, he decided to become a school teacher, and secured a first grade certificate a distinction he says he acquired by answering satisfactorily these questions: "Have you a horse, saddle and bridle, and can you ride the horse?" He taught school for a year, then decided to come to Florida, arriving at Titusville, then Sand Point, somewhere around his 21st birthday. Citrus, of course, had just begun to claim the attention of a few scattered pioneers, but the ambitious young colored man as able to obtain employment at what he now calls very low wages, and two years later, brought an almost infinitesimal parcel of land and planted the first orange trees of his own. At that time Maxwell set for himself a goal of expansion of one acre of grove a year based upon the aspirations of his white contemporaries most of whom he says never expected to plant more than 40 acres. While slowly building his own grove, he continued to work for others in the expanding industry familiarizing himself with every phase of production and shipping methods. Fruit was hauled, he recalls, more than thirty miles by boat packers, made their own crate hoops from palmetto leaf stems and hickory branches oranges brought from $15 to $20 a thousand fruit in the grove and the grower got his money promptly without questions asked.
FIRST FERTILIZATION
In 1866, against the almost vehemently offered advice of his white friends, Maxwell decided to use commercial fertilizer on his trees and thereby acquired the distinction of being in the section to use it. His fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by E. O. Painter Co. of Deland (FL) arrived on the first train to reach Titusville over the old Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway. In the bleak days immediately following the 1895 freeze, Maxwell found that he had three or four orange trees with enough life left in them to provide budwood but other desperate growers learned about them, too, and took some of them. Maxwell says, laughingly, did not always take the trouble to come to his house on their way to his precious source of new life for their devastated trees. The yellow fungus mortal enemy of the whitefly which now makes possible the certain control of this pest was discovered in one of Henry Maxwell;s groves. Cooperating with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville experiment station. Maxwell made a close study of the effects of the fungus and modestly asked the experts if they had found that the whitefly carried its enemy with it. Some weeks later after further observation, the scientist informed him that they had found this to be the case. For some time, thereafter, Maxwell continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying fungus from his grove. He still contends that the yellow fungus is more efficacious against the whitefly than either of the subsequently discovered red and brown fungi but points out that it is harder to propagate and transplant than the other species.
OWNS 40 ACRES
Today, Henry Maxwell owns outright between 30 and 40 acres of citrus Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and some Valencias and Parson Browns. He owns, besides, half interest in the 40-acre B. H. W. Groves, has extensive real estate holdings in both North and Central Brevard County, and is employed as production superintendent by several other grove owners who recognize the soundness of his citricultural ideas and practices. Despite his four score years and more, the veteran citrus expect is constantly on the job. He doesn't take even a brief siesta after lunch, and he drives his own service truck from grove to grove. Maxwell makes no secret of his conviction that the citrus industry is over regulated, and that the small grower is doomed. Too many men, he says, produce citrus for reasons other than to make a living, and when these have succeeded in regulating the small grower out of existence, then, of course, they will run the industry entirely to suit themselves, as they do now to a great extent.
_________________________________________________________
WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL NOMINATION TO THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME
September 28, 2020
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
2506 Gardens Pkwy
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410
Subject: Nomination of William Henry Maxwell to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
Attn: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Nomination Committee
As one of a few surviving family members and the adopted great-grandson of Mr. William Henry Maxwell, I am honored to fully support and put forward his name in nomination to the prestigious Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I have become familiar with Mr. Maxwell's accomplishments and his major activities in the Citrus Industry and I understand that the following activities were checked regarding his major activities: Pioneering; Research; Marketing, Fresh Fruit; and Other. The categories that I wanted to address in this letter are Pioneering, Research, Fresh Fruit, Other/Community and Other/Family.
Pioneering: It is remarkable that Mr. Maxwell, not only survived, but thrived after the abolishment of slavery. Mr. Maxwell arrived in Titusville, FL, on October 23, 1880. He obtained employment working in citrus groves, bought a small parcel of land and planted his first orange trees with a plan to expand his groves by one-acre per year. Mr. Maxwell and early citrus grove owners participated in an experiment to determine which citrus varieties would do well in this location. He was interviewed by a local newspaper (Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950), where he detailed the genesis of the black community and the early residents. I had the good fortune to discover many news articles related to Mr. Maxwell and have presented the historical accounts about him and other early black pioneers of Titusville, FL, to various groups. I have also had the pleasure to interview community elders who shared fond memories of his citrus groves, his various financial contributions, and his community support. The news articles that Roz Foster of Titusville, FL, and Leo Griffin of Seattle, WA, have graciously provided to me thoroughly documented Mr. Maxwell's involvement in t'he citrus industry and his community at large. I really appreciated Mr. Griffin's efforts. He provided me with the landmark news article (Henry, Ewart's "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities." The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, pg. 11) that documented Mr. Maxwell's major contributions to the citrus industry.
Research: In 1886, Maxwell was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by the H.O. Painter Company of Deland that was transported to Titusville by train on the Jacksonville, Tampa, Key West Railway, according to the Orlando Evening Star article. The article stated that Mr. Maxwell discovered yellow fungus growing in one of his groves and in cooperation with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station, made a close study of the effects of yellow fungus to control the whitefly. He continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying yellow fungus from his grove for research. [Vol. 20 (1907): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society published 12/15/1907, Control of the White Fly by Natural Means, pg. 76] Mr. Maxwell was also one of the first to use McFarland Fruit Protection Tents that were manufactured in Titusville in 1900 to protect his trees from frost. His groves survived the freezes of 1894, 1895, 1899 and 1917. While slowly building his own groves, Mr. Maxwell continued working for others, familiarizing himself with every phase of citrus production and shipping methods.
Fresh Fruit: The Florida Star newspaper lauded Mr. Maxwell for his fruit and vegetable contributions to the local editor. He cited Mr. Maxwell's participation in Brevard County's Goodall Citrus Exhibit at the Florida Exposition Fair in February 1909. Based on my interviews with local elders, he would invite local youth to enjoy the strawberries he grew in the area, including those he grew in the backyard of his home. Mr. Maxwell was recognized for shipping a large bearing orange tree to the McFarland Fruit Protection Company in Jacksonville, FL, where it was planted in front of the company's office.
Other/Community: Mr. Maxwell was a pillar of his community as well as a successful businessman in the citrus industry. He had extensive land ownership. Mr. Maxwell sold numerous property plats to homeowners of his community and specifically to prominent family members of Andrew Jackson Gibson, one of the first black pioneers of Titusville, FL. He also financially helped many families during the Great Depression in the Titusville area. In 1953, Public Housing was established with over 130 units to serve the black community. His namesake, (William) Henry Maxwell Homes, was recognized and placed on the dedication plaque by the Housing Authority of the City of Titusville, Florida, with the Assistance of Housing and Home Finance Agency under the President Harry S. Truman Administration. Mr. Maxwell was a strong supporter of his faith and contributor to the former Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall that was located across the street from his residence on Dummitt Avenue in Titusville, Florida.
Other/Family: Mr. Maxwell was interviewed in “The Florida Slave Narratives (Federal Writers' Project, Works Project Admin. 1936-38, pg. 218) that documented his life as a former slave and other early black settlers. He described his early life and his arrival in Titusville, Florida, in 1880.
Mr. Maxwell and his wife Matilda adopted my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louise Jones Teal Davis, along with her adopted brothers, William, and Henry Maxwell during the early 1900's. I continue to discover new aspects of my family's genealogy and knowledge about my great-grandfather and other family members. Although my grandmother rarely shared aspects of her life growing up as Mr. Maxwell's adopted daughter, she would, from time-to-time, provide me some interesting stories about him. My grandmother shared information with me about his orange groves, his land holdings, and his wealth. Many historical records have revealed that Mr. Maxwell excelled in life after gaining his freedom from slavery. During his lifetime and residency in Titusville, FL, Mr. Maxwell achieved recognition as an outstanding citrus industry expert and as an early black pioneer who contributed to the development and growth of the citrus industry and his local community.
Thank you for this opportunity to share some of the history of my great-grandfather and his contributions to Florida's citrus industry.
Sincerely,
Kirk A. Davis,
Adopted Great-Grandson of William H. Maxwell
P.O. Box 1108
Titusville, Florida 32781
Mobile Phone: 321-795-6305
email: [email protected]
Attachments
Florida Slave Narratives: Maxwell, William Henry (Federal Writers' Project 1936-1938, page 218)
"Up from Slavery" might well be called this short biographical sketch of Henry Maxwell, who first saw the light of day on October 12, 1858*, in Lowndes County, GA. His mother Ann Doe*, was born in Virginia, and his father, Robert, was born in South Carolina. Captain Peters, Ann's owner, bought Robert Maxwell from Charles Howell as a husband for Ann. To this union were born seven children, two girls-Elizabeth and Rosetta and five boys-Richard, Henry, Simms, Solomon and Sonnie. After the death of Captain Peters in 1863, Elizabeth and Richard were sold to the Gaines family. Rosetta and Robert (the father) were purchased from the Peters' estate by Isham Peters, Captain Peters' son, and Henry and Simms were bought by James Bamburg, husband of Izzy Peters, daughter of Captain Peters. (Solomon and Sonnie were born after slavery.)
Just a tot when the Civil War gave him and his people freedom, Maxwell's memories of bondage-days are vivid through the experiences related by older Negroes. He relates the story of the plantation owner who trained his dogs to hunt escaped slaves. He had a Negro youth hide in a tree some distance away, and then he turned the pack loose to follow him. One day he released the bloodhounds too soon, and they soon overtook the boy and tore him to pieces. When the youth's mother heard of the atrocity, she burst into tears which were only silenced by the threats of her owner to set the dogs on her. Maxwell also relates tales of the terrible beatings that the slaves received for being caught with a book or for trying to run away.
After the Civil War, the Maxwell family was united for a short while, and later they drifted apart to go their various ways. Henry and his parents resided for a while longer in Lowndes County, and in 1880 they came to Titusville, FL, with the two younger children, Solomon and Sonnie. Here Henry secured work with a farmer for whom he worked for $12 a month.
In 1894, he purchased a small orange grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1936, he owned over 30 acres of orange groves and controlled nearly 200 more acres. He was said to be worth around $250,000. William Henry Maxwell was Titusville's most influential and respected colored citizen.
In 1900, he married Matilda Irvin Maxwell. They did not have children of their own, but adopted and raised several children, including Mrs. Louise Jones Davis, the daughter of his first cousin, Dixie Jones; Willie Baskin Maxwell, Henry Baskin Maxwell, Luada Wade, Willie Milton, and a boy named Tyler.
SOURCE:
EXCERPT FROM "HENRY MAXWELL", PAGE 218, TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; VOLUME III FLORIDA NARRATIVES PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITER'S PROJECT OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
*Date of birth corrected from October 17, 1859, to October 12, 1858, based on information obtained from William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651. The last name, Doe, added to Ann (mother), was also based on William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651.
_________________________________________________________
Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950.
Sold As Slave In 1862,
He Came Here In 1880
HENRY MAXWELL, PIONEER NEGRO resident of Titusville, FL, contributed the following article for the Star-Advocate over 50 years ago. He tells particularly of how the black section was established and how it grew:
"I landed in Titusville on the twenty-third day of October, 1880. At that time there were thirteen black people here, the greater part of them children. Some of the older ones who are partly responsible for the conduct of the black people here and who owned their own homes at that time were: Andrew Gibson, Dick Wright, Noel Gibson, Betsy Thomas. These people had families."
"Andrew Gibson was jailor at that time and fed the prisoners from his little home where he prepared it. He lived in a 12 by 20 building of rough boards sawed at a little saw mill that sat just south of the foot of Walker bridge and which was owned by John Einig. Andrew Gibson was a handy man at that time and worked as the supervisor of the only public road in Brevard County. He was a trustee, and the white people knew it. He had these two public offices at the same time and the county turned the first poor over to him. This man's name was Stone."
"Andrew took him and nursed him for the county. There was very little growth in the black community until 1886. After the completion of the J.T. and K.W. Railroad, there were many who worked on the road and made their homes here. Among them was a man by the name of Louis Ufollow."
"He and Andrew Gibson started the first black church in that year in a little 12 by 12 upright shack owned by Andrew Gibson. In a very short time after they began their services, they found that the house was too small. Andrew, who knew everybody, went to Tom Smith, who had a larger house, but not as large as his heart. He opened the doors to them."
"IN A VERY SHORT TIME, Lewis Ufollow went to Mrs. M. E. Titus to make arrangements to get a lot for a church. Mrs. Titus, with her big heart, named William Gibson, Isaiah Gory and Lewis Ufollow as trustees and gave a lot for a school and a church. From that day on, the white people took more interest in blacks and then their little settlement grew."
"Among those who were benefactors of the blacks who I can't fail to mention is the late Col. Robbins. He saw that there were people here living in tents who could clear land for groves and truck farming, but had no place to live. He at once built a house for them 125 feet long. In 1886, the only black home north of South Street was where the section house is located, and it was then owned by Dick Wright, a black man who was well thought of and mail carrier at that time. The route was from Titusville to Eau Gallie. I can recall many times making the trip with him. That was before Dr. A.A. Stewart, our then clerk of the circuit court, moved here. I met him with Dick Wright many times on Dick's boat called the Dolphin."
"The name, Colored Town, came about in this way: Mr. E.L. Brady moved his store from LaGrange, which was on the corner of Mr. Ives' lot at that time. He did not move the building, but being a good business man, he moved his business. As soon as Mr. E.L.'s business was established, he found use for a new thing in Titusville: a delivery wagon was put on. When goods were to be sent to the black people, he would say 'this goes to Andrew Gibson or George Ellen Wood or Andrew Gibson as the case may be. But soon Titusville's black section grew to where Mr. Brady, nor his clerk, could name them so easily. Then Mr. Brady would put the black people's goods in certain baskets and would say to his delivery man. 'This load goes out in Colored town. And it has been called Colored town ever since."
"A GREAT MANY BLACKS bought homes here in the eighties and nineties, but as there was not enough employment, they would go south to get work, which caused the black people to be slow about building nice homes. Mr. Brady and others turned their attention to Turnbull Hammock. This put a spirit in the blacks to own nice home, and believe that 95 per cent of them are paid for. And today those who have homes say that there is no place so near self-sustaining that they know of, as this section."
"Many of the old timers who help to build up this part of Titusville, have left us; but there are a few of the older people still living. Some of them may read this who do not live here now. I will mention a few of them: Andrew and his wife Myrtle Gibson, Ellis Cobbs, Bettie Edmonson, Ella Foster, Haywood Boumny, very aged; William Harris and Will Gibson. The writer has only mentioned the oldest settlers and not all who own homes. He also lives in Titusville, owns his home, but he is not very old. I was sold as a slave in 1862. (I) came to Titusville, FL, in the year 1880, and believe that accounts for my youthful feelings."
William Henry Maxwell (October 12, 1858; November 25, 1952 source findagrave.com)
Per Orlando Star, 26 January 1941, page 11). Mr. Maxwell was 82 years old and had spent 60 years in Titusville area by the time Ewart Henry wrote the article about him in the Orlando Evening Star entitled "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities."; It says that & he achieved recognition as a citrus expert; an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has added materially in the solution of some of its pressing cultural problems, and who by his quiet modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the people that know him. One article said he lived in Mims, Florida.
Continuing the article states that in 1886, he was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer. He and his business survived the big freeze of 1895. He participated in a study on the yellow fungus and on the white fly with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station. He owned between thirty and forty acres of citrus. These were planted with Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and valencias and some parson brown oranges. He used the McFarland Land Tents on his grove in 1900 (Florida Star, Titusville). He also owned a half share in the B. H. W. Groves and was employed as a production superintendent by several other grove owners (including the Goodall Grove). He contributed produce to local fairs and exhibitions to further the reputation of Florida's citrus. His longevity in the citrus business allowed him to share his experience with others in the area.
He lived on Dummit Street in Titusville. He was seven years old when his family received freedom from slavery in 1865. His family moved to Titusville in 1880 five years before the Atlantic, St. John's and Indian River Railroad would reach the area and twelve years before the Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad would reach Titusville (1892). He was one of the early settlers of the Titusville area; in 1890 the population of Titusville was 746 people. In 1894, at the age of 44, he purchased his first grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1900, he married Matilda Irwin Maxwell. Henry Maxwell passed away in 1952 at the age of 94.
_________________________________________________________
Henry, Ewart. "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities" The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, page 11. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54532884/orlando-evening-star/
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORLANDO EVENING STAR, 26 JAN 1941, PAGE 11.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JANUARY 26, 1941 -- Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim For Culture Abilities by EWART HENRY Our Own Staff Correspondent
TITUSVILLE -- If William Henry Maxwell, pioneer negro citrus grower, merely owned and successfully operated 30 acre of citrus grove, his position In the Industry still would be without precedent, at least In this rich section of the Indian River citrus belt, where few members of his race ever rise above the rank of grove laborer or picker. But, during his 60-odd years' residence In and about Titusville, the 82-year-old Maxwell has achieved recognition as a citrus expert an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has aided materially In the solution of some of Its pressing cultural problems, and who, by his quiet, modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the citrus leaders who know him.
BORN IN SLAVERY
Henry Maxwell was born In slavery, near Valdosta, GA, in 1859, and remembers being sold as a slave. Before he was 21, he decided to become a school teacher, and secured a first grade certificate a distinction he says he acquired by answering satisfactorily these questions: "Have you a horse, saddle and bridle, and can you ride the horse?" He taught school for a year, then decided to come to Florida, arriving at Titusville, then Sand Point, somewhere around his 21st birthday. Citrus, of course, had just begun to claim the attention of a few scattered pioneers, but the ambitious young colored man as able to obtain employment at what he now calls very low wages, and two years later, brought an almost infinitesimal parcel of land and planted the first orange trees of his own. At that time Maxwell set for himself a goal of expansion of one acre of grove a year based upon the aspirations of his white contemporaries most of whom he says never expected to plant more than 40 acres. While slowly building his own grove, he continued to work for others in the expanding industry familiarizing himself with every phase of production and shipping methods. Fruit was hauled, he recalls, more than thirty miles by boat packers, made their own crate hoops from palmetto leaf stems and hickory branches oranges brought from $15 to $20 a thousand fruit in the grove and the grower got his money promptly without questions asked.
FIRST FERTILIZATION
In 1866, against the almost vehemently offered advice of his white friends, Maxwell decided to use commercial fertilizer on his trees and thereby acquired the distinction of being in the section to use it. His fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by E. O. Painter Co. of Deland (FL) arrived on the first train to reach Titusville over the old Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway. In the bleak days immediately following the 1895 freeze, Maxwell found that he had three or four orange trees with enough life left in them to provide budwood but other desperate growers learned about them, too, and took some of them. Maxwell says, laughingly, did not always take the trouble to come to his house on their way to his precious source of new life for their devastated trees. The yellow fungus mortal enemy of the whitefly which now makes possible the certain control of this pest was discovered in one of Henry Maxwell;s groves. Cooperating with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville experiment station. Maxwell made a close study of the effects of the fungus and modestly asked the experts if they had found that the whitefly carried its enemy with it. Some weeks later after further observation, the scientist informed him that they had found this to be the case. For some time, thereafter, Maxwell continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying fungus from his grove. He still contends that the yellow fungus is more efficacious against the whitefly than either of the subsequently discovered red and brown fungi but points out that it is harder to propagate and transplant than the other species.
OWNS 40 ACRES
Today, Henry Maxwell owns outright between 30 and 40 acres of citrus Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and some Valencias and Parson Browns. He owns, besides, half interest in the 40-acre B. H. W. Groves, has extensive real estate holdings in both North and Central Brevard County, and is employed as production superintendent by several other grove owners who recognize the soundness of his citricultural ideas and practices. Despite his four score years and more, the veteran citrus expect is constantly on the job. He doesn't take even a brief siesta after lunch, and he drives his own service truck from grove to grove. Maxwell makes no secret of his conviction that the citrus industry is over regulated, and that the small grower is doomed. Too many men, he says, produce citrus for reasons other than to make a living, and when these have succeeded in regulating the small grower out of existence, then, of course, they will run the industry entirely to suit themselves, as they do now to a great extent.
_________________________________________________________
WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL NOMINATION TO THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME
September 28, 2020
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
2506 Gardens Pkwy
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410
Subject: Nomination of William Henry Maxwell to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
Attn: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Nomination Committee
As one of a few surviving family members and the adopted great-grandson of Mr. William Henry Maxwell, I am honored to fully support and put forward his name in nomination to the prestigious Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I have become familiar with Mr. Maxwell's accomplishments and his major activities in the Citrus Industry and I understand that the following activities were checked regarding his major activities: Pioneering; Research; Marketing, Fresh Fruit; and Other. The categories that I wanted to address in this letter are Pioneering, Research, Fresh Fruit, Other/Community and Other/Family.
Pioneering: It is remarkable that Mr. Maxwell, not only survived, but thrived after the abolishment of slavery. Mr. Maxwell arrived in Titusville, FL, on October 23, 1880. He obtained employment working in citrus groves, bought a small parcel of land and planted his first orange trees with a plan to expand his groves by one-acre per year. Mr. Maxwell and early citrus grove owners participated in an experiment to determine which citrus varieties would do well in this location. He was interviewed by a local newspaper (Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950), where he detailed the genesis of the black community and the early residents. I had the good fortune to discover many news articles related to Mr. Maxwell and have presented the historical accounts about him and other early black pioneers of Titusville, FL, to various groups. I have also had the pleasure to interview community elders who shared fond memories of his citrus groves, his various financial contributions, and his community support. The news articles that Roz Foster of Titusville, FL, and Leo Griffin of Seattle, WA, have graciously provided to me thoroughly documented Mr. Maxwell's involvement in t'he citrus industry and his community at large. I really appreciated Mr. Griffin's efforts. He provided me with the landmark news article (Henry, Ewart's "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities." The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, pg. 11) that documented Mr. Maxwell's major contributions to the citrus industry.
Research: In 1886, Maxwell was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by the H.O. Painter Company of Deland that was transported to Titusville by train on the Jacksonville, Tampa, Key West Railway, according to the Orlando Evening Star article. The article stated that Mr. Maxwell discovered yellow fungus growing in one of his groves and in cooperation with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station, made a close study of the effects of yellow fungus to control the whitefly. He continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying yellow fungus from his grove for research. [Vol. 20 (1907): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society published 12/15/1907, Control of the White Fly by Natural Means, pg. 76] Mr. Maxwell was also one of the first to use McFarland Fruit Protection Tents that were manufactured in Titusville in 1900 to protect his trees from frost. His groves survived the freezes of 1894, 1895, 1899 and 1917. While slowly building his own groves, Mr. Maxwell continued working for others, familiarizing himself with every phase of citrus production and shipping methods.
Fresh Fruit: The Florida Star newspaper lauded Mr. Maxwell for his fruit and vegetable contributions to the local editor. He cited Mr. Maxwell's participation in Brevard County's Goodall Citrus Exhibit at the Florida Exposition Fair in February 1909. Based on my interviews with local elders, he would invite local youth to enjoy the strawberries he grew in the area, including those he grew in the backyard of his home. Mr. Maxwell was recognized for shipping a large bearing orange tree to the McFarland Fruit Protection Company in Jacksonville, FL, where it was planted in front of the company's office.
Other/Community: Mr. Maxwell was a pillar of his community as well as a successful businessman in the citrus industry. He had extensive land ownership. Mr. Maxwell sold numerous property plats to homeowners of his community and specifically to prominent family members of Andrew Jackson Gibson, one of the first black pioneers of Titusville, FL. He also financially helped many families during the Great Depression in the Titusville area. In 1953, Public Housing was established with over 130 units to serve the black community. His namesake, (William) Henry Maxwell Homes, was recognized and placed on the dedication plaque by the Housing Authority of the City of Titusville, Florida, with the Assistance of Housing and Home Finance Agency under the President Harry S. Truman Administration. Mr. Maxwell was a strong supporter of his faith and contributor to the former Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall that was located across the street from his residence on Dummitt Avenue in Titusville, Florida.
Other/Family: Mr. Maxwell was interviewed in “The Florida Slave Narratives (Federal Writers' Project, Works Project Admin. 1936-38, pg. 218) that documented his life as a former slave and other early black settlers. He described his early life and his arrival in Titusville, Florida, in 1880.
Mr. Maxwell and his wife Matilda adopted my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louise Jones Teal Davis, along with her adopted brothers, William, and Henry Maxwell during the early 1900's. I continue to discover new aspects of my family's genealogy and knowledge about my great-grandfather and other family members. Although my grandmother rarely shared aspects of her life growing up as Mr. Maxwell's adopted daughter, she would, from time-to-time, provide me some interesting stories about him. My grandmother shared information with me about his orange groves, his land holdings, and his wealth. Many historical records have revealed that Mr. Maxwell excelled in life after gaining his freedom from slavery. During his lifetime and residency in Titusville, FL, Mr. Maxwell achieved recognition as an outstanding citrus industry expert and as an early black pioneer who contributed to the development and growth of the citrus industry and his local community.
Thank you for this opportunity to share some of the history of my great-grandfather and his contributions to Florida's citrus industry.
Sincerely,
Kirk A. Davis,
Adopted Great-Grandson of William H. Maxwell
P.O. Box 1108
Titusville, Florida 32781
Mobile Phone: 321-795-6305
email: [email protected]
Attachments
"Up from Slavery" might well be called this short biographical sketch of Henry Maxwell, who first saw the light of day on October 12, 1858*, in Lowndes County, GA. His mother Ann Doe*, was born in Virginia, and his father, Robert, was born in South Carolina. Captain Peters, Ann's owner, bought Robert Maxwell from Charles Howell as a husband for Ann. To this union were born seven children, two girls-Elizabeth and Rosetta and five boys-Richard, Henry, Simms, Solomon and Sonnie. After the death of Captain Peters in 1863, Elizabeth and Richard were sold to the Gaines family. Rosetta and Robert (the father) were purchased from the Peters' estate by Isham Peters, Captain Peters' son, and Henry and Simms were bought by James Bamburg, husband of Izzy Peters, daughter of Captain Peters. (Solomon and Sonnie were born after slavery.)
Just a tot when the Civil War gave him and his people freedom, Maxwell's memories of bondage-days are vivid through the experiences related by older Negroes. He relates the story of the plantation owner who trained his dogs to hunt escaped slaves. He had a Negro youth hide in a tree some distance away, and then he turned the pack loose to follow him. One day he released the bloodhounds too soon, and they soon overtook the boy and tore him to pieces. When the youth's mother heard of the atrocity, she burst into tears which were only silenced by the threats of her owner to set the dogs on her. Maxwell also relates tales of the terrible beatings that the slaves received for being caught with a book or for trying to run away.
After the Civil War, the Maxwell family was united for a short while, and later they drifted apart to go their various ways. Henry and his parents resided for a while longer in Lowndes County, and in 1880 they came to Titusville, FL, with the two younger children, Solomon and Sonnie. Here Henry secured work with a farmer for whom he worked for $12 a month.
In 1894, he purchased a small orange grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1936, he owned over 30 acres of orange groves and controlled nearly 200 more acres. He was said to be worth around $250,000. William Henry Maxwell was Titusville's most influential and respected colored citizen.
In 1900, he married Matilda Irvin Maxwell. They did not have children of their own, but adopted and raised several children, including Mrs. Louise Jones Davis, the daughter of his first cousin, Dixie Jones; Willie Baskin Maxwell, Henry Baskin Maxwell, Luada Wade, Willie Milton, and a boy named Tyler.
SOURCE:
EXCERPT FROM "HENRY MAXWELL", PAGE 218, TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; VOLUME III FLORIDA NARRATIVES PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITER'S PROJECT OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
*Date of birth corrected from October 17, 1859, to October 12, 1858, based on information obtained from William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651. The last name, Doe, added to Ann (mother), was also based on William Henry Maxwell's official Florida Death Certificate, State File No. 27651.
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Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950.
Sold As Slave In 1862,
He Came Here In 1880
HENRY MAXWELL, PIONEER NEGRO resident of Titusville, FL, contributed the following article for the Star-Advocate over 50 years ago. He tells particularly of how the black section was established and how it grew:
"I landed in Titusville on the twenty-third day of October, 1880. At that time there were thirteen black people here, the greater part of them children. Some of the older ones who are partly responsible for the conduct of the black people here and who owned their own homes at that time were: Andrew Gibson, Dick Wright, Noel Gibson, Betsy Thomas. These people had families."
"Andrew Gibson was jailor at that time and fed the prisoners from his little home where he prepared it. He lived in a 12 by 20 building of rough boards sawed at a little saw mill that sat just south of the foot of Walker bridge and which was owned by John Einig. Andrew Gibson was a handy man at that time and worked as the supervisor of the only public road in Brevard County. He was a trustee, and the white people knew it. He had these two public offices at the same time and the county turned the first poor over to him. This man's name was Stone."
"Andrew took him and nursed him for the county. There was very little growth in the black community until 1886. After the completion of the J.T. and K.W. Railroad, there were many who worked on the road and made their homes here. Among them was a man by the name of Louis Ufollow."
"He and Andrew Gibson started the first black church in that year in a little 12 by 12 upright shack owned by Andrew Gibson. In a very short time after they began their services, they found that the house was too small. Andrew, who knew everybody, went to Tom Smith, who had a larger house, but not as large as his heart. He opened the doors to them."
"IN A VERY SHORT TIME, Lewis Ufollow went to Mrs. M. E. Titus to make arrangements to get a lot for a church. Mrs. Titus, with her big heart, named William Gibson, Isaiah Gory and Lewis Ufollow as trustees and gave a lot for a school and a church. From that day on, the white people took more interest in blacks and then their little settlement grew."
"Among those who were benefactors of the blacks who I can't fail to mention is the late Col. Robbins. He saw that there were people here living in tents who could clear land for groves and truck farming, but had no place to live. He at once built a house for them 125 feet long. In 1886, the only black home north of South Street was where the section house is located, and it was then owned by Dick Wright, a black man who was well thought of and mail carrier at that time. The route was from Titusville to Eau Gallie. I can recall many times making the trip with him. That was before Dr. A.A. Stewart, our then clerk of the circuit court, moved here. I met him with Dick Wright many times on Dick's boat called the Dolphin."
"The name, Colored Town, came about in this way: Mr. E.L. Brady moved his store from LaGrange, which was on the corner of Mr. Ives' lot at that time. He did not move the building, but being a good business man, he moved his business. As soon as Mr. E.L.'s business was established, he found use for a new thing in Titusville: a delivery wagon was put on. When goods were to be sent to the black people, he would say 'this goes to Andrew Gibson or George Ellen Wood or Andrew Gibson as the case may be. But soon Titusville's black section grew to where Mr. Brady, nor his clerk, could name them so easily. Then Mr. Brady would put the black people's goods in certain baskets and would say to his delivery man. 'This load goes out in Colored town. And it has been called Colored town ever since."
"A GREAT MANY BLACKS bought homes here in the eighties and nineties, but as there was not enough employment, they would go south to get work, which caused the black people to be slow about building nice homes. Mr. Brady and others turned their attention to Turnbull Hammock. This put a spirit in the blacks to own nice home, and believe that 95 per cent of them are paid for. And today those who have homes say that there is no place so near self-sustaining that they know of, as this section."
"Many of the old timers who help to build up this part of Titusville, have left us; but there are a few of the older people still living. Some of them may read this who do not live here now. I will mention a few of them: Andrew and his wife Myrtle Gibson, Ellis Cobbs, Bettie Edmonson, Ella Foster, Haywood Boumny, very aged; William Harris and Will Gibson. The writer has only mentioned the oldest settlers and not all who own homes. He also lives in Titusville, owns his home, but he is not very old. I was sold as a slave in 1862. (I) came to Titusville, FL, in the year 1880, and believe that accounts for my youthful feelings."
William Henry Maxwell (October 12, 1858; November 25, 1952 source findagrave.com)
Per Orlando Star, 26 January 1941, page 11). Mr. Maxwell was 82 years old and had spent 60 years in Titusville area by the time Ewart Henry wrote the article about him in the Orlando Evening Star entitled "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities."; It says that & he achieved recognition as a citrus expert; an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has added materially in the solution of some of its pressing cultural problems, and who by his quiet modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the people that know him. One article said he lived in Mims, Florida.
Continuing the article states that in 1886, he was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer. He and his business survived the big freeze of 1895. He participated in a study on the yellow fungus and on the white fly with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station. He owned between thirty and forty acres of citrus. These were planted with Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and valencias and some parson brown oranges. He used the McFarland Land Tents on his grove in 1900 (Florida Star, Titusville). He also owned a half share in the B. H. W. Groves and was employed as a production superintendent by several other grove owners (including the Goodall Grove). He contributed produce to local fairs and exhibitions to further the reputation of Florida's citrus. His longevity in the citrus business allowed him to share his experience with others in the area.
He lived on Dummit Street in Titusville. He was seven years old when his family received freedom from slavery in 1865. His family moved to Titusville in 1880 five years before the Atlantic, St. John's and Indian River Railroad would reach the area and twelve years before the Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad would reach Titusville (1892). He was one of the early settlers of the Titusville area; in 1890 the population of Titusville was 746 people. In 1894, at the age of 44, he purchased his first grove and began to cultivate oranges. In 1900, he married Matilda Irwin Maxwell. Henry Maxwell passed away in 1952 at the age of 94.
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Henry, Ewart. "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities" The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, page 11. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54532884/orlando-evening-star/
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORLANDO EVENING STAR, 26 JAN 1941, PAGE 11.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JANUARY 26, 1941 -- Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim For Culture Abilities by EWART HENRY Our Own Staff Correspondent
TITUSVILLE -- If William Henry Maxwell, pioneer negro citrus grower, merely owned and successfully operated 30 acre of citrus grove, his position In the Industry still would be without precedent, at least In this rich section of the Indian River citrus belt, where few members of his race ever rise above the rank of grove laborer or picker. But, during his 60-odd years' residence In and about Titusville, the 82-year-old Maxwell has achieved recognition as a citrus expert an outstanding contributor to the growth of the industry, who has aided materially In the solution of some of Its pressing cultural problems, and who, by his quiet, modest manner, has gained the respect and esteem of the citrus leaders who know him.
BORN IN SLAVERY
Henry Maxwell was born In slavery, near Valdosta, GA, in 1859, and remembers being sold as a slave. Before he was 21, he decided to become a school teacher, and secured a first grade certificate a distinction he says he acquired by answering satisfactorily these questions: "Have you a horse, saddle and bridle, and can you ride the horse?" He taught school for a year, then decided to come to Florida, arriving at Titusville, then Sand Point, somewhere around his 21st birthday. Citrus, of course, had just begun to claim the attention of a few scattered pioneers, but the ambitious young colored man as able to obtain employment at what he now calls very low wages, and two years later, brought an almost infinitesimal parcel of land and planted the first orange trees of his own. At that time Maxwell set for himself a goal of expansion of one acre of grove a year based upon the aspirations of his white contemporaries most of whom he says never expected to plant more than 40 acres. While slowly building his own grove, he continued to work for others in the expanding industry familiarizing himself with every phase of production and shipping methods. Fruit was hauled, he recalls, more than thirty miles by boat packers, made their own crate hoops from palmetto leaf stems and hickory branches oranges brought from $15 to $20 a thousand fruit in the grove and the grower got his money promptly without questions asked.
FIRST FERTILIZATION
In 1866, against the almost vehemently offered advice of his white friends, Maxwell decided to use commercial fertilizer on his trees and thereby acquired the distinction of being in the section to use it. His fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by E. O. Painter Co. of Deland (FL) arrived on the first train to reach Titusville over the old Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway. In the bleak days immediately following the 1895 freeze, Maxwell found that he had three or four orange trees with enough life left in them to provide budwood but other desperate growers learned about them, too, and took some of them. Maxwell says, laughingly, did not always take the trouble to come to his house on their way to his precious source of new life for their devastated trees. The yellow fungus mortal enemy of the whitefly which now makes possible the certain control of this pest was discovered in one of Henry Maxwell;s groves. Cooperating with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville experiment station. Maxwell made a close study of the effects of the fungus and modestly asked the experts if they had found that the whitefly carried its enemy with it. Some weeks later after further observation, the scientist informed him that they had found this to be the case. For some time, thereafter, Maxwell continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying fungus from his grove. He still contends that the yellow fungus is more efficacious against the whitefly than either of the subsequently discovered red and brown fungi but points out that it is harder to propagate and transplant than the other species.
OWNS 40 ACRES
Today, Henry Maxwell owns outright between 30 and 40 acres of citrus Duncan and Marsh seedless grapefruit, pineapples and some Valencias and Parson Browns. He owns, besides, half interest in the 40-acre B. H. W. Groves, has extensive real estate holdings in both North and Central Brevard County, and is employed as production superintendent by several other grove owners who recognize the soundness of his citricultural ideas and practices. Despite his four score years and more, the veteran citrus expect is constantly on the job. He doesn't take even a brief siesta after lunch, and he drives his own service truck from grove to grove. Maxwell makes no secret of his conviction that the citrus industry is over regulated, and that the small grower is doomed. Too many men, he says, produce citrus for reasons other than to make a living, and when these have succeeded in regulating the small grower out of existence, then, of course, they will run the industry entirely to suit themselves, as they do now to a great extent.
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WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL NOMINATION TO THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME
September 28, 2020
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
2506 Gardens Pkwy
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410
Subject: Nomination of William Henry Maxwell to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
Attn: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Nomination Committee
As one of a few surviving family members and the adopted great-grandson of Mr. William Henry Maxwell, I am honored to fully support and put forward his name in nomination to the prestigious Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I have become familiar with Mr. Maxwell's accomplishments and his major activities in the Citrus Industry and I understand that the following activities were checked regarding his major activities: Pioneering; Research; Marketing, Fresh Fruit; and Other. The categories that I wanted to address in this letter are Pioneering, Research, Fresh Fruit, Other/Community and Other/Family.
Pioneering: It is remarkable that Mr. Maxwell, not only survived, but thrived after the abolishment of slavery. Mr. Maxwell arrived in Titusville, FL, on October 23, 1880. He obtained employment working in citrus groves, bought a small parcel of land and planted his first orange trees with a plan to expand his groves by one-acre per year. Mr. Maxwell and early citrus grove owners participated in an experiment to determine which citrus varieties would do well in this location. He was interviewed by a local newspaper (Titusville's Star-Advocate newspaper article about WILLIAM HENRY MAXWELL printed in 1950), where he detailed the genesis of the black community and the early residents. I had the good fortune to discover many news articles related to Mr. Maxwell and have presented the historical accounts about him and other early black pioneers of Titusville, FL, to various groups. I have also had the pleasure to interview community elders who shared fond memories of his citrus groves, his various financial contributions, and his community support. The news articles that Roz Foster of Titusville, FL, and Leo Griffin of Seattle, WA, have graciously provided to me thoroughly documented Mr. Maxwell's involvement in t'he citrus industry and his community at large. I really appreciated Mr. Griffin's efforts. He provided me with the landmark news article (Henry, Ewart's "Pioneer Negro Grower Gains Wide Acclaim for Culture Abilities." The Orlando Evening Star, 26 Jan 1941, pg. 11) that documented Mr. Maxwell's major contributions to the citrus industry.
Research: In 1886, Maxwell was the first in his section to use commercial fertilizer (Simon Pure No. 1) manufactured by the H.O. Painter Company of Deland that was transported to Titusville by train on the Jacksonville, Tampa, Key West Railway, according to the Orlando Evening Star article. The article stated that Mr. Maxwell discovered yellow fungus growing in one of his groves and in cooperation with Dr. E. W. Berger of the Gainesville Experiment Station, made a close study of the effects of yellow fungus to control the whitefly. He continued to supply the experiment station with the fly-destroying yellow fungus from his grove for research. [Vol. 20 (1907): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society published 12/15/1907, Control of the White Fly by Natural Means, pg. 76] Mr. Maxwell was also one of the first to use McFarland Fruit Protection Tents that were manufactured in Titusville in 1900 to protect his trees from frost. His groves survived the freezes of 1894, 1895, 1899 and 1917. While slowly building his own groves, Mr. Maxwell continued working for others, familiarizing himself with every phase of citrus production and shipping methods.
Fresh Fruit: The Florida Star newspaper lauded Mr. Maxwell for his fruit and vegetable contributions to the local editor. He cited Mr. Maxwell's participation in Brevard County's Goodall Citrus Exhibit at the Florida Exposition Fair in February 1909. Based on my interviews with local elders, he would invite local youth to enjoy the strawberries he grew in the area, including those he grew in the backyard of his home. Mr. Maxwell was recognized for shipping a large bearing orange tree to the McFarland Fruit Protection Company in Jacksonville, FL, where it was planted in front of the company's office.
Other/Community: Mr. Maxwell was a pillar of his community as well as a successful businessman in the citrus industry. He had extensive land ownership. Mr. Maxwell sold numerous property plats to homeowners of his community and specifically to prominent family members of Andrew Jackson Gibson, one of the first black pioneers of Titusville, FL. He also financially helped many families during the Great Depression in the Titusville area. In 1953, Public Housing was established with over 130 units to serve the black community. His namesake, (William) Henry Maxwell Homes, was recognized and placed on the dedication plaque by the Housing Authority of the City of Titusville, Florida, with the Assistance of Housing and Home Finance Agency under the President Harry S. Truman Administration. Mr. Maxwell was a strong supporter of his faith and contributor to the former Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall that was located across the street from his residence on Dummitt Avenue in Titusville, Florida.
Other/Family: Mr. Maxwell was interviewed in “The Florida Slave Narratives (Federal Writers' Project, Works Project Admin. 1936-38, pg. 218) that documented his life as a former slave and other early black settlers. He described his early life and his arrival in Titusville, Florida, in 1880.
Mr. Maxwell and his wife Matilda adopted my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louise Jones Teal Davis, along with her adopted brothers, William, and Henry Maxwell during the early 1900's. I continue to discover new aspects of my family's genealogy and knowledge about my great-grandfather and other family members. Although my grandmother rarely shared aspects of her life growing up as Mr. Maxwell's adopted daughter, she would, from time-to-time, provide me some interesting stories about him. My grandmother shared information with me about his orange groves, his land holdings, and his wealth. Many historical records have revealed that Mr. Maxwell excelled in life after gaining his freedom from slavery. During his lifetime and residency in Titusville, FL, Mr. Maxwell achieved recognition as an outstanding citrus industry expert and as an early black pioneer who contributed to the development and growth of the citrus industry and his local community.
Thank you for this opportunity to share some of the history of my great-grandfather and his contributions to Florida's citrus industry.
Sincerely,
Kirk A. Davis,
Adopted Great-Grandson of William H. Maxwell
P.O. Box 1108
Titusville, Florida 32781
Mobile Phone: 321-795-6305
email: [email protected]
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