Review of McCarthy’s Hippocrene U.S.A. Guide to Black Florida (1995) and WPA English Settler Documentation
Research resolving the historiography of Avon Park involves two distinct lines of inquiry that were previously conflated due to a widely circulated Wikipedia citation error: the documentation of Avon Park’s African American heritage sites and the validation of the pioneer English settler colony.
African American Heritage Sites
Review of Kevin M. McCarthy’s The Hippocrene U.S.A. Guide to Black Florida (1995) and public indices establishes the volume as the predecessor to his 2007 African American Sites in Florida. McCarthy’s research tracks several significant locations central to Avon Park’s Black history:
- Hopewell School: Historically the first public school for African Americans in Avon Park, it served as a vital hub for educational, cultural, and social activities. Following extensive renovations, it now operates as The Hopewell Academy for the Arts Charter School.
- Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church: Located at 818 South Delaney Avenue, this church was organized in 1920. The current masonry building, featuring Neo-Gothic architectural elements, was constructed around 1940.
- Avon Park Air Force Range Turpentine Sites: Sites such as the Nalaka camp operated from approximately 1918 to 1930. These turpentine distilleries employed primarily African American workers whose labor was central to the Florida naval stores industry.
WPA Documentation of the English Colony
A widely circulated Wikipedia citation incorrectly attributed the town’s founding by English settlers to McCarthy’s 2007 book—an error born of misattaching a citation meant for Mount Olive A.M.E. Church.
However, the English settler narrative is historically sound and documented independently. A historical sketch of Highlands County produced by Works Progress Administration (WPA) field workers in the 1930s confirms that a distinct “colony of English settlers” arrived in Avon Park circa 1890.[wpa-historical-sketch]
The area, first settled in 1884 by Connecticut native Oliver Martin Crosby, was initially incorporated in 1886 as “Lake Forest.” The name was changed to “Avon Park” after an early English settler noted the landscape’s resemblance to Stratford-upon-Avon. According to WPA records, the English settlers who followed became the primary catalysts for establishing the local citrus industry, which developed into a cornerstone of the Highlands County economy.
References
- mccarthy-1995 — Kevin M. McCarthy. The Hippocrene U.S.A. Guide to Black Florida. 1995. https://archive.org/details/hippocreneusagui0000mcca
- wpa-historical-sketch — Works Progress Administration. WPA Historical Sketch of Highlands County. 1935. https://www.floridamemory.com/
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- Kevin M. McCarthy, The Hippocrene U.S.A. Guide to Black Florida (1995)
- Works Progress Administration, WPA Historical Sketch of Highlands County (1935)
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