Hannibal Square: Black voters created Winter Park (Winter Park, Oct. 12, 1887)
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upLens: our readingOpen: not yet proven
Year: 1887 · Places: Florida
SUMMARYHannibal Square: Black voters created Winter Park (Winter Park, Oct. 12, 1887) [Connections: Tallahassee & Orlando, Nov 5, 2026]
RECORDHannibal Square, Winter Park's "west side," was founded in 1881. On October 12, 1887, Gus Henderson led a march of Black registered voters to Ergood's Drugstore, giving the quorum that incorporated Winter Park with Hannibal Square inside it; Walter B. Simpson and Frank R. Israel of Hannibal Square served as aldermen from 1887 to 1893 (Hannibal Square Heritage Center). Wikipedia gives 64 Black and 47 white registered voters, and quotes historian Fairolyn Livingston that without Henderson incorporation "would not have taken place on October 12, 1887."
PATTERNBlack residents were the majority of voters at Winter Park's founding
LENS (WW9)A town now known as wealthy and white was voted into being by Black residents
OPENWhy Black aldermen stopped serving in 1893 (reported charter change removing Hannibal Square) is not on these pages: needs deep research in the 1893 Florida Laws
SOURCEHistory of Hannibal Square (Hannibal Square Heritage Center); Gus C. Henderson (Wikipedia).