African-American Carpenter Owned Half Of Punta Gorda

As we enter Black History Month, it is appropriate to credit the first "equal opportunity" employer in Charlotte County -- if not the state and nation -- a remarkable African-American named George Brown.
He is best remembered as the owner-operator of the Cleveland Marine Steam Ways east of Punta Gorda.
When built in l916, the marine railway was the largest in southwest Florida, capable of hauling ashore boats 80 feet long. He repaired boats of any size, including ferries, fishing schooners and pleasure yachts, sail or power,
Brown was a modest, intelligent gentleman respected by whites and blacks alike. He invariably was addressed as "Mr. Brown."
Mrs. Bernice Russell, an historian of Punta Gorda African-Americans, as a young girl knew him well. She describes him as "dignified and fair skinned with straight hair and full mustache."
Brown hired his workers on the basis of ability regardless of race. He expected hard work but paid good wages.
For example, Dell Cleveland was a fine wood worker; and his brother, Shelby, was an expert varnisher. They emphasized that whites and blacks worked alongside each other without friction.
Though Brown is well remembered, his origin was little known. Through extensive research of deeds, affidavits, probate records, previous local histories, and contemporary newspaper clippings we now have a clearer picture of his life and accomplishments.
Grover Cleveland, an early resident of the town of Cleveland, discusses Brown in the book "Latent Love Story" by Barbara Gunn. He asserts: "Brown was from Charleston, South Carolina, a college graduate and superintendent of all the buildings at the DeSoto Phosphate Mining Company." He was closely associated with Capt. Albert F. Dewey, who towed barges for the company.
DeSoto Mining was located at the now-vanished town of Liverpool on the Peace River south of Arcadia. It began taking pebbles of the mineral from the river in 1890. Early the following year, George Brown bought a lot from the Grove City Land Co. of Liverpool for its development at what is now south Englewood.
Apparently the purchase was merely an investment because in January 1892 George Brown bought a half-acre in Cleveland as trustee for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Apparently he was married at this time, but there is no record of his wife's name. On October 24 a baby, Ruth Henrietta, was born to the couple.
Brown testified in a 1906 affidavit that "this child's mother died in November, 1892." The document was witnessed by Albert F. Dewey and John H. Farrington, both prominent businessmen of Punta Gorda.
It is likely that Ruth's mother died of purpura -- a common cause of maternal death those days from excessive bleeding after giving birth. Brown's sister, Marie L. Brown, then took care of the baby.
DeSoto Mining was purchased in 1893 by a group of Boston financiers and reorganized as the Peace River Phosphate Mining Company.
Capt. Dewey of Punta Gorda bought the DeSoto company's barge fleet and formed the Charlotte Harbor Lighterage Co. He obtained a contract to haul phosphate by barge from Liverpool to sea-going freighters waiting at Punta Gorda.
Brown and Dewey were friends through their business association. That friendship led to the first purchase of land which years later was the site of Charlotte County's courthouse.
Dewey in November 1896 bought lot G on Taylor Street for $12.70 in back taxes. A week later he sold the lot to Brown for "$1 and other valuable considerations" -- phraseology to keep the purchase price confidential. Because of this stratagem we can assume Dewey made a handsome profit.
Nevertheless, Brown was satisfied with the investment and over the years added adjacent parcels which he sold to the newly formed Charlotte County in 1924 for a bargain $25,000.
Brown was an accomplished carpenter and cabinet maker. With this skill, and Capt. Dewey's friendship, Brown saw an opportunity to start his own business by building and maintaining barges for phosphate transport. All vessels had to be hauled out for cleaning and tarring every 90 days.
Brown bought the equipment of a small Punta Gorda boat yard on Retta Esplanade in 1897. The seller was another African-American named Peter W. Miller who was to become his brother law. The men jointly bought lot 4 of Block 3-north at Cleveland for $100.
Thus, Brown took up the trade that made him prosperous. He bought many investment properties in Punta Gorda. In the 1900 Census, he is shown living in a rented house at Punta Gorda with his sister Marie L. Brown and his daughter Ruth Henrietta. He gave his age as 33 and his occupation as "ship carpenter."
In the same census, Peter W. Miller gave his occupation as "corker" -- one who caulks ships.
By affidavit years later, we know that Brown's wife had died before the l900 census; and his child was being reared by his sister, Marie.
It is said that Ruth was sent to a convent in New Orleans for schooling, but there is no evidence of this. Unfortunately the little girl contracted tuberculosis.
Brown obviously was greatly concerned about his daughter's health. In a touching demonstration of fatherly love, Brown deeded his extensive property holdings in May 1903 to Ruth who was only ten years old.
Perhaps Brown was trying to make sure his child would have the resources to be cared for in the event of his untimely death before hers.
He was preparing that year to marry a young woman, Tommie Fulford, who at age 17 was half his age and would be his principal heir. Ruth died two years later, and the properties reverted to him.
Brown built a large two-story waterfront house at Cleveland on Riverside Drive and Scott Street in early 1910. However, he heard of some grumbling from other residents that the town's only Black would have the largest home.
Not wishing to jeopardize his good community relations, Brown completed the house but never moved in. Instead, he rented it to whites.
The Punta Gorda Herald reported in "Cleveland Notes" of January 1915: "The new improvements at the George Brown mansion, now occupied by Col. Charles Andrews of Missouri, makes that residence one of the first in this part of the country." The house today is a private residence.
For himself and wife, Brown rented an old two-story house on the waterfront (Block 1-north, lot 4-G) from the Peace River Phosphate Company.
A year later, he bought all of Block 1-north fronting on Cleveland Ave. including the rented house. That structure had no modern conveniences, so in 1924 he built a large bungalow next door and demolished the old place.
He and Tommie lived there the rest of their lives. The structure still stands in excellent condition. It has two main rooms. It was said that one was used for white visitors, and the other for Blacks. Actually, the largest was Brown's extensive library, his special enjoyment.
Brown and Tommie did not have any children but welcomed them, black and white, into their home. As a man of means, Brown bought one of the first automobiles, player pianos and radios in the area. Youngsters flocked to the Brown's to see and hear these marvels.
When Mrs. Russell was a child she often visited the Brown home. "Tommie would let us operate the piano, and Mr. Brown would take us for rides in his car," she says. "There were only a few radio programs, and those were broadcast in the evening. There were just two blacks in the area with radios. The Browns had one and Tommie's father, Ernest Fulford of Punta Gorda, had the other.
"My father, Richard Lee Andrews, loved 'Amos and Andy,' a funny radio show about two Blacks," Mrs. Russell recalls.
"He was a driver for the West Coast Fish Co. and managed to save enough money from his $9 weekly salary to buy a Model-T Ford, but not enough for a radio too. Nearly every evening he would load the car with kids and drive to the Brown's or Fulford's to hear Amos and Andy."
The little Brown & Miller shipyard in Cleveland did well by building barges for Capt. Dewey. At the turn of the century, however, larger deposits of phosphate were discovered at Mulberry. Shipments from Charlotte Harbor began to dwindle.
The Herald noted gloomily in January 1908: "Only one shipment of phosphate rock was shipped from this port during December. It consisted of 1,900 tons and went to Norfolk on the schooner Malcolm B. Searvey. Added to previous shipments, it brought the total for 1907 up to 36,729 tons. This is a little over one-third of the amount of phosphate usually shipped each year from this port."
To cut costs and compete, Peace River Phosphate in 1910 built the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad to haul its product to Boca Grande for mechanical loading onto deep-water ships. Dewey then bought tug boats to provide towing and warping services for general shipping throughout the west coast.
It was obvious that those who depended upon phosphate would fall on hard times. Consequently George Brown in 1911 bought the other three acres in Block 3-north adjacent to his barge plant. Peter Miller sold his half of the shipyard to Brown in March 1915.
Ten months later, Brown bought 10 acres immediately southwest of the yard from the phosphate company for a new and larger shipyard. The price was $2,000 -- half down and the balance in notes of $500 for each of the next two years.
Finally Brown bought the two acres remaining in Block l - north on which he built his home. With this, he owned a 12- acre parcel of prime, waterfront land in Cleveland.
By mid-1916, Brown launched the Cleveland Marine Steam Ways capable of handling large vessels. Thus was born the inter-racial business that catered to Capt. Dewey and prominent yachtsmen who wintered in Charlotte Harbor.
Cleveland Marine was noted for attention to such details as fine woodwork, brass fittings, varnish and gold leaf. George Brown became a respected businessman with large property holdings in Punta Gorda.
Brown donated land in 1921 for the all-black Masonic Tuscan Lodge 92 in Punta Gorda at the southwest corner of Marion and Nesbit streets.
He had the only parcel in downtown Punta Gorda large enough for the courthouse built in 1924 after Charlotte County split off from DeSoto.
Despite his affluence, Brown was modest in demeanor. A "drummer" (traveling salesman) once called at shipyard office and asked to see "Mr. Brown." Brown said he was Brown, to which the drummer insisted, "No, I want to see the boss. Don't you know who your boss is, boy?"
"Brown merely smiled and replied, "I am the boss." The drummer blurted "Oh, my God!" and apologized profusely. He still got an order.
Though George and Tommie had no offspring, they took in poor black children from time to time. They more or less "adopted" Charley Johnson who lived with them the rest of their lives and often gave his surname as Brown.
When the late Esther McCullough was married to her first husband, Dr. Vernon Jordan, they bought three lots from Brown and built a home across the street.
"The Browns were a fine couple and good neighbors, helpful to everyone they came in contact with," said Mrs. McCullough. "Both were of superior intellect."
"All the kids played around their house. Brown would never go in his house when children were inside. He would just sit patiently on his porch until they left.
"Tommie raised canaries and Pekinese dogs which she sold. She had converted a sunny, glassed-in porch for her birds and puppies. Kids loved to watch them.
"One Saturday evening, Mr. Brown ran to our house and asked my husband if he would come and see if he could help Tommie who was unconscious. We both rushed over and found Tommie lying on the floor. On a dresser nearby was an open bottle of insulin. She was diabetic, and it seemed certain she had overdosed and induced insulin shock.
"Dr. Jordan was a dentist and so we called Dr. Morris Alexander who drove out from Punta Gorda. In the meantime, we got Tommie into bed. Dr. Alexander asked Brown's sister, Marie, to go out in the yard and pick three or four oranges.
"There were no ripe oranges so Marie brought in some lemons. Dr. Alexander squeezed the lemons, mixed in some sugar and forced the juice down her throat. Tommie came around miraculously."
As a result of the diabetes, Tommie was nearly blind. Mrs. Russell often drove her for errands.
Brown operated Cleveland Marine until 1945 when he retired. In late years, his younger sister, Marie, managed the business as well as the personal affairs of both he and his wife. He died November 18, 1951, at age 83 after a two-month illness.
The Herald reported his death in a story headlined, "Pioneer Colored Man Dies." The story concluded: "A wealthy man, at one time he owned half the land upon which is built the City of Punta Gorda. During his lifetime, he gave generously to charity and churches, both white and colored, and took an active interest in civic affairs. Numbering among his friends are many in high places."
Brown did not leave a will so the probate court decided distribution of his assets. Marie was appointed administrator. It was discovered that Brown had no cash. For years he had been living on rentals and occasional sales of property.
His once extensive property holdings had dwindled to the now-idle shipyard, his home, a small house in Punta Gorda and another one in Bartow, Fla. Total value of his estate was estimated to be $30,000.
Charley Johnson, the foster son, now an adult, worked as a handyman to take care of Tommie. She gave him the house in Punta Gorda in 1952.
That same year she sold the shipyard to the Palms and Pines mobile home park. The original Cleveland Marine machine shop today is a community hall for park residents.
Tommie died March 23, 1967, at age 82. She was laid to rest alongside George Brown and Ruth in the Carl Bailey Memorial Cemetery at Cleveland.
When George Brown died, a double tombstone had been erected on which also was carved Tommie's name and birth date. When she died 16 years later, there was no money left to carve her death date.
Only the Brown's home and the shipyard machine shop remain as the legacy of early inter-racial harmony.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers

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cutline -- man with baby

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Beatrice Cleveland Cotton

George Brown lived harmoniously with his white neighbors. He holds little John Teter, Jr., son of Mrs. Beatrice Teter, for the only known photograph of Brown.

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