Goldsboro is a community and former town in Seminole County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It was founded by the

Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...

and later incorporated in 1891. One of the oldest African-American founded communities in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, it was established only a few years after nearby

Eatonville Eatonville may refer to: * Eatonville, Florida, United States * Eatonville, Minnesota, United States, an alternative name for the former Dakota village Ḣeyate Otuŋwe * Eatonville, Mississippi, United States * Eatonville, Ontario, a neighbourhood ...

Angola, Florida Angola was a prosperous community of up to 750 maroons (escaped slaves) that existed in Florida from 1812 until Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, at which point it was destroyed. The location was along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Flori ...

, a settlement of escaped slaves, was established during Spanish rule in Florida. In 1911, the community was annexed into

Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051. Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...

History

The

established Goldsboro during the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

for African Americans who worked at local railroad yards, farms, produce house and ice houses. In 1891, residents of Goldbsoro pursued incorporation of the town, publishing notices in the ''Sanford Journal'' as early as October 24, 1891. The town was incorporated at noon on December 1, 1891 by merchant William Clark and 19 registered African American voters. Walter Williams served as Goldsboro's first mayor until 1892. In 1900, the population of Goldsboro was 71. By 1905, the population had increased to 100 people. Morris Benjamin Bellamy Sr. was Goldsboro's mayor in 1911.Florida's Black Public Officials by Carter Brown Jr. page 74 In 1911, the community of Sanford Heights seceded from Sanford, because of discord over municipal services provided by Sanford. This added to concerns that Sanford's ability to expand would be constrained by the surrounding towns of Goldsboro, Georgetown and Sanford Heights, as well as Lake Monroe to the north.

Florida State Representative The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

and former Sanford mayor Forrest Lake led legislative efforts to curtail Sanford Heights ability to incorporate, independent of Sanford. Goldsboro was also a target in Forrest Lake's annexation process, prompting Goldsboro's leaders to start a letter writing campaign to local newspapers. On April 6, 1911, the Sanford city council passed a resolution to annex Goldsboro and on April 26, 1911 the Florida legislature passed the Sanford Charter Bill, dissolving the incorporation of both Sanford and Goldsboro, and reorganizing Sanford as a city that included Goldsboro within its boundaries. Goldsboro's identity slowly eroded after it lost its charter and was annexed. Sanford renamed several of Goldsboro's historically-named streets. Clark Street, named for the town's founder, was renamed Lake Street after Forrest Lake, the man responsible for the loss of Goldboro's status as a town.

Recent history

In 2007, a Public Safety Complex was slated for construction in Goldsboro as part of Sanford's efforts to revitalize the area. In November 2010, the Sanford Police Department was relocated to the new $20 million, complex on 13th Street, which it shares with the Sanford Fire Department and a five-bay fire station. A historical museum opened in Goldsboro in 2011, at the site of the original post office. The museum exhibits photographs, historic documents and furniture donated by local residents. On February 28, 2013, Lake Ave. was renamed William Clark Ave., to honor the town's founding father.

Demographics

References

External links

Goldsboro Historical Museum

Goldsboro Collection
-RICHES Mosaic Interface {{authority control Populated places established in 1891 Sanford, Florida 1891 establishments in Florida Unincorporated communities in Seminole County, Florida Former municipalities in Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida

History

Recent history

Demographics

See also

References

External links