This week, I have finished research on Gustavus Christopher Henderson. He played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement in Central Florida and his actions are felt to this day.
Gustavus Henderson was born during the height of the Civil War on November 16, 1862. His mother was a slave, and not much is known of his father, who may have been white. His mother died when he was 10, leaving Henderson to fend for himself, where he worked for an itinerant white tinsmith and taught himself to read from the bible. After spending several years in farming, Henderson found a position with a New York Company as a traveling salesman. He spent five months traveling across Florida, finding success wherever he went; unfortunately, the firm asked for his resignation soon after, and when pressed for a reason, they admitted that while Henderson was one of their best salesmen, several angry white salesmen threatened the firm unless Henderson was removed.
In 1886, Henderson relocated to Hannibal Square, Winter Park, where he would play a pivotal role in its history. At the time, Hannibal Square was the black section of Winter Park. Founded in 1881, it was characterized by black businesses and homes, high levels of education and a steady source of labor for the wealthy white Winter Park Residents. If you wish to learn more about Hannibal Square and its rich history, visit the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. On October 12, 1887, Henderson led a group of black voters (at the time, only 64 of 297 black residents were registered to vote) to support Loring Chase and his partner, Oliver Chapman in their efforts to officially start a city, which occurred with Hannibal Square’s incorporation into Winter Park. According to Fairolyn Livingston, chief historian of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, had it not been for Henderson’s voter registration efforts, “Hannibal Square may not have been included within the city limits of Winter Park. Unfortunately in 1893, Winter Park Democrats sent a petition, which was granted by state legislature, to remove Hannibal Square from city limits until 1925.
On May 30, 1889, Henderson published the first issue of The Winter Park Advocate, one of two black-owned newspapers in Florida. Henderson worked not only as the publisher, but also the reporter, editor and ad salesmen. His newspaper was read by both the white and black residents of Winter Park and was the only source of news in Winter Park for over two years. His newspaper was at the forefront in the fight against political injustice and Henderson received many threats against him, which did not shake his conviction. In 1894, Henderson married Martha Gabrielle Livingston, a high school teacher, and they had their first child, Irene, in April 1896. In 1898 Henderson was appointed one of seven division deputies in Florida for the IRS.
One of the only surviving copies of the Winter Park Advocate
Sometime before the Henderson family’s move to Orlando in 1899, most likely spurred by Hannibal Square’s removal from city limits, The Winter Park Advocate printed its last paper ( a copy can be found at the Winter Park Museum). The Henderson family had their second child, Marcellus, that same year. In 1900, Henderson established the Florida Christian Recorder, Orlando’s first black-owned newspaper. The Henderson family had another child, Abram, in 1902. Henderson remained active in politics after his move to Orlando, and his newspaper and fight for equality would continue until his untimely death of consumption on May 15, 1917. Gustavus ’Gus’ Christopher Henderson is currently buried in Section K-1 of Greenwood Cemetery. His political activism shaped the Winter Park region and Henderson served as an inspiration for future civil rights advocates.
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