Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Madame Fortune Taylor Bridge
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 30, 2018
1. Madame Fortune Taylor Bridge Marker
On January 20, 1868 Benjamin claimed a thirty-three acre homestead on the east side of the Hillsborough River. Together, the couple tended orchards of oranges, guavas and peaches. After Benjamin's death in 1869, Fortune was granted homestead to the property on July 1, 1875. The street that ran through the property from the river to Oaklawn Cemetery, was eventually named for her. The Fortune Street Bridge was built in 1892 in order to promote the struggling cigar industry in West Tampa. Financed by Hugh C. Macfarlane, the bridge connected Fortune Street to the east and Arch Street to the west. With the bridge in place, cigar factories flourished and the development of West Tampa began.
Fortune Taylor became a successful businesswoman. She married her second husband, Edward Ranson in the 1880s. She lived her final years on Spring Street and died September 11, 1906.
Erected 2018 by Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council,
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Bridges & Viaducts • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.
Location. 27° 57.275′ N, 82° 27.845′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. Marker is at the intersection of West Laurel Street and Doyle Carlton Drive, on the right when traveling west on West Laurel Street. Marker is located in a section of Riverwalk Park along the Hillsborough River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tampa FL 33602, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lynching in America / The Lynching of Robert Johnson (within shouting distance of this marker); Roberts City (approx. ¼ mile away); Phillips Field (approx. ¼ mile away); Billy Graham Began Here (approx. ¼ mile away); Clara C. Frye (approx. 0.3 miles away); First United Methodist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Harlem Academy / School #2 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Oaklawn and St. Louis Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.
Also see . . . Tampa moves to put freed slave Fortune Taylor’s name back on historic bridge. (Submitted on July 17, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 30, 2018
2. Madame Fortune Taylor Bridge Marker
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 30, 2018
3. Madame Fortune Taylor Bridge
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,450 times since then and 199 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 17, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
