Historical Figures

Historical Figures. Sanford est. 1877. , The Georgetown community has been shaped by active and engaged citizens for more than a century. Through their contributions they have made a profound and lasting impact on the city. Some notable figures included doctors, educators, authors, architects, and business leaders. , , Dr. George H. Starke (1998-1978) was a well-respected physician and surgeon who practiced in Sanford for over 50 years. Dr. Starke never demanded money for his services and never refused to provide treatment for a person regardless of race or ability to pay. It was not uncommon for him to receive payment in the form of livestock, vegetables, or other food items. He was the first African American doctor to be accepted as a member of the Seminole County Medical Society and the Florida Medical Association. , , Professor Joseph Nathaniel Crooms (1880-1957) was an educator who became the principal of Hopper Academy in 1906. Hopper Academy was the first school for African Americans in Sanford. In 1926 his family donated land for construction of a new, "modern" school in the Goldsboro neighborhood. J.N. Crooms served as Principal there until 1953. His wife, Wealthy Mable Crooms (1884-1982), worked alondside him at the academy as assistant Principal. , , Marie Jones Francis (1907-1988) was a licensed midwife who delivered over 40,000 babies in her 32 career. In 1942 she joined her aging mother Corrie Jones, in practice. Together they owned and operated the “Jones/Francis Maternity Hall” at621E. 6th Street, the former home of Reverend John Hurston. The house served as a maternity ward and school, where Ms. Francis taught nurses how to deliver infants naturally. She worked closely with Dr. George H. Starke, who provided assistance when a mother was experiencing complications. , , Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author. She wrote her first novel, Jonah’s Gourd Vine, while living in Georgetown. Her father, the Reverend John Hurston, was the pastor of Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Orange Avenue. He provided some of the inspiration for the main character in her novel, who was also a Zion Hope pastor named John.