Gifford in Indian River County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Gifford School
⎯⎯⎯
Hosie Shumann Park

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 14, 2022

1. Gifford School / Hosie Shumann Park Marker

Inscription. In 1901, William E. Geoffrey, a black man, donated this land for a black school in Gifford. Funded with help from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, which provided support for hundreds of black schools across Florida and the Southeast, the Gifford School was constructed to serve grades 1-6. Used textbooks, furniture, and equipment were donated to the school. On cold days, the students huddled around a fire on the outdoor basketball court. During the early years, parents and the local church operated the school. Classes ran for three months during the year for blacks, when there were no beans to pick. In the late 1930s, the school transitioned into a high school. The principals were Professors W.A. Peck (1936-40), Lamar Fort (1940), Arthur C. Madrey (1941-45), Marcellus Goodwin (1945-50), and James R. Wiggins (1951-60). In 1938, three students graduated in Gifford High School's first senior class. During the period of 1938-51, approximately 68 students graduated. In 1971, owners of the property donated it to Indian River County as a community park. Gulf & Western Sugar dedicated it to Hosie Shumann, a longtime employee, who

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had worked for them from 1942 until his death in 1971.
A Florida Heritage Site

Erected 2020 by Indian River County Historical Society, Indian River County Parks & Recreation, Indian River County Health Department, Indian River County NAACP, Gifford Progressive Civic League, Gifford Historical Museum & Cultural Center, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1115.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.

Location. 27° 39.856′ N, 80° 24.184′ W. Marker is in Gifford, Florida, in Indian River County. It is on 39th Street 0.1 miles east of U.S. 1, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1760 39th Street, Vero Beach FL 32960, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s Space Coast.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 14, 2022

2. Gifford School / Hosie Shumann Park Marker

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Gifford Community (approx. 0.9 miles away); Gifford High School Sundial Landmark (approx. one mile away); Vero Beach Grounds/Dubose Cemetery (approx. 1.1 miles away); U.S. Naval Station, Vero Beach (approx. 1.2 miles away); Vero Beach Railway Station (approx. 1½ miles away); Courthouse Executive Center (approx. 1.7 miles away); Community Building (approx. 1.7 miles away); William Jennings Bryan (approx. 1.7 miles away).

Also see . . . Hosie Schumann Park. (Submitted on January 1, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 808 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 1, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.

Gifford School⎯⎯⎯Hosie Shumann Park

Gifford School
⎯⎯⎯
Hosie Shumann Park