Oviedo in Seminole County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Henry Jackson: Homesteader, Farmer

Photographed by Diane Murphy, March 8, 2024

1. Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker (side 1)

Inscription.
(side 1)
Henry Jackson was one of the first Black homesteaders to settle in the Oviedo area. Jackson was born in 1883 in Mitchell County, Georgia, one of fourteen children. He moved to Florida in 1910. Using the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed citizens who met all the requirements to claim up to 160 acres, Jackson secured 40 acres on both sides of Long Lake. There, Henry, his wife, Arthier Cummings, and their son, Moses Jackson, grew multiple crops, including potatoes, peas, corn, grapes, and a variety of fruit trees. For 25 years, Jackson led a grubbing crew of up to sixteen men. They used mule-drawn plows to clear trees and stumps from the Black Hammock and Iowa City areas. This led to the rise of celery as a major crop and meant that farmers in the area were no longer reliant on growing citrus as their sole cash crop. Jackson's property and surrounding area became a predominantly Black settle-The area was later renamed Jackson Heights to honor Jackson's legacy as one of the area's original Black homesteaders. (Continued on other side ) (side 2) (Continued from other side) In 1949, Stanley T. Muller came

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to Oviedo and took the position of principal at the Oviedo Negro Elementary School. An army veteran and college graduate, Muller's prayer was to "work together and move forward." He would shepherd the school through a tumultuous era. In 1961, students and PTA members recommended renaming the school Jackson Heights Elementary School, after Henry Jackson. On December 8th, the Seminole County School Board agreed. The school had grown from a single classroom to five classrooms with 13 teachers, 416 students, plus a library and cafeteria. Mr. Muller would remain in the position of principal during the 1967-68 integration of all Seminole County schools. In 1971, the schools name changed once again to become Jackson Heights Middle School for students in grades 6-8. Students in grades 1-5 were reassigned to Lawton Elementary School. Ophelia Jones Moore was one of the first Black teachers in the newly integrated school, and she lived next to it for more than 50 years. She was a native of Oviedo, daughter of George and Rena Belle Jones, and a product of the segregated Oviedo schools.

Erected 2023 by Oviedo Preservation Project and the Florida

Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker (side 2) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Diane Murphy, March 8, 2024

2. Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker (side 2)

Department of State. (Marker Number F-1213.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Education • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.

Location. 28° 40.156′ N, 81° 11.716′ W. Marker is in Oviedo, Florida, in Seminole County. It is at the intersection of Academy Avenue and Boston Street, on the right when traveling east on Academy Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 Academy Ave, Oviedo FL 32765, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Orlando

and in Central Florida.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lake Charm

Photographed by Diane Murphy, March 2024

3. Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker (side 1)

(approx. 0.7 miles away); Oviedo (approx. 0.8 miles away); Lawton House (approx. one mile away); Navy Plane Crash/Jim Jones: An Eyewitness (approx. 1.1 miles away); Benjamin Franklin Wheeler Sr. / Wheeler-Evans House (approx. 1.1 miles away); Harry Homer Boston, Sr. / Harold “Hal” King, Sr. (approx. 1.1 miles away); Foster Chapel (approx. 1.4 miles away); Lake Jesup (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oviedo.

Photographed by Diane Murphy, March 2024

4. Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker (side 2)

Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Diane Murphy, March 2024

5. Henry Jackson Homesteader, Farmer Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on March 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. This page has been viewed 491 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 8, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.