Faces and Stories

Faces and Stories. Community, Culture, and Commerce . 22nd Street South Corridor. , Emma Hill , (ca. 1907 - 1924) , Bootlegging and gambling were part of daily life during the 1920s and 1930s. Although illegal, everyone from noted businessmen and grandmas were known to have participated. On occasion, houses were raided and moonshine was seized. One regrettable incident involved the death of 17 year-old Emma Hill when deputies fired upon a car in which she was a passenger. According to the Evening Independent, a coroner’s jury was unable to determine who killed her. , , Elijah Moore , (ca. 1888 - 1972) , Perhaps better known as the “I got ‘em” man, Elijah Moore sold peanuts and produce from a cart wearing a top hat and tails for more than 50 years. As well as being a familiar face on 22nd Street he was also a fixture in the annual Festival of States parades. , , Henry “Rag Man” Bonner , (ca. 1892 - 1973) , Henry “Rag Man” Bonner scoured Jordan Park and the surrounding areas in search of old rags to purchase. The rags were sold to the St. Petersburg Times for use in the production of newspaper as recycled rags were the best source of paper making fiber. “Rag Man” Bonner strolled and drove through the streets singing in a melodious voice, “rag man, rag man.” When people heard him coming they would meet him on the street bringing their rags for him to buy. Bonner also sold fruits and vegetables to the people in the area and starting in the late 1940s operated a junk shop at 1100 22nd Street S. , , Jewish Presence , Jewish residents were also a target of discrimination. 1924, racist signs staring "Gentiles Only Wanted - No Jews Wanted Here" were placed along Gandy Boulevard. Although less legally imposing than the Jim Crow system, social restrictions barred Jews from membership in private clubs, residency in the fashionable neighborhoods, and eating at or staying in local restaurants and hotels which advertised "Christians Only." As a result, Jewish entrepreneurs were largely limited to African-American neighborhoods. For example, with the construction of the Jordan Park. , , Norman Jones, Sr. , (1901 - 1990) , Photographer, publicist, and journalist Norman Jones Sr. maintained an office at 800 22nd Street S. An astute observer of politics and culture, Jones edited the "Negro pages" in the local newspapers and wrote the column "Let's Talk Politics" for black newspapers in florida Starting in 1956, Jones served as the Florida editor for the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the largest black newspapers in the U.S. , , Joseph Albury , (1877 - 1971) , A native of the Bahamas, Joseph Albury arrived in St. Petersburg in 1916. He opened a photography studio on 9th Street S. with Albert Roberts. After moving to the 22nd Street S. neighborhood in the late 1930s, he practiced photography in the neighborhood before eventually working at Gibbs Vocational School. , , Betty Williams Fuller , (1926 - 2010) , Born in St. Petersburg in 1926, Betty Fuller was always described as "a pistol." During the day she worked at Webb's Cfty running the elevator Where her voice was easily recognizable as she called out, "Going up!" However, when the work day was done, Fuller could often be found at the Manhattan Casino, the place to be to dance and have fun. She was well known for dancing with the movers and shakers of the era and was said to have often asked of her many dance partners: "What's your pleasure?" , , Housing Complex, Simon (Samuel) and Mollie Schwartz opened S&S Grocery in 1939. After his death in 1948, Meyer Miller, a long time Jewish employee, became the proprietor of S&S Market. The grocery provided work to children to deliver groceries to local residents, who could order their groceries and put it on a tab to pay later. The market remained a neighborhood landmark until it closed in 1969. , , Other Jewish entrepreneurs who operated businesses along 22nd Street S. included Morris Feltmai, David Schleifer, Benjamin Bernstein, -Morris Goldstein, and Samuel Rabinovitch. , (captions) , Excerpted from Business World Magazine, Courtesy of Pinellas County Heritage Village , , Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times , , Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times , , Jewish merchant, David Rothblatt, operated Southern Grocery at 636 22nd Street S. In the Manhattan Casino ca. 1930. Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory Project. , , Jones advertises a beverage during hi “Down on Central” radio show, Photo courtesy of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum. , , Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History , , Photo courtesy of Madelyn Roberson