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Gifford Neighborhood Plan 2014 NOTE: It is ironic that once the railroad was operating, Henry Gifford's son, F. Charles Gifford, worked at the Gifford station. In 1903, that station was replaced by one in Vero. Alvin O. Espy grew citrus and vegetables on his land, built a family store and created the Espy subdivision. He was born in Dothan Alabama and was attracted here by opportunities with the railroad. In 1896 he quit the railroad and took out homestead papers on 160 acres. His property extended from the Atlantic Coastal Ridge just west of the railroad tracks to what is now 27" Avenue and in 1908 he purchased another 40 acre he Hill,"that extended to the northern boundary of the original Vero Beach airport. tract south of his homestead, an area known then as "T However, during World War 11,the airport was handed over to the Navy and the surrounding lands to the west and the Espy property to the north and east were annexed. The Hill was condemned along with Espy subdivision and the government moved out all the residents and businesses. After the war, the government signed over all airport land to the City of Vero Beach, including what once belonged to entrepreneur, Alvin O. Espy. There was a lawsuit that was settled on the claims of the Espy family. Like Espy, William Edward Geoffrey came here to work on the railroad in 1892 from a cotton plantation near Florence, South Carolina and homesteaded 160 acres. The area's first school was built in 1898, but for white children only. A few years later, William Geoffrey donated some of his land for the first black school and a park. A small building was constructed and classes were limited to first through sixth grades. It was initially operated by parents and the local church. The school year lasted three months, when there were no beans to pick. The school for black kids in the Wabasso area was an old Masonic Hall. The historic Macedonia Baptist Church was built in 1908 on land in Sebastian donated by a white family, Murray and Sara Hall. It was built primarily by black workers who had worked on the railroad and lived in "quarters" along the tracks. Six kerosene lanterns lit the church. Other churches emerged to serve the black community because blacks were forbidden to worship at white churches. In 1994, the Macedonia Church was moved to its current location in Gifford and completely restored. John Russ and his family arrived in 1922. They were known for their hospitality. Blacks couldn't stay in white hotels or go to white restaurants, so the Russ family welcomed them. As the area developed, black men found work primarily in manual labor and women were limited primarily to domestic work. Thomas and Hattie Jackson homesteaded in Gifford after moving up from Deerfield Beach. He decided to grow citrus and his son, Walter, eventually owned 300 acres. In 1964,Walter Jackson became the first black man in Indian River County to hold elected office,on the school board. Joe Nathan Idlette and wife Nancy Cookley came from Sumter County, Georgia in 1923. His son,Joe Idlette,Jr., said in a 2008 interview,"When my parents came to town, a bell would ring at sundown in downtown Vero Beach and that was the signal for all blacks to leave Vero." Many Gifford old timers told of the infamous bell that would ring at sundown in Vero Beach, the signal for all blacks to leave town. Reverend r' Leon Young, long time Gifford resident, said, "In the evening downtown Vero was off limits to black folks. If you came down at six o'clock you were questioned by law enforcement—why are you here? Who do you work for?They would let you buy what you needed,then escort you out of Indian River County 105 4> Community Development