Week Eight: The Georgetown History Harvest

The front façade at historic Hopper Academy, classic red door included.

Hello, reader! What a week it has been! To kick off Week Eight, I participated in the highly anticipated Georgetown History Harvest on February 28th, and what an event it was. Seeing Hopper Academy in person was truly no short of magical. The same doors that once greeted Marie Stapler Gladden felt extremely inviting, and I started the day knowing I was in a place with a profound connection to the Gladdens. Inside Hopper Academy, I set up my personal scanner and laptop and arranged my Gladden Archive signage on a table in the main hallway. After the excitement of the setup came to a close, I eagerly awaited the influx of artifacts expected to arrive at any moment.

As I waited for objects to scan, I was truly excited to have been selected to be part of the Florida Historical Society’s own Ben Brotemarkle’s ongoing film project, which includes a segment on the RICHES mission. Fun fact: I used to advertise for Ben’s lectures while I worked at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation! At first, Ben had me speak on how RICHES uses digital scanners to preserve community records. However, after speaking to him and his film crew about the Michael Gladden Jr. Digital Archive, he decided to film an entire segment of us engaging in dialogue on what the archive has to offer! I will say I was a little intimidated by this impromptu interview, but I was thrilled to have participated in such a meaningful project. After Ben left to interview Geoffrey, I was also delighted to have been interviewed by a fellow history and anthropology student from the UCF student newspaper! Needless to say, I was talking up a storm. However, as everyone knows, I’m always more than happy to discuss anything Gladden-related to curious listeners!

My flyers at the Georgetown History Harvest- a dream come true!

As patrons spilled into the digitization room, I quickly got to work scanning precious collections of Georgetown community history. One gentleman by the name of Emory Green supplied me with an entire binder full of objects related to Sanford’s canning facility, opened by the Community Action Agency in 1976 to provide Sanfordites with employment opportunities. The scrapbook primarily contained newspaper clippings and photographs related to activities at the canning facility. As I scanned these objects, Mr. Green informed me that the canning facility’s building was indeed still standing! The scrapbook itself was a family heirloom, likely created by Mr. Green’s grandmother, who worked at the canning facility.

After finishing the scans for Mr. Green, Dr. Lester very kindly introduced me to Dr. Annye Refoe of Seminole State College, a lifetime Sanfordite. We sat down together, I showed her around the Michael Gladden Jr. Digital Archive, and we had a great conversation about local Black history. In our discussion, Dr. Refoe revealed that she knew Marie Stapler Gladden’s nephew, Kenny Stapler, as he is her neighbor. I was delighted that she offered to put me in contact with Mr. Stapler to help further my research on Mrs. Gladden’s family’s presence in Sanford! Additionally, I met the curator of the Sanford Museum, Brigitte Stephenson, who offered to aid my search on the Stapler family, particularly on Marie and her brother, who was Sanford's pharmacist.

I was grateful to have contributed my time to running what Dr. Lester said was one of the most fruitful History Harvests to ever take place. Meeting so many faces all in one place was overwhelmingly rewarding, and I can’t wait to participate in the next history harvest later this month at the New Smyrna Museum of History. More to come next week, reader! See you then!