Cloudy skies and violent rain are what followed us during the journey into Baker County. However, by the end of the trip this weather much like our apprehension had subsided. The sky had transformed into a brilliant rainbow and our hopes for the project had been renewed.
This week centered on my visit with Dr. Gannon to Baker County. Our journey began at the Baker County Historical Society. I had been in communication with the president Justin Burnham and confirmed our visit for Saturday the 15th. Upon arrival we saw the society in action. There was an event involving a tour of the building and discussing its history as a jail. In the midst of this we were greeted by the vice president who took our questions. Immediately, he was forthcoming with information regarding Olustee. When we asked him about the African American cemetery, he responded quite casually that he had also heard of a mass grave around the cross. This motivated me and made me hopeful towards making a useful discovery within their resources. The vice president allowed us to browse their open library on the first floor. On this floor we found a useful book about Olustee that had a plethora of useful primary sources to explore later. Then, a record of local cemeteries was also discovered. In this we tried to see if there were records of people from the period of the Civil War. A few of these cemetery sources had people from this period, but unfortunately, we still did not discover records of the relevant African American cemetery. Amid our
perusing of the different sources, Mr. Burnham completed his tour and was able to speak with us. We asked him similar questions to that of the vice president. However, his response was especially significant as it gave more insight into the legacy of the mass grave among Baker County residents. He recounted to us that he was aware of the story. In fact, he had heard about it in school and remembered being taught about the tragedy. This account further supported my view of the mass grave as an “open secret.” Many residents are aware of the tragedy. However, sadly it seems as if there is not a concerted effort to bring more recognition to it. He continued by saying that he shared our difficulty in making significant connections with the African American community within Baker County. However, he directed us to a few different contacts that may help us better understand this community. One was a notable pastor in the county that had good relationships throughout the area. Following a few more questions, Mr. Burnham directed us to the second floor where there were several other files small libraries to explore.
We remained there for around two hours and tried our best to sift through the large volumes of articles, books, and pamphlets. Some things of interest found were a 1961 pamphlet from a program celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Civil War, articles about the prison system within the county and the vicious turpentine industry, and newspaper clippings about the scarcity of the African American community. The pamphlet from the 1960s helped speak to the atmosphere towards Civil War memory at the time. It appeared to lean more towards the Confederate side as there was even a salute to the confederate flag listed within the program. Furthermore, the articles about the turpentine industry revealed a network of corruption that ran throughout the county. Prisoners were abused and had their rights trampled on in the pursuit of profit. Moreover, this story may have some parallels to Olustee as there were reports of black prisoners who worked for the turpentine industry being thrown into a mass grave when they died or were beaten to death. This fact may be a good lead to follow or at least a way to gain a better sense of the history of the county. Lastly, the news articles expressing the small presence of the African American community helped confirm what still seems to be an issue today. This reality can be further contextualized by the prevalence of the KKK in the past. It helps frame the history of this community and how that may affect our efforts today.
We continued looking through sources but ultimately due to time constraints had to start our return journey. However, I felt assured that we had bolstered the project’s connection with the Baker County Historical Society in a way that will encourage further future collaboration. Then, due to our proximity we decided to visit the Olustee battlefield State Park before we officially left. I finally saw in person the proposed site for the mass grave. Being able to see this site filled me with a deep sense of both respect and grief. It was disheartening to feel that so many people viewed the site and the tragedy as a stagnant thing of the past, rather than the continued living legacy of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country. Still, I
was reinvigorated to work even harder to protect this history and bring it to light. Therefore, this week I will continue to follow up on sources as well as reach out to the contacts that we received while at the historical society. I hope I can continue to find answers and hear more personal perspectives about Olustee and Baker County as a whole.
Comments