On Thursday, February 16, 2012, for Black History Month, 59 members of the Retirees, Seniors and Friends took a custom Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Lake Worth, Florida (in Palm Beach County) conducted by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. This African American travel club was from Broward and Dade Counties in Florida. It was a sold-out tour with a waiting list. MLFH made arrangments for Macy’s at the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, FL to host private Shopping & Breakfast for the group prior to their arrival to Lake Worth, FL. Upon their arrival to Macy's they were greeted by Mr. Jim Rodgers, Vice President for that Macy's store. Raffles were conducted for a chance to win exclusive beauty gift sets. Plus, MAC Cosmetics offered complimentary mini-makeovers for the special guests.
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| Mr. Jim Rodgers, Vice President for Macy's with Barbara Johnson, group leader for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends at Macy's-Boynton Beach, FL which hosted private shopping and breakfast for the group. |
This was Retirees, Seniors and Friends second time taking the MLFH’s Narrated History Bus Tour. Last year in 2011, they took the Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach, FL which included a visit to MLFH's exhibit galleries inside the Boynton Beach Mall and also a trip to the Courthouse Museum in West Palm Beach. The group enjoyed the tour immensely and immediately scheduled a return visit for Black History Month in year 2012.
MLFH’s Narrated Bus Tours have been rated by AAA Mid-America Home & Away Magazine as the “Most Unique Travel Gem”. This tour program was introduced in year 2004 and to date more than 7,000 passengers have taken the tour.
This African American travel club formed a few years ago and they’ve traveled to various historic cities in America including Florida. This is their second group visit to Palm Beach County, Florida. They represent a demographic of professional African Americans who have retired in South Florida. Many of them are of Bahamian heritage and they also symbolize a migration that took place more than 40 years ago in the 1960s of educated African Americans who moved to South Florida for job opportunities from the island of the Bahamas, and also African Americans who moved to South Florida from Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
For Black History Month 2012, MLFH scheduled a tour of historic Lake Worth, Florida because it was first settled in 1889 by an African American woman named Fannie James who owned with her husband Samuel James (who were both former slaves) 186 acres of land that stretched from Lake Avenue to 12 Avenue South in Lake Worth, FL. The impetus for visiting Lake Worth was for the group to tour the new home of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council at the Montgomery Building. In addition, three other historic black sites in the historic black Osborne Addition neighborhood in Lake Worth were visited that included the 1922 Grant Chapel AME Church, the 1927 St. John's Episcopal Church and the Osborne Colored School.
During segregation, African Americans lived in a section of Lake Worth designated Osborne Colored Addition. It was platted in 1917 and many of the early settlers moved from neighboring Lantana, Florida after Lantanta passed an ordinance that prohbited black residents. Grant Chapel AME Church's origins were in Lantana, Florida then it moved to the Osborne Colored Addition in Lake Worth. It is the first African American church in Lake Worth. Grant also served as the first location for the Colored School in Lake Worth. Rev. Rosetta Clark of Grant AME re-told the history of the church when the tour guests visited.
St. John's Episcopal is the second oldest black church in Lake Worth which was established in 1927. It is still an active church located in its original 1927 church building which survived the devastating 1928 hurricane. St. John's served as the second location for the Colored School in Lake Worth. Descendants of the founders of the church provided the history of St. John's. George Glinton and Richard Knowles are descendants of the founders who were originally from Long Island, Bahamas. They were joined by St. John church member Theodore Morris who shared the history about the Big Red Bell located in front of the church. So the story goes, the historic Big Red Bell was created in 1904 for the Fire Department in West Palm Beach, FL. The Fire Department donated the bell to St. John's in the 1930s. The church had to raise $100 to pay for the transportation costs for moving the Bell to their church site. The Big Red Bell is tolled for special occasions.
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| 1927 St. John's Espicopal Church and the Big Red Bell in Lake Osborne (formerly known as Lake Osborne Colored Addition) in Lake Worth, FL. Church member Theodore Morris is pictured with the bell. The church was established by black Bahamians from Long Island, Bahamas. It was visited for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History tour of historic Lake Worth, FL hosted for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends travel club. |
In 1947, a free-standing building was erected to serve as the Osborne Colored School for grades 1st thru 8th. After integration it continued to operate as a day school until the 2000s then it became a Head Start Center which is its current function. The visit to the Osborne School was amazing where the tour guests were greeted with welcome signs and their visit included a hot meal and musical performance by school's children. Former Lake Worth Commissioner Retha M. Lowe greeted the Retirees, Seniors and Friends members too. Lowe was the first African American commissioner for the City of Lake Worth where she also served as Vice Mayor. Lowe served on the commission with former Lake Worth Mayor Tom Ramiccio who also participated in the tour with greeting the visitors at each of the historic sites in Lake Osborne. At the Osborne School, Ramiccio gave a history speech about Lake Worth settler Fannie James who was a property owner in the area before it was even Lake Worth. During his term as Mayor, Ramiccio was instrumental with documenting the historical contribution of former black slave Fannie James and having a monument built for her in Downtown Lake Worth, FL.
The people of Lake Worth treated the Retirees, Seniors and Friends with dignitary status. There was a caravan of black and white Lake Worth residents and supporters who followed the bus transporting the African American travel club to each of the historic sites in Lake Osborne neighborhood in Lake Worth, FL.
The finale visit of the tour was to the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council which is now located in the Robert Montgomery, Jr. Building. The architectural style of the 1940s building is Art Deco which originally served as a movie theater. Nichole Hickey, Artists' Services Coordinator for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council greeted the African American travel club, and gave a brief lecture about the history of the building and the purpose of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. Then the travel club guests took a self-guided tour of the facility and shopped in the Gift Shop. Mr. Bill Nix, Vice President for Government Affairs for the Cultural Council, also welcomed, greeted, and mixed and mingled with the special visitors during their tour of the galleries. The Cultural Council provided for each tour guest a tote bag.
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| Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President Bill Nix with Mrs. Barbara Johnson. The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council for Black History Month. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
The Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce also gave Welcome Packets in tote bags for each of the Retirees, Seniors & Friends members that included a complimentary copy of the nearly 300-page history book about Lake Worth entitled LAKE WORTH: Jewel of the Gold Coast.
Welcome letters were received from US Congressman Alcee Hastings, Florida State Representative Lori Berman, Palm Beach County Commissioner Shelley Vana, Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo. Click Here to read their letters.
The tour was highlighted in news media in The Palm Beach Post and HOT 105 South Florida Tom Joyner Morning Show.
To schedule a private group tour of Historic Palm Beach County, FL contact the Museum at 561-243-2662 or e-mail:
Tour@DelrayBeachBusTours.org. Visit the website at
MLFHMUSEUM.org. Click
LIKE for MLFH's Facebook Page.
Here are more photos:
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| Macy's Boynton Beach, FL hosted a raffle of exclusive beauty products for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends which is an African American travel club from Broward and Dade Counties. |
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| Macy's Boynton Beach, FL hosted a raffle of exclusive beauty products for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends which is an African American travel club from Broward and Dade Counties. |
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| Members of the Retirees, Seniors and Friends shop at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL for their field trip of historic Palm Beach County, Florida conducted by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History |
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| Members of the Retirees, Seniors and Friends shop at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL for their field trip of historic Palm Beach County, Florida conducted by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History |
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| MAC Cosmetics at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL provided complimentary mini-makeovers for the private shopping and breakfast event for Retirees, Seniors and Friends which is an African American travel club |
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| Retirees, Seniors and Friends group leader Mrs. Barbara Johnson shopped at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL for the travel club's Black History Month activity in Palm Beach County, FL |
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| Volunteers Dolores Silver and Carol Ellis for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History helped with greeting and sign-in for the private shopping and breakfast event at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends |
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| Volunteers Carol Ellis and Dolores Silver for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History with MLFH founder Lori J Durante, (center) helped with greeting and sign-in for the private shopping and breakfast event at Macy's Boynton Beach, FL for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends |
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| 59 Members of the Retirees, Seniors and Friends African American travel club took a custom tour of historic Lake Worth for Black History Month conducted by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. The group seated in the historic 1927 St. John's Epsicopal Church. The Retirees group was so moved by the history of the church they took-up a monetary collection for St. John's. |
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| L-R: George Glinton and Richard Knowles (seated) are descendants of the founders of St. John's Epsicopal Church in the Lake Osborne neighborhood in Lake Worth. Church member Theodore Morris shared the history about the Big Red Bell on the church site |
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| L-R: George Glinton and Richard Knowles (seated) are descendants of the founders of St. John's Epsicopal Church in the Lake Osborne neighborhood in Lake Worth who told the history about the church. Church member Theodore Morris shared the history about the Big Red Bell on the church site |
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| Former Lake Worth Mayor Tom Ramiccio greeted the African American travel club at their visit to Grant Chapel AME in Lake Osborne in Lake Worth, FL. Grant is the oldest black church in Lake Worth, FL. |
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| The African American travel club visited Grant Chapel AME in Lake Osborne in Lake Worth, FL. Grant is the oldest black church in Lake Worth, FL. |
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| Rev. Rosetta Clark of Grant Chapel AME Church in Lake Osborne in Lake Worth, FL. Grant is the oldest black church in Lake Worth, FL |
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| Welcome signs at the Osborne School in Lake Osborne Addition in Lake Worth, FL |
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| Welcome signs at the Osborne School in Lake Osborne Addition in Lake Worth, FL |
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| Former Mayor of Lake Worth, FL Tom Ramiccio at the Osborne School gave an interesting history lesson about the contribution of African American settlers in Lake Worth, FL. |
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| Lake Worth's first black commissioner Retha M. Lowe with Dr. Herman Jordan who is a native of Lake Worth, FL at the Osborne School. |
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| Former Lake Worth Commissioner Retha M. Lowe with Lori J. Durante, Executive Director of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History at the Osborne School in Lake Worth, FL |
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| A hot buffet meal was provided at the historic Osborne School in Lake Worth, FL for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends |
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| A hot buffet meal was provided at the historic Osborne School in Lake Worth, FL for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends |
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| Nichole Hickey of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council with Mrs. Barbara Johnson at the Palm Beach County Cultural Council located in Downtown Lake Worth, FL |
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| The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council |
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| The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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| The Gift Shop at the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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| Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President Bill Nix with a tour guest. The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for Black History Month for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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| Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President Bill Nix with a tour guest. The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for Black History Month for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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| The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for Black History Month for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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| The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History made arrangements for Black History Month for the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends to visit the new home for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. This is the first African American travel club to take a tour of historic Lake Worth, FL |
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