Hi All,
Today we went up to Amelia Island with Herb & Marilyn, the other resident volunteer couple at Fort Caroline.
First stop was American Beach. In the heavily segregated south of the 1930's, Blacks had very limited access to beaches. In 1935, a wealth black insurance man, A.L. Lewis bought 216 acres of beachfront property on central Amelia Island. The "A.L. " stands for Abraham Lincoln.
In the ensuing years African-Americans from all over the east coast came here to vacation. Duke Ellington even performed at the night club.
The history of this extraordinary place is preserved and celebrated at the American Beach Museum
Ironically, desegregation contributed to the demise of American Beach since folks could now use any beach. The old cottages and hotels barely survived the luxury condo development on Amelia in the 1970's.
The strongest advocate for preservation was MaVynee Betsch. She was known as the "Beach Lady", a passionate and flamboyant resident who worked tirelessly to preserve the natural and cultural history of the community and adjacent 60' dune. The dune is now National Park property, protected as part of our Timucuan Preserve.
We then drove to Fernandina Beach for dinner and finished just in time to catch the holiday lights and sunset.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
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