1885 - J. W. Payne
In approximately 1885, J. W. Payne, an entrepreneur and the man responsible for naming Mascotte,
migrated from Baltimore, Maryland to St. Petersburg,
Florida.
Shortly, thereafter, he ventured northeastward and
settled in a wilderness area then known as Sumter County, where laid claim to several thousand acres of wilderness throughout the area of modern day Mascotte, forming Payne Enterprise.
It is
believed that Payne owned an interest in the cargo and passenger ship, the SS Mascotte, which made regular trips between
Baltimore and St. Petersburg.
Payne's primary economic interest was the harvesting for turpentine and timber from the vast pine forests in the area.
Both of these ventures proved to be extremely lucrative and there was soon a need for more laborers.
He brought in Negro laborers who were beginning to migrate from Georgia seeking employment opportunities.
Payne began to develop property near the settlement of Mascotte, where he constructed one or two room shanties for the Negro workers.
1886 - Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church
These early Negro settlers may have been poor, but they were rich in faith and believed that "the Lord would see them through".
This group of early settlers who became members of Mount olive Church were:
John Baldwin
Albert Blue
Israel Gadsen
Ike Hart
Ben Maxwell
While they could remedy their wealth through hard work, they needed a place to build up their spirit.
Around 1886, at the settlers request for a place to worship, Payne donated a one room shanty that was located on the south side of today's HWY 50, across from the Cemetery on the Hill.
It was in this small edifice the settlers gathered
together to pray and sing praises to the Lords.
This was their temple, but it was not chartered in the
Baptist organization.
The settlers continued to worship in this small structure for almost five years under the leadership of Rev. B. J. Chasen, J. L. Stephens, and Arch Harris.
In March of 1891, the three men formally chartered the congregation, which was established as Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev. B. J. Chasen was the first pastor.
The early pioneers of the congregation included:
Mr. and Mrs. Butch Griffin and their children: Bubba Son, Wilbert and Ms. Griffin
Mr. Billy Allen with his three sons and two daughters
Mr. Mark McGill
Mr. John Spaulding
A. L. Stuckey
A. L. Stuckey, a wealthy merchant from Dade City, purchased some of Payne's land holdings (a portion of which were also now owned by the Taylor brothers of Groveland) and named the village Stuckey, to honor himself.
To those who grew up in this area, the early community was known as "Stuckey's Still", because of the turpentine stills that were built throughout the area.
1910 - More About Mount Olive Church
In 1910, the Mount Olive Church moved further west into Stuckey.
The first site chosen was the lot where the home of Mrs. Tamara Mobley currently stands.
As the congregation's love of Mount Olive continued to grow, the life of member John
Spaulding changed significantly.
In this same year, 1910, John Spaulding announced his calling to the gospel ministry.
In order to further his education, he left for New Jersey where he became the first "Stuckian" to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He soon entered Seminary and received a degree in theology.
In 1926, Spaulding returned to Florida to pastor three different churches over the years.
He later served as District Missionary and served in that capacity until his final calling from God.
In 1928, Mount Olive Church moved to its present location at 15641 Stuckey Loop.
Other Mount Olive pastors:
Rev. F. J. R. Brown
Crawford
William Jackson
C. B. Buggs
C. C. Carter
C. B. Buggs (2nd term)
M. J. Brown (son of F. J. R. Brown)
Jackson
R. Montgomery
Roscoe Godwin
Rev. Noel Scott
The legacy continues at Missionary Baptist Church, where the songs are sung with
uplifted and angelic voices, where the fervent prayers of the righteous continue to be
prayed and the preaching of God's inspired and Holy Word is preached and taught.
Reverend Southall was called by the Missionary Baptist Church congregation in
August 2001. God has continued to bless this house under Reverend Dr. Clarence
Southall's leadership. As one of the remaining churches in the community, Reverend
Southall has identified the need for various outreach ministries and is calling upon his
congregation to reach out to the unsaved and needy of this community and the
surrounding areas. "Education is very important" this is something that Reverend
Southall stresses. He leads by example having received a Doctorate degree in
Theology.
Clarence served in the Army and as a Sergeant in the National Guard.
Rev. Southall with his wife Linda (Avant), daughters Iva and Stacy, and grandson Christian.
Rev. Southall often stressed the importance of education. He led by example, having received a Doctorate degree in Theology.
"God has continued to bless this house under Reverend Dr. Clarence Southall's leadership."
"Rev. Southall has identified the need for various outreach ministries and is calling upon his congregation to reach out to the unsaved and needy of this community and the surrounding areas."
Over the years, not much has changed at Mount Olive Church.
The church is one of the last in the area to continue a legacy of traditional styled sermons and hear songs straight out of the old time hymnals.
Rev. Dr. Clarence Southall, Jr. - Rev. Southall began his ministry at Mount Olive Church in August of 2001 and continued as pastor there until his passing in December of 2019.
1915 - First Black School
The first school for Blacks in Stuckey was founded in 1915.
Professor Samuel H. Newsom served as the first teacher.
Parents were required to pay fifty cents per month for each child as an attendance fee.
The school term lasted for three months.
In 1920, Lake County began to pay for the public schooling of the Black students.
Ms. Annie Surrency was the first public school teacher.
Succeeding Ms. Surrency were:
1921 - Ms. Emma Pettigrew
1922 - Ms. Phillister Robinson
1923 - Ms. Phillister Robinson and Ms. Mary - The school term was extended to six months.
1924 - Mrs. Eliza Williams and Ms. Cecilia Pierce
1925 - Ms. Cecilia Pierce
1928 - Ms. Arletha James
1919 - E. E. Edge Opens Way for Black Land Owners
In 1919, E. E. Edge, of Groveland, purchased the lands of A. L. Stuckey, among others, in the settlement.
In 1924, Edge had an unoccupied portion of this area surveyed and subdivided into lots.
These lots were offered to the local Black family's for purchase.
They now had the opportunity to become land owners.
Other Early Families
Bully Allen
Taylor and Pauline Bradshaw
Will and Anna Bronson
James "Big Jim" and Isabella Brown
James and Mahalia Bunn
Will and Nellie Crawford
Mack and Amanda Durant
Butch Griffin
Elliott and Mary Ann Hodges
Ellis and Mattie "Tiny" Horn
Henry and Neller Johnson
Rev. Elijah and Minnie Jones
Jessie and Frances Jones
Ivory and Annie "Babe" Kinslow
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee
Alex and Hattie Linzy (after Hattie passed away Alex married Georgianna Maxwell)
Ben and Alzda Maxwell
Mark McGill
Bruce and Georgianna McKinnon
Isaiah Siplin and Mose Cornelious Siplin
John Spaulding
Mr. and Mrs. Green Stafford
Mr. and Mrs. Zack Strong
Henry and Cora Taylor
Educators, and many different pro- fessional persons have evolved from these families. Most particular Willie Williams and Rev. Isiah McMullen.
The Maxwell Family members of Florida are direct
descendants of the Maxwells who were located in Williamsburg
County, South Carolina, at the time of the Emancipation
Proclamation in 1863.
There were three Maxwell brothers; namely, Green,
Frank, and Henry, in Greelyville, South Carolina, which is
in Williamsburg County. Each one eventually married and
fathered several children.
The following is a brief, yet
incomplete account of
the family history of the three brothers.
Green Maxwell was the father of four sons and two daughters:
Uma, Perry, Benjamin, Riley,
Sarah Ann,
and Mary Ann.
When they were young men, Uma and
Perry, migrated
to Blackshear, Georgia, where they obtained
employment with two
white men,
Ben
and
Frank
Shaw,
who were
turpentine operators.
In 1900, the brothers went back to Greelyville for
a Christmas visit.
It was at
that time that they persuaded
their father to let Benjamin, who was sixteen years old, go
back to Blackshear with them
where they all worked for the
Shaw brothers.
Ben Shaw bought a turpentine still
in Mascotte and when he moved there,
he took
along several
workers, including young Benjamin.
Benjamin Maxwell eventually met and married Alzada and
together they became the parents
of nine children.
Freddie was born in Williston,
Florida,
and the family resided there
until 1911, when he was four years old.
Benjamin's other
children are Georgianna; a son BJ, whom they
lost in
infancy; Joseph;
Matthew Virgin,
who was nicknamed Virge or
Tush;
Jeannette;
Mercedes; Maggie Lee;
and Oliver,
who was
nicknamed Hickie.
The Fred Maxwell Family
Freddie met and married Janie Moore of Greelyville,
South Carolina,
and they became the proud parents of
Alberta,
Joseph, Lenora, Charlie,
whom they lost in infancy,
twins George and Joyce, and Alzada.
Joseph married Irma,
a young lady from Alabama, and
they
were blessed with two daughters, Patricia and Michelle,
and a
son Ricky.
George
married Evelyn,
and they had one son George,
Jr.
Lenora and her husband Cranford Rigel became the
parents of five:
Micheal Gardner,
Tesa, Jodielea, Todd,
and Janie Racheal, who is nicknamed Jan.
Joyce and her husband, Mr. McCoy are the parents of
one daughter,
Torianna.
The youngest daughter, Alzada, married Moses Steel and
they became the parents af two sons, Stacey and Stanley
one daughter Jaime.
Joseph and Irma's daughter Patricia married Thadious Starling.
Their children are Roxy Ann, Thadious,
Jr., and Fleycia.
Joyce's daughter Toriana married and was blessed with
a daughter Lenese, and two sons,
Samuel and Benjamin.
Lenora's daughter Tesa married
and had two sons,
Adrian and Darrian.
Joseph Maxwell Family
Joseph married Ruby Horn and to this union came
Benjamin II, Josephine, and Patricia.
Georgiana Maxwell Family
Georgianna married Alex Linzy, and they became the
parents of Tamaria, Doris, and Alex, Jr., who is nicknamed
Rock.
Jeannette Maxwell Family
Jeannette and Willie Wise married and became the
parents of four sons, Willie
Jr.,
Charlie, Larry, and
Russell; and two daughters, Helen and Elizabeth.
Maggie Maxwell
Maggie Lee
married Willie Green. To this union came
several sons and
daughters.
Oliver Maxwell Family
Oliver
married Shirley, and they became the parents of
Vincent and Terry.
Mercedes and Matthew Virgin did not have any
offspring.
Somewhere between 1916 and 1920, Riley Maxwell,
Green, came to
Stuckey, Florida,
to visit his brother
Benjamin.
He did not return immediately to South Carolina,
instead, he went to the Lake Butler,
Florida area,
met young lady,
married her, and produced
several
offspring.
One son is Eugene.
Riley's daughter Sara Ann did not have
any children.
Mary Ann,
on the other hand,
married Elliot Hodges in
Greelyville,
and their daughter Henrietta was born there.
Later,
they
migrated to Florida and settled in Stuckey with
Benjamin
and Alzada. Other children
were born in Stuckey,
Frank and his wife lived in Greelyville where his son
Green and his daughter Susanna were born.
Susanna
eventually married Mr.
Robinson in Greelyville,
but they
later moved to Winter
Park, Florida,
where
they resided
for
a number of years.
One of Susanna's daughters ave birth to a son, Roland
Ray.
Henry Maxwell and his wife. were the parents of Trab
and Pauline.
Pauline married Taylor Bradshaw and
together
they parented Lily, Carol, Arch,
JC, Edna, and Francis.
[Contributors: Mary Helen Myers, Jason Brown, and Shayla Mobley]