Question: What is the slogan for the town of Eatonville, Florida?
Answer: The Town That Freedom Built
Newly freed slaves who had come into the area from Georgia, Alabama, and further north first settled the town in 1880. They labored at clearing land, planting crops and citrus groves, and helping to build houses, hotels, and the railroad system. In a few years, some became community leaders, businessmen, and respected citizens of the newly developed town of Maitland. By 1887, African American settlers in Maitland had become interested in establishing their own town.
Eventually, Joe Clarke and others acquired 112 acres. They comprised the original city limits of the Town of Eatonville. On August 15, 1887, 27 electors gathered and cast their votes for town officers. Thus, the first town to be organized, governed, and incorporated by African-American citizens in this country was born. Central to early life in Eatonville were three institutions: the church, the school, and the family.
