Jackson (Jack) and Annie Hamiter
The background
- Jackson (Jack) and Annie Hamiter were Alabama natives. Jack was born into slavery in 1861, but Annie was born during the Reconstruction Era. As the first generation of Black citizens, they began as sharecroppers in a system that did not offer many opportunities for blacks to advance economically. Toward the end of the 1800’s, the couple relocated to Florida seeking land ownership and a chance to build generational wealth. Jackson, Annie and their three children, Rosa, Lafayette, and Hattie settled in Ocoee.
- Over the next three decades, the Hamiters acquired land in Ocoee, Lockhart, and Sanford. The family story and the property deeds illustrate how the former sharecroppers began with no savings and went on to become independent, landowning farmers. They cleared land for White settlers and were paid in land which they cleared for their own use.
- The 1910 census lists Jack Hamiter as a farmer and Annie Hamiter as a nurse. After her children were grown, she demonstrated ambition and determination, by attending St. Augustine Normal College to receive nursing training. She served as a midwife to Black women in Ocoee.
- There is much more known about Annie Hamiter than about her husband. She was active in the Missionary Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School, and serving on the board of deaconesses. Annie also penned the letter to Mrs. Corinna M. Huston in Columbus, Ohio, that became part of the NAACP efforts to obtain federal action following the Ocoee Massacre. In the letter, Hamiter wrote that her family home escaped burning, but that they were under pressure to sell out and leave Ocoee. She ended the letter with a profession of her faith, stating, “I am trusting in the Lord for his goodness.”
- The 1921 Orange County Directory shows that the Hamiters were among a handful of Blacks still living in Ocoee. The 1925 Sanford City Directory named their residence as 1100 Cedar Avenue. It listed Jack Hamiter as a laborer, which points to the tremendous economic loss the family had suffered.
- Jack Hamiter was known by family members as a hard, but fair man. He passed away in 1941 at the ripe age of 80. Annie was described as thrifty, hardworking, and generous. Family spoke of her pantry filled with glass jars of fruits and vegetables that she had grown in her garden. She was also known for feeding those in need and for her wise advice to save ten percent of all their earnings. This was indicative of lessons she had learned through years of hard work that had moved their family up the economic ladder. Her experiences also taught her just how quickly racism and the actions of others could snatch away the evidence of her hard work. She lived to the age of 85. Annie joined with those spoken of in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews chapter 11). These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them. (Heb. 11:13a)
- Annie’s faith lives on in the lives of her descendants.
Written by Andrea Riley and submitted on behalf of the Descendants of Jackson and Annie Hamiter.
Details in this article were derived from https://bendingtowardjustice.cah.ucf.edu/index.php/economicpower/
the family
