The following are short descriptions of the places which have contributed to the shaping of African American history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Murray’s Ranch, a guest ranch in Apple Valley, California, was unique in that it was owned by and catered primarily to African Americans, and because it served as the set for several “all-Black cast” western films. The 40-acre ranch on the edge of the Mojave … Read MoreMurray’s Dude Ranch, Apple Valley, California (1922–1960)
Chowan Beach was an African American playground founded in 1926 when Eli Reid of Winton, in Hertford County, North Carolina, converted an abandoned fishing beach along the Chowan River into a family-oriented resort for African Americans. The area was originally settled in the Colonial era … Read MoreChowan Beach, Hertford County, North Carolina (1926-2004)
Freeman Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina, was one of two North Carolina beaches available to African Americans in the state during the Jim Crow era. The beach area, originally 99 acres of underdeveloped beachfront land near Myrtle Grove Sound, was acquired by Alexander and Charity … Read MoreFreeman Beach-Seabreeze, Wilmington, North Carolina (ca. 1885- )
Buckroe Beach is one of the oldest recreational regions in Virginia. In 1619, the “Buck Roe” plantation was designated for public use for the newly arrived English settlers sent by the Virginia Company of London. By 1637, however, the plantation was converted into a commercial … Read MoreBuckroe Beach, Hampton, Virginia (1890- )
The Gotham Hotel in Detroit, Michigan was an example of the intersection between legitimate business and illicit enterprise in the Jim Crow era. The hotel was originally founded to provide a social and business center for local black professionals and a place of accommodation for … Read MoreGotham Hotel, Detroit, Michigan (1943-1963)
A small beach resort community in the city of Manhattan Beach, California, Bruce’s Beach was once owned by and operated for African Americans with no opportunities to vacation at white resorts due to segregation. Bruce’s Beach was one of the few beaches in Southern California … Read MoreBruce’s Beach, Manhattan Beach, California (1920- )
Located on the long stretch of the Atlantic City, New Jersey, shoreline just south of downtown, Chicken Bone Beach was designated as the exclusively African American section of beach around 1900. It remained a blacks only beach until the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed. … Read MoreChicken Bone Beach, Atlantic City, New Jersey (1900- )
Woodland Park, Michigan was a small resort established by Marion E. Auther, a black Ohio businessman and leading salesman for the Idlewild Resort Company, the same company that developed the much more famous Idlewild resort. Woodland Park began when the Brookings Lumber Company sold the … Read MoreWoodland Park, Michigan (1921- )
American Beach, the only beach in Florida that welcomed black Americans and offered safe, secure overnight accommodations during Jim Crow segregation, was founded in 1935 by the Afro-American Life Insurance Company (AALIC) which was established in 1901 to provide the Jacksonville, Florida black community with … Read MoreAmerican Beach, Jacksonville, Florida (1936- )
Fox Lake, near Angola, Indiana, is a thriving resort community for African Americans. Fox Lake took its name from its original owner Daniel Fox, who first claimed the land around the lake during the initial years of settlement of the region. He established his land … Read MoreFox Lake, Angola, Indiana (1927- )
