Julia Atzeroth
Born in 1807 in Bavaria, Germany, Julia Atzeroth moved with her husband, Joe Atzeroth, and young daughter to Terra Ceia in 1843. First living in a palmetto hut, Julia helped her husband clear their sixty acres with an axe. She became known as ”Madam Joe,“ because she always called her husband ”Mr. Joe.“
She split time between her Terra Ceia farm and a beer and cake shop she ran in Tampa (then known as Fort Worth) which was very popular among soldiers. In 1873, after her husband passed away, she moved to Fogartyville (located in West Bradenton) and lived with her daughter Eliza Atzeroth Fogarty. It was here that she grew coffee from seeds – it was the first coffee ever grown in the continental United States. She sent four pounds to the president at the time, Rutherford B. Hayes, for which she received a $10 gold piece.
Mary Jane Whittaker
When Mary Jae Whittaker first arrived in Bradenton at age 11, she was crippled and confined to a wheelchair. Her aunt took her north to Jefferson, Indiana where she was fitted with leg braces and learned to walk.
In her northern environment, she was taught the standard abilities of a lady, but when she arrived back in Florida she absorbed the skills of the land – she rode horses, shot a rifle, herded cattle and was an excellent boat helmsman. She met the famous Seminole Chief Holata Micco, also known as Billy Bowlegs, many times as he would often visit their family. She once rowed him across the river and he complimented her on her navigating skills and her spirit. At 20, she married William Whittaker on June 26, 1851; it was the first wedding listed on the Manatee Methodist Episcopal Church registrar. In 20 years, she bore 11 children. She hand-sewed her children’s booties of raccoon hide, stuffed their mattresses with palm fronds and always marked her bible with a piece of seaweed.
Olive Hitchings
Olive Hitchings could be considered one the first women involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM in Manatee County. As Bradenton’s first telephone operator, working a 50-panel switchboard inside the Warren Opera House (located in downtown Bradenton). The switchboard, built in the early 1900s, connected phone lines to Oneco, Palmetto, Bradenton and the Village of Manatee (present-day East Bradenton).
Julia Reasoner Fuller
We can thank Julia Reasoner Fuller for much of the history about Manatee County. The lifetime Bradenton resident kept a very detailed diary and scrapbooks chronicling important events throughout her entire life. She not only inspired others to do the same, but she also started the first library where she served as the very first librarian.
Bertha Curry
Bertha became the first woman to vote in Manatee County on Sept. 9, 1920. It helped that her father, W.V. Curry, was the Supervisor of Elections at the time. He encouraged Bertha to register and become the first female voter.
There were many women who influenced education throughout history. The following women made the biggest impact and are immortalized in local history with schools bearing their names.
Frankie McKay Howze
In September of 1888, Frankie McKay (then 19) came to Palmetto with a strong recommendation from the Superintendent of Bartow which said, ”Miss Frankie is the best teacher we ever had, despite the fact that she is a woman.“
When Frankie first arrived in Palmetto, the multi-use building being utilized as a school was subpar at best. She ordered books for the children with her own money and set up a library where she became the first librarian. She was a teacher in 1895, at the first official public school (Palmetto Academy) she was also the first principal and the first football coach. She miraculously accomplished all this while raising four sons and a step-daughter after her husband, James Howze, passed away when the youngest was only nine.
She taught school for 51 years; the vastness of her teaching ability was so well respected, she was featured in a Good Housekeeping article and recognized under the Great Floridians 2000 program by the Florida League of Cities. Howze put her children through college and took classes at Colombia University during the summer. Palmetto Elementary was named Frankie A. Howze Elementary at one point, but after a restoration, the dedication was forgotten. The one-room schoolhouse she taught in was moved to the Palmetto Historical Park as was the dedication plaque from Palmetto Elementary,
Florine Jones Abel
Abel Elementary is named after Florine Jones Abel, who served as an educator for 45 years, bridging the eras of segregation to modern-day practices. In 1945, she became the first African American principal in Manatee County. Then, became one of the first black women to serve as the Superintendent of Negro Education from 1959 to 1965 (when the district was still segregated). After segregation occurred in 1970, she held an important advisory administration role until her retirement a year later. In 1980, Abel Elementary was named in her honor.
Louise Rogers Johnson
Louise R. Johnson Middle School of International Studies is named after the daughter of Garfield DeVoe Rogers who opened Lincoln Academy in Bradenton, the first school for African American students in 1930. Johnson pursued a career in education when she was just 14. At that time, there was no high school for black children in Manatee County – Lincoln Academy only went to eighth grade. Johnson left her friends and family behind to attend classes at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona–one of the only colleges in the state for African-Americans. At the time, colleges also had high-school departments but they required tuition. During her time at Bethune-Cookman (1926-1932), she worked in the administration office under president and founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune – one of Rogers’ mentors.
Rogers earned her degree in education 1932. She returned to Manatee County and began working as a teacher for the school district in a segregated school. She stayed with the district through desegregation, educating students of all races beginning in 1970. In 1979, she became the first black person to serve on the school board; she was appointed by Gov. Ruben Askew but served for the next 10 years, becoming board chair in ’86.
She ran a program out of her church called Community Face the Nation, which tutored children in reading and math but also taught them life skills like sewing, horticulture and crafts. In 1987, she was awarded Manatee County’s highest honor: the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award.
So as we wrap up the month of March, we need to remember these women and their many contributions to life in Manatee County. Let’s tip our hats to the struggles and triumphs they endured create a pathway for women in Manatee County today. Bravo!
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