Source: Blanchard House Museum
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2015)- The Char1otte County Board of County Commissioners will dedicate a new Char1otte County Historical Marker at Lt. Car1 A. Bailey Cemetery located at 27399 Holleyman Rd., Punta Gorda on Friday, February 27 at 4:30 p.m. The marker honors the second of only two known African-American cemeteries in today’s Char1otte County. The Historical Advisory Committee approved the marker on November 12 and Civil War re-enactors from the 2nd Infantry, United States Colored Troops will be present to honor two Union veterans buried in the cemetery, Owen B. “O.B.” Armstrong and Augustus Holcomb. Blanchard House Museum of African-American History and Culture of Char1otte County founder Dr. Martha Russell Bireda will be the featured speaker at this event
LlCart Bailey Cemetery has served this area’s African-American community as a final resting place for over 120 years. The cemetery was called the Cleveland Cemetery, established in the 1880s on land owned by New York investor W. Irving Scott The Punta Gorda Colored Investment Company took over the cemetery’s management in 1913 and Char1otte County assumed control in 1986. In 1957, the cemetery was renamed in honor of well-known hometown son Cart Bailey. First Lt Bailey served as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot flying combat missions during the Korean War. He was killed in a car accident while on leave and is buried here along with many of his family members. Today the cemetery remains active with over 400 known interments and is still available as a final resting place.
Sponsors of this historical marker are the all-volunteer Char1otte County Historical Center Living Historian team, whose work at the Tales of Indian Spring Cemetery tours offset part of the costs involved. The remaining expense was funded by the Char1otte County Board of County Commissioners.
Char1otte County Historical Center is a part of the Libraries & History Division in the Community Services Department of Char1otte County government It is located at 22959 Bayshore Road in historic Char1otte Harbor. For additional information about the Center and its programs, call 941.629.PAST (7278) or visit our website at www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov and click on the ‘Playing’ tab to follow the Historical Center Programs and Events link.
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