Alachua family celebrates 100 years of land ownership

A group photo of Tatanya Peterson (second from right) with her mom, kids, grandkids and cousin at the Matheson Museum for her Reclaiming Kin presentation. Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson 1
A group photo of Tatanya Peterson (second from right) with her mom, kids, grandkids and cousin at the Matheson Museum for her Reclaiming Kin presentation.
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson

As families gather at Legacy Park to take in the city of Alachua’s annual July 4 fireworks display, a neighboring family will be celebrating a special milestone of their own.

On Nov. 2, 1925, Allen and Maggie Lumpkins purchased a 6-acre plot of land for $500 that abuts where Legacy Park now sits. Their descendants have long spent the July 4 holiday on the property as a reunion of sorts, so they decided this year’s gathering would honor the achievement of keeping the land in the family for a full century.

Allen Lumpkins
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson Allen Lumpkins
Maggie Lumpkins
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson Maggie Lumpkins

“Way back in 1925, they [Allen and Maggie] had the courage to get the property, to farm on the property, and to maintain it for their children and their only grandchild,” said Tatanya Peterson, the great-great-granddaughter of the Lumpkinses. “Property ownership was something to be proud of… because their parents were enslaved.”

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Peterson spent years tracing her family history, a difficult if not impossible task for many Black Americans with enslaved ancestors. She was able to dig all the way back to the fourth-great-grandparents whose enslavement landed them in this part of Florida. Allen and Maggie Lumpkins were on her maternal line.

Orian (right) and Alfred Lumpkins. Orian was the son of Ellen Lumpkins, daughter of Maggie Lumpkins.. Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson Orian (right) and Alfred Lumpkins. Orian was the son of Ellen Lumpkins, daughter of Maggie Lumpkins..

Maggie Lumpkins outlived her husband and four children, and she had the foresight to pass the property onto her only grandchild, Orian, and his heirs. Peterson has the deeds from the original purchase as well as when it came to belong to her maternal grandfather.

Making the timeline feel even shorter is the fact that Peterson has memories of Maggie, who died at 96 years old when Peterson was 6.

Now, as around 60 members of her family plan to meet to celebrate the milestone landownership anniversary, Peterson says the legacy of her great-great-grandparents is in the resilience and strength they passed down.

“It’s so overwhelming sometimes to think of their journey and the hard work they put in,” Peterson said. “I think they would be extremely proud of us for keeping [the land] in the family.”

A 1925 deed for the property sale to Maggie Lumpkin.
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson A 1925 deed for the property sale to Maggie Lumpkin.
Warranty deed. Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson
Courtesy of Tatanya Peterson Warranty deed

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