"El Jobean Cemetery - El Jobean, FL" Waymark

Long Description:
From 1888 until 1921, Southland existed solely as Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad depot that serviced Hall Naval Stores and Stephen Brothers turpentine camps that leased prisoners for labor.

In 1922-23, Joel Bean had the town replatted and renamed to an anagram of his name, El Jobe-an, and began building up the town by providing a Post Office & General Store and a Hotel.

From 1888 until 1923, El Jobean Cemetery was the dumping ground for the bodies of the leased prisoners, all black, that the turpentine companies starved, abused and murdered like slaves at the camps. The area's residents who were children during the 1920's remember seeing flogging posts at the camps.

From 1923 until 1966, El Jobean Cemetery hosted more organized and respectful burials of citizens, marked with wooden monuments.

It was in 1994 that Atlantic Gulf Communities Corporation provided El Jobean Cemetery to Charlotte County as a gift. It has not changed one bit since that day.

Wooden monuments have deteriorated, there are no markings for the graves at all, vegetations overgrows the area, there is no property identification beyond a sign that summarizes a State statute forbidding disturbance of the graves, and no effort at identification has been attempted.

It is unknown, and impossible for a visitor to know, just the amount of graves are here, even with the use of divining rods.

Charlotte County Public Works department is responsible for the maintenance of cemeteries owned by Charlotte County, Florida.

Public Works
7000 Florida Street
Punta Gorda FL 33950
Tel: 941.575.3600
Fax: 941.637.9265

Sources: Sun Times: Our Lives at the Millennium, Charlotte County Timeline;
Charlotte County Courthouse reopening booklet [PDF];
Charlotte County Public Works: El Jobean Cemetery

Earliest Burial: 01/01/1888 Latest Burial: 01/01/1966

Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of at least one grave marker and including a qualitative and quantitative description

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