Indian River County Main Library

Vero Beach, Florida

Gifford

The name of the town originated from the Henry Gifford family that first owned property (ca. 1892) Woodley (present day Gifford and Winter Beach) and later settled in Vero. It may have been named in honor of his son, Friend Charles Gifford and Fannie Penny  who were married on 21 June 1900. The application for the town and the name was four days later on 25 June 1900 by James T. Gray, an African-American. It was located SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section 26, Township 32 South and Range 39 East and is the same location as the land owned by James T. Gray, postmaster. In some books it is written that Henry Gifford was very kind and often helped the black community.

EARLY PURCHASERS OF GIFFORD LAND 1883-1918

The following list of early settlers are in order of the date the land was purchased. Township 32 South, Range 39 East, Sections 22, 23, 24, 26, 27

 

SETTLER	RACE	RECORD	DATE	ARRIVAL	SECTION
Harvey, Mary		Cert	5 Oct 1883		24
Davidson, James Wood		Cert	13 Feb 1884		25
Beem, Lulu		Cert	25 Feb 1885		23, 24, 25
Forwood, William	White	Cert	20 Mar 1885		23, 25, 26
Gray, James T.***	White	Deed	1892	189?
Brown, William S.  *	Black	Homestead	28 Nov 1896	Nov 1890	22, 23
Weir, James D. H.  *	White	Homestead	3 Mar 1897		23
Espy, Alvin O.        *	Black	Homestead	23 Jun 1900	13 Jul 1893	SW ¼, Sec 26
Gray, James T.       *	Black	Homestead	9 Jul 1900	8 Nov 1894	S ½  of NE ¼, Sec 27 & S ½  of NW ¼,  Sec 26
Cavender, Zollie *	White	Homestead	9 Apr 1901		SW ¼ of NE ¼ NW ¼ of SE ¼ N ½ of SW ¼ Sec 24
Geoffrey, Willie E. *(Jeffers -1900 census)	Black	Homestead	9 Apr 1901		26
Walker, Samuel		Homestead	28 Jun 1901		26, 27
Ayers, Robert (Heirs)		Homestead	17 Mar 1903		22
Bennett, Solomon   *	Black	Homestead	2 Jun 1904		22
Turman, Fred		Cert	6 Sep 1917		26, 27
Barnwell,	Black		1918	1918

*** Both James T. Grays are listed because of the confusion about which one donated land to the AME church and which one homesteaded. It is coincidental that there were two James T. Grays and lived near each other --- one white and one African-American.

* 1900 CENSUS – Woodley Only

* 1920 Dade County Census