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Chester Shell

By Joanna Grey Talbot

Chester Shell did not grow up in the easiest of times but he was a man of purpose and vision. Born on February 16, 1892, in Orange Springs, Florida, he learned how to hunt, fish, and train bird dogs. These skills would give him a step up in life and give him the opportunity to change the lives of his fellow African Americans.

By the 1900 census he and his mother, Sofia, step-father, Howard, and five siblings and half-siblings were living in Hawthorne, Florida. Howard worked for the railroad as a crosstie chopper. These are the wooden supports that the rails are laid on top of. Sofia was taking care of the family and the older children, including Chester, were in school. At that time there was no school building for the black students, so they met in private homes and churches for only 3 months of the year. This experience planted a seed in Chester’s mind that would grow into a life-changing decision later in life.

Hawthorne Train Station, courtesy of the Matheson History Museum

In 1910 Chester’s family was listed in the census as still living in Hawthorne and all of his siblings were either working for local businesses or in school. Chester would have been 18 or 19 and isn’t listed, so it’s highly likely he had moved out to make his way in the world.

We find him again in 1917 when he registered for the World War I draft. By this time he was married to Marie Riley, a native of Interlachen, and living back in Hawthorne. He was working as a farmhand for G. D. Moore, the son of William Moore who founded the Moore Hotel in Hawthorne.

The Moore Hotel, 1900s, courtesy of the State Library & Archives of Florida

Chester’s first child, Elmer Randolph, was born in Hawthorne on August 3, 1919. Yet, by the 1920 census Chester and his young family were living in West Palm Beach and he was working as a laborer in “rock work.” In 1921 their daughter Margery Joyce was born and the next year their youngest, Arthur Ray, was born.

At some point we know they moved back to Hawthorne because Chester began working as a porter for the Seaboard Railroad and as hunting/fishing guide for Moore’s Hotel. Chester led hunting expeditions for wealthy, northern visitors.

A hunting party at Moore’s Hotel, 1900s, courtesy of the State Library & Archives of Florida

Sadly, Marie passed away in 1924 and is buried in the Hawthorne Cemetery. Two years later, though, Chester made a decision that would change the lives of generations of black children in Hawthorne. Remembering his experiences as a student in Hawthorne and watching his own children attending school in private homes and churches, he knew something had to change.

According to the Alachua County Library District’s Heritage Collection he approached the Alachua County School Board in 1926 and requested that a school be built for the black students. He was told that if he raised half of the necessary money the School Board would match the funds. Mr. Shell decided to put his northern contacts to use, many that he met through his time working at the Moore Hotel. He traveled north to raise money and even solicited the Rosenwald Fund, which contributed $1,200. In addition, the black community in Hawthorne sold dinners and made personal donations. The goal of $10,000 was reached and the school was built in time for the 1927-1928 school year. It covered only kindergarten through the eighth grade, so high school students had to be bused to Gainesville's Lincoln High School.

Chester Shell in the 1920s, location unknown, courtesy of the Alachua County Library District

A high school for Hawthorne's black students was finally built in 1955 and was called Shell High School. Shell High was integrated in 1970 and in the 1990s it became Shell Elementary School, which is still in operation today.

On August 8, 1930, Chester married Millie Dorthula Woodward. It doesn’t look as if they had children of their own, at least according to the census data. I was unable to find them in the 1930 census but by the 1935 state census he is still listed as living in Hawthorne and working for Moore’s Hotel as a “superintendent of woods.”

In 1940 the census states that they are living on Sanders Street and own their home. All three of his children would attend college and Elmer and Arthur served in World War II. Elmer attended Florida A&M, served in the Marine Corps during the war, earned his Master’s, married Gladys Floyd and became an educator and minister. His sister, Margery, became a teacher and married Robert Johnson in 1946. Arthur worked at Camp Blanding and then served in the Navy in World War II. He married Verlee Bonniegene Dubois in 1947.

Chester remained very active in the Hawthorne community, even serving as president of the Alachua County Voters League. He traveled extensively, often for religious and political gatherings, visiting 37 of the 50 states. He loved sports, especially baseball, basketball, hunting, and fishing.

His wife, Millie, passed away in 1956 and Chester in 1967. Both are buried in the Hawthorne Cemetery with Elmer, Margery, and Arthur.