The Okaloosa NAACP is seeking community volunteers to help secure an official Florida Historical Marker for Augustus “Gus” Tart, the Northwest Florida pioneer whose land formed much of what is now the Town of Shalimar.
- The organization will host a volunteer interest meeting on June 7 at 6 p.m. via Zoom, according to a letter from branch President Sabu Williams.
Volunteers are needed in five areas: historical research and documentation, community outreach and coalition building, grant writing and fundraising, application preparation for the Florida Historical Marker Program, and dedication ceremony planning, according to Williams.
“No prior experience is required, only a heart for community, a respect for history, and a willingness to serve,” Williams wrote.
The volunteer push builds on a resolution the branch adopted in February calling on the Town of Shalimar to formally recognize Tart’s historical significance and support a marker at or near his gravesite adjacent to the Shalimar Library Cemetery.
A local NAACP research team led by Diane Dillard, along with Statia McNeese and Kay McNeese, has spent the past year documenting Tart’s life.
Tart was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1840 and gained his freedom after the Civil War, according to the NAACP. He became a landowner along Garniers Bayou and served as a guide to governors, senators, congressmen and judges. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt granted Tart 135.5 acres of land under the Homestead Act of 1862.
That land today contains Meigs Middle School, the Shalimar Library, the courthouse annex and surrounding neighborhoods, according to Williams.
Tart died in 1915. His gravesite and story were largely lost for decades before being rediscovered, according to the branch.Those interested in volunteering can call 850-783-0047 or join the June 7 Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3378266671.
