Black history

If you wander through the Flipper Cemetery you may come across a small marble grave belonging to Ezekiel Hambleton. With a finger pointed toward the heavens, the marker gives us his birth and death dates. Look below that and you’ll find an epitaph that reads:

“Upright and just he was in all his ways; A bright example in degenerate days.”

So who is this man? And what was just so wonderful about him? Follow along as we explore the story of Ezekiel Hambleton.

Background

Ezekiel “Zeke” Hambleton, or Hamilton depending on the source, was born into slavery in Georgia in 1842. He was likely trained in carpentry as after Emancipation, he went into the trade. Ezekiel married Sumter Toomer, a formerly enslaved woman from South Carolina, and the two started their family in a house at 703 South Stevens Street in Thomasville. Together, they had two daughters who survived to adulthood. Their children were educated, likely at one of the many African American schools set up in Thomasville during Reconstruction. One daughter went on to have a career as a public-school teacher.

Civic Life

In the 1870s, a trend took hold of the men of Thomasville. With many White, male citizens being veterans of the Civil War and the government facing backlash over the handling of Reconstruction, several townspeople joined together to create or revive small military units, much like a local militia. Black men were not invited to these groups, so some formed their own units. Ezekiel started his own company with the help of like-minded Black men in the community. They called themselves the “Union Blues.”

Ezekiel was made captain of the company and led the men in drill training. Their group was commended in the local newspaper, and the governor of Georgia assisted in supplying guns and uniforms for the company. On New Year’s Day of 1880, just 135 years ago, Captain Hambleton led the Union Blues on parade down Broad Street to the steps of the Courthouse where they and fellow Black citizens listened to a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Business

By the 1890s Ezekiel had diversified his income by opening a business on Jackson Street in the Bottom. The Sans Souci or “No Worries” was a saloon – and a very popular one – during its time. But despite the name, the business did cause some worries for Ezekiel. One day in 1891, a passerby noticed a strong smell of whiskey and the sound of spilling liquid coming from inside the saloon after hours. He notified Ezekiel, who arrived to find someone had broken into his restaurant through the back door and turned on the taps to 15 brand new barrels of whiskey. By this point, most were almost empty. Outside the saloon, people reported the ground being completely saturated from the great flood. Ezekiel estimated he lost roughly 200 gallons of whiskey at the price of $400, about $13,000 in today’s money.

Just a year later in 1892, Ezekiel died just days before his 50^th birthday. His wife survived another 40 years.