MEMORIES OF SEMINOLE COUNTY FAMILIES 1850-1945
Complied and Arranged by Christine Kinlaw-Best, Teri Patterson and Charlie Carlson
"Joseph Thomas Allen started working for the Railroad in North Carolina in 1879. In 1885, he was asked to move to Sanford, Florida by his employers, to assume the position of "Wrecking Master", for the Southern Florida Railroad. The Wrecking Master was the man in charge of any collisions or derailments of the trains. In the event of a derailment or collision, the Wrecking Master quickly assembled his crew and converged on the scene of the accident, to conduct the investigation and ultimately be in charge of removing the wreckage or getting the train back up on the tracks. Joseph Thomas was an employee of Henry Plant and as Mr. Plant began to purchase more and more railroad lines, his duties as Wrecking Master began to expand. Soon, he was in charge of the Southern Florida Railroad and the J.T and K.W. Railway, ultimately retiring from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Even with the type of work, that Tommie did, as the Wrecking Master, he is said to have been a very spiffy dresser. He wore a white, three- piece suit to work everyday, with his black tie. (Folks that remember him, from the railroad, now-a-days, often describe his attire as "looking like Colonel Sanders!!"
Sometime after moving to Sanford (Florida) in 1885, and the birth of their 4th child, Horace in 1886, Joseph Thomas's wife Lettie apparently died, circa 1887 in Sanford. Joseph Thomas met and married Mary Jane Churchill-Abrams/Abrahams, who herself was a widow. She was the widow of Jacob Abrahams, who was an Engineer for the South Florida Railroad in Sanford and had been killed in a head on collision, in 1887. (This family used the surname spellings of Abrams and Abrahams interchangeably. Joseph Thomas Allen worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad for fifty years, retiring in Sanford in 1929. He reside at 619 Laurel Avenue where he raised his family. For a while in the 1920's, he also owned and operated "Allen's Grocery", which catered to the Railroad workers. His step-daughter, Ruth Abrams managed the store for him.
In 1918, Joseph Thomas persuaded his nephew, (his sisters son), Emmett Kinlaw to move his family to Sanford and join him, working on the Railroad.
Sometime in the late 1890's. Joseph Thomas purchase land to the west of Lakeview Cemetery, now known as Evergreen Cemetery. He plotted out the "J.T. Allen Cemetery"
on this land. In the 1940's, the J.T. Allen Cemetery was kept as a private family cemetery and the rest of the Evergreen Cemetery which has grown up around it, was deeded over to the City of Sanford.
At the time of his death on September 1, 1937, Joseph Thomas Allen was 78 years old and had lived in Sanford since 1885. His family members who have passed away are buried in the Joseph Thomas Allen Cemetery" located within the Evergreen Cemetery in Sanford. Joseph Thomas Allen's descendants still reside in the Sanford area."
Complied and Arranged by Christine Kinlaw-Best, Teri Patterson and Charlie Carlson
"Joseph Thomas Allen started working for the Railroad in North Carolina in 1879. In 1885, he was asked to move to Sanford, Florida by his employers, to assume the position of "Wrecking Master", for the Southern Florida Railroad. The Wrecking Master was the man in charge of any collisions or derailments of the trains. In the event of a derailment or collision, the Wrecking Master quickly assembled his crew and converged on the scene of the accident, to conduct the investigation and ultimately be in charge of removing the wreckage or getting the train back up on the tracks. Joseph Thomas was an employee of Henry Plant and as Mr. Plant began to purchase more and more railroad lines, his duties as Wrecking Master began to expand. Soon, he was in charge of the Southern Florida Railroad and the J.T and K.W. Railway, ultimately retiring from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Even with the type of work, that Tommie did, as the Wrecking Master, he is said to have been a very spiffy dresser. He wore a white, three- piece suit to work everyday, with his black tie. (Folks that remember him, from the railroad, now-a-days, often describe his attire as "looking like Colonel Sanders!!"
Sometime after moving to Sanford (Florida) in 1885, and the birth of their 4th child, Horace in 1886, Joseph Thomas's wife Lettie apparently died, circa 1887 in Sanford. Joseph Thomas met and married Mary Jane Churchill-Abrams/Abrahams, who herself was a widow. She was the widow of Jacob Abrahams, who was an Engineer for the South Florida Railroad in Sanford and had been killed in a head on collision, in 1887. (This family used the surname spellings of Abrams and Abrahams interchangeably. Joseph Thomas Allen worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad for fifty years, retiring in Sanford in 1929. He reside at 619 Laurel Avenue where he raised his family. For a while in the 1920's, he also owned and operated "Allen's Grocery", which catered to the Railroad workers. His step-daughter, Ruth Abrams managed the store for him.
In 1918, Joseph Thomas persuaded his nephew, (his sisters son), Emmett Kinlaw to move his family to Sanford and join him, working on the Railroad.
Sometime in the late 1890's. Joseph Thomas purchase land to the west of Lakeview Cemetery, now known as Evergreen Cemetery. He plotted out the "J.T. Allen Cemetery"
on this land. In the 1940's, the J.T. Allen Cemetery was kept as a private family cemetery and the rest of the Evergreen Cemetery which has grown up around it, was deeded over to the City of Sanford.
At the time of his death on September 1, 1937, Joseph Thomas Allen was 78 years old and had lived in Sanford since 1885. His family members who have passed away are buried in the Joseph Thomas Allen Cemetery" located within the Evergreen Cemetery in Sanford. Joseph Thomas Allen's descendants still reside in the Sanford area."
MEMORIES OF SEMINOLE COUNTY FAMILIES 1850-1945
Complied and Arranged by Christine Kinlaw-Best, Teri Patterson and Charlie Carlson
"Joseph Thomas Allen started working for the Railroad in North Carolina in 1879. In 1885, he was asked to move to Sanford, Florida by his employers, to assume the position of "Wrecking Master", for the Southern Florida Railroad. The Wrecking Master was the man in charge of any collisions or derailments of the trains. In the event of a derailment or collision, the Wrecking Master quickly assembled his crew and converged on the scene of the accident, to conduct the investigation and ultimately be in charge of removing the wreckage or getting the train back up on the tracks. Joseph Thomas was an employee of Henry Plant and as Mr. Plant began to purchase more and more railroad lines, his duties as Wrecking Master began to expand. Soon, he was in charge of the Southern Florida Railroad and the J.T and K.W. Railway, ultimately retiring from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Even with the type of work, that Tommie did, as the Wrecking Master, he is said to have been a very spiffy dresser. He wore a white, three- piece suit to work everyday, with his black tie. (Folks that remember him, from the railroad, now-a-days, often describe his attire as "looking like Colonel Sanders!!"
Sometime after moving to Sanford (Florida) in 1885, and the birth of their 4th child, Horace in 1886, Joseph Thomas's wife Lettie apparently died, circa 1887 in Sanford. Joseph Thomas met and married Mary Jane Churchill-Abrams/Abrahams, who herself was a widow. She was the widow of Jacob Abrahams, who was an Engineer for the South Florida Railroad in Sanford and had been killed in a head on collision, in 1887. (This family used the surname spellings of Abrams and Abrahams interchangeably. Joseph Thomas Allen worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad for fifty years, retiring in Sanford in 1929. He reside at 619 Laurel Avenue where he raised his family. For a while in the 1920's, he also owned and operated "Allen's Grocery", which catered to the Railroad workers. His step-daughter, Ruth Abrams managed the store for him.
In 1918, Joseph Thomas persuaded his nephew, (his sisters son), Emmett Kinlaw to move his family to Sanford and join him, working on the Railroad.
Sometime in the late 1890's. Joseph Thomas purchase land to the west of Lakeview Cemetery, now known as Evergreen Cemetery. He plotted out the "J.T. Allen Cemetery"
on this land. In the 1940's, the J.T. Allen Cemetery was kept as a private family cemetery and the rest of the Evergreen Cemetery which has grown up around it, was deeded over to the City of Sanford.
At the time of his death on September 1, 1937, Joseph Thomas Allen was 78 years old and had lived in Sanford since 1885. His family members who have passed away are buried in the Joseph Thomas Allen Cemetery" located within the Evergreen Cemetery in Sanford. Joseph Thomas Allen's descendants still reside in the Sanford area."
Complied and Arranged by Christine Kinlaw-Best, Teri Patterson and Charlie Carlson
"Joseph Thomas Allen started working for the Railroad in North Carolina in 1879. In 1885, he was asked to move to Sanford, Florida by his employers, to assume the position of "Wrecking Master", for the Southern Florida Railroad. The Wrecking Master was the man in charge of any collisions or derailments of the trains. In the event of a derailment or collision, the Wrecking Master quickly assembled his crew and converged on the scene of the accident, to conduct the investigation and ultimately be in charge of removing the wreckage or getting the train back up on the tracks. Joseph Thomas was an employee of Henry Plant and as Mr. Plant began to purchase more and more railroad lines, his duties as Wrecking Master began to expand. Soon, he was in charge of the Southern Florida Railroad and the J.T and K.W. Railway, ultimately retiring from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Even with the type of work, that Tommie did, as the Wrecking Master, he is said to have been a very spiffy dresser. He wore a white, three- piece suit to work everyday, with his black tie. (Folks that remember him, from the railroad, now-a-days, often describe his attire as "looking like Colonel Sanders!!"
Sometime after moving to Sanford (Florida) in 1885, and the birth of their 4th child, Horace in 1886, Joseph Thomas's wife Lettie apparently died, circa 1887 in Sanford. Joseph Thomas met and married Mary Jane Churchill-Abrams/Abrahams, who herself was a widow. She was the widow of Jacob Abrahams, who was an Engineer for the South Florida Railroad in Sanford and had been killed in a head on collision, in 1887. (This family used the surname spellings of Abrams and Abrahams interchangeably. Joseph Thomas Allen worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad for fifty years, retiring in Sanford in 1929. He reside at 619 Laurel Avenue where he raised his family. For a while in the 1920's, he also owned and operated "Allen's Grocery", which catered to the Railroad workers. His step-daughter, Ruth Abrams managed the store for him.
In 1918, Joseph Thomas persuaded his nephew, (his sisters son), Emmett Kinlaw to move his family to Sanford and join him, working on the Railroad.
Sometime in the late 1890's. Joseph Thomas purchase land to the west of Lakeview Cemetery, now known as Evergreen Cemetery. He plotted out the "J.T. Allen Cemetery"
on this land. In the 1940's, the J.T. Allen Cemetery was kept as a private family cemetery and the rest of the Evergreen Cemetery which has grown up around it, was deeded over to the City of Sanford.
At the time of his death on September 1, 1937, Joseph Thomas Allen was 78 years old and had lived in Sanford since 1885. His family members who have passed away are buried in the Joseph Thomas Allen Cemetery" located within the Evergreen Cemetery in Sanford. Joseph Thomas Allen's descendants still reside in the Sanford area."
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
