Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Ivy Julia Cromartie
February 24, 1881 |
| Died | August 30, 1971 (aged 90) Fort Lauderdale, Florida
|
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Frank Stranahan |
| Parents |
|
Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan (1881–1971) was an American philanthropist. This means she was a person who worked to help others, often by giving money or time. She was very involved with the Seminole people of Southern Florida. Ivy first trained to be a teacher. After marrying Frank Stranahan, she made her home permanently in Fort Lauderdale. There, she began to support the rights of the Seminoles. She also helped them move to special areas called reservations. Ivy is well-known for her work with the Friends of the Florida Seminoles. This group aimed to help Seminole children get an education, build homes, and eventually become self-sufficient.
Contents
Ivy Stranahan's Early Life
Ivy Julia Cromartie was born in White Springs, Florida. Her birthday was February 24, 1881. Her parents were August and Sarah Cromartie. Ivy's father was a teacher in Central Florida. As the southern part of the state grew, the Cromartie family moved further south. For a time, they lived near a place called Owens on the Peace River. This was about 15 miles (24 km) from Arcadia.
The family later moved to Juno, Florida. After that, they moved to Lemon City, where Ivy finished her schooling. She wanted to become a teacher right away. She trained during the summer after she graduated. Ivy was then assigned to work at the school in Fort Lauderdale. She arrived before the school building was finished. For several months, she stayed with a school trustee and his family. The one-room school opened in 1899. It served the six families living in the area.
Life in Fort Lauderdale and Helping the Seminoles
Ivy met Frank Stranahan soon after she arrived in Fort Lauderdale. Frank had opened a trading post in 1893. He traded goods with the local Seminole people. He also had the local contract for mail delivery. Ivy and Frank became a couple. After she returned to Lemon City at the end of the school year, she accepted Frank's marriage proposal. After their wedding, they visited family. Then, they settled back in Fort Lauderdale. They built a home called Pioneer House, which is now known as Stranahan House.
Teaching and Advocacy for the Seminoles
Ivy taught English to the local Seminole children. She also tutored them in the Bible. She became very involved in Seminole affairs with the local government. She became the leader of the Indian Affairs Committee of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. Ivy asked for a permanent reservation for the Seminoles. When this was granted in 1917, another person, Minnie More-Wilson, received most of the credit. More-Wilson was part of her own group, the Friends of the Florida Seminoles. Just a year earlier, Ivy had tried to remove More-Wilson from the Indian Affairs Committee.
By 1924, Fort Lauderdale was growing quickly. There was pressure for the Seminoles to move to the approved reservation area. Ivy went into their existing camp. She convinced members of the group to join her on a trip to the Dania Reservation. Ivy arranged for the Seminoles to be paid to make the Reservation ready for living. She began transporting work parties to and from the new location. She also arranged for wood to be delivered. This was courtesy of the Indian Commissioner at Fort Myers. By the end of that year, several homes, a school, and an office building were built there. All the Seminoles had moved to the new site.
Continued Support and the Friends of the Florida Seminoles
Ivy had promised the Seminoles that once they moved, they would not need to move again. However, within ten years, this promise was almost broken. The government wanted to move the Seminoles to the Brighton Reservation. Ivy fought against this order, and it was eventually stopped. She continued to work on introducing Christianity to the Seminoles. She successfully helped them join the Southern Baptist Convention. This happened after a new Friends of the Florida Seminoles organization was started. This new group was sometimes confused with the older one led by More-Wilson. The new group named Ivy as its Secretary-Treasurer. She stayed involved with this group for the rest of her life. Together, they worked to educate Seminole women about healthy living.
In the 1940s, the group's main focus changed. They wanted to make sure Seminole children continued to get an education. In 1949, the Friends of the Florida Seminoles, Florida Foundation Inc. became a non-profit organization. Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan was listed as its President. The organization grew. This allowed it to help build new homes on the reservation. In 1954, government support was stopped. Ivy and her Friends society then helped the Seminoles set themselves up as a business. This allowed them to organize themselves as the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. in 1957.
