Preserving memories (updated)

Carrie Johnson Parker-Warren holds a photo of herself, at front left, competing circa 1958-1960 in the Miss Paradise Park swimsuit competition as part of the annual beauty contest held on Labor Day at the once segregated portion of the Silver Springs attraction. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted June 2, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

Editor’s note: This article has been amended to include new information.

Author Cynthia Wilson-Graham is on a mission to preserve community memories ranging from picnics to beauty queens.

Wilson-Graham, of Ocala, a volunteer at the Black History Museum of Marion County, which is inside the Howard Academy Community Center, was part of the kick off of “Black Beauties, Silver Springs: Paradise Park Memory Project” on May 29 at the museum.

Wilson-Graham, whose work focuses on Black history in Marion County, did extensive research for the book she co-authored with Lu Vickers, “Remembering Paradise Park: Tourism and Segregation at Silver Springs.” The book examines the history of Paradise Park, the once segregated portion of the former Silver Springs attraction, which operated from 1949 to 1969.

After she was given a copy of the book, Porchia Moore, a University of Florida associate professor museum studies and associate director of the Center for Arts, Migration and Entrepreneurship (CAME), wrote a grant and “funded and created” the “Black Beauties, Silver Springs: Paradise Park Memory Project.”

According to Moore, “The ‘Black Beauties, Silver Springs: Paradise Park Memory Project’ is one of two memory projects created by Dr. Porchia Moore and funded by the University of Florida’s Center for the Humanities in the Public Sphere. The ‘Black Beauties, Silver Springs’ project is a continuation of Dr. Moore’s research on Black recreation and leisure and the historic legacies of Black people’s relationship to nature and greenspaces. Dr. Moore has previously taught a course on national parks, served several years as a national Outdoor Afro Leader and has worked extensively with parks and green organizations on preserving and illuminating histories of Black stewardship and leisure in greenspaces. She wrote this grant to support her research after having been gifted ‘Remembering Paradise’ and invited Cynthia Wilson-Graham to join her in co-organizing the memory project workshop.”

Wilson-Graham is now a UF CAME associate faculty member.

According to the invitation to the May 29 event, “Join Dr. Porchia Moore and Cynthia Wilson-Graham for a community workshop focused on celebrating the memory and legacy of Paradise Park. This community workshop is the first in a series which asks community members to share photographs, oral histories and materials to construct a deeper and strong memory for Paradise Park for future projects that highlight the critical importance of Paradise Park and the continued legacy and future use of Silver Springs Park as well. This workshop is memory of Virginia Ferguson and to celebrate all of the living legends of Paradise Park.”

Moore spoke to the group about archiving and deciding what could be placed on an archive box to store at home or loan to a museum. She suggested letters, photos and lists of things “you want to share with people” in your family and community while considering any privacy concerns. She mentioned scrapbooks and lists.

The presentation featured a talk by University of Florida professor and museum and cultural specialist Porchia Moore, who spoke to the group about archiving and deciding what could be placed on an archive box to store at home or loan to a museum. Moore suggested letters, photos and lists of things “you want to share with people” in your family and community while considering any privacy concerns. She mentioned scrapbooks and lists.

Wilson-Graham talked about a large archive box on display in the museum which contains a circa 1948 swimsuit and other artifacts. Another display case contained the captain’s hat and uniform worn by Capt. Virginia Ferguson, who piloted glass-bottom boats at Silver Springs.

According to display literature, Ferguson was “the first woman and the first Black woman”
to hold a United States Coast Guard captain’s license in Florida in 1973, in an era when “racial and gender discrimination were not a thing of the past.”

In 2010, Ferguson helped rescue a person who had been attacked by alligator and get the individual to emergency services, according to the display.

Ferguson’s last day as a glass-bottom boat captain was Aug. 5, 2018, when an AdventHealth physician on board noticed that she seemed ill after loading the boat and called 911, according to her daughter, Jessica Hadley-Brown.

Ferguson suffered the effects of a stroke and was treated at UF Health Shands Hospital, which included experimental treatment authorized by her family from Duke University, Hadley-Brown said, adding that her mother was successfully treated but suffered a second stroke in 2023 and passed away on March 25, 2025.

Additional exhibits include information about glass-bottom boat captains Roosevelt Faison and Oscar Collins.

Some local residents still conjure up fond memories of Paradise Park, including swimming, family outings, live music, food and an annual Labor Day weekend “Miss Paradise Park” beauty contest with a popular swimsuit competition, which was sponsored by a local American Legion post.

Carrie Johnson Parker-Warren and Martha Stevenson were chosen as Miss Paradise Park, circa the late 1950s/early 1960s.

Parker-Warren, 84, said she was “honored” to be selected and recalled the boys “liked to look at our legs.” She said garnering the title was a “big deal” and made her feel like “somebody” in an era when Black women may have been restricted from other local or national competitions. She said she purchased clothes with her $25 prize money.

Parker-Warren attended Hampton Junior College in Ocala and the University of South Florida, where she earned a master’s degree in education.

Stevenson was accompanied by her son, Sterling Stevenson

“Not everyone can say their mom is a beauty queen,” he said.

Aldjanatu-Rosemary Florence recalled hearing the song “Blueberry Hill” at the park, along with a lot of swimming and “natural” aromas.

Barbara Gordon-Cobbs came to the presentation with Nia Gordon, 6, and said she feels that learning the history of Paradise Park is important.

The Black History Museum of Marion County and Howard Academy Community Center are located at 306 NW 7th Ave., Ocala. The academy is a program of Marion County Public Schools. Davida Randolph is the center’s program manager.

“I’m excited about collaborating with Cynthia as she continues to bring many new exhibits to the museum to share with our community. The museum is full of history from so many legends in our community and we will continue to share it with everyone,” Randolph said.

The museum contains a wide array of information about local and national people and events including exhibits on Dr. N.H. Jones, a local pioneering Black physician and the namesake of N.H. Jones Elementary School; Dr. Eddie Joseph Shellman Sr., an educator; and members of law enforcement including Ocala Police Department Major Tara Woods; Jonas Jacob’s, a Florida Highway Patrol investigator; and Marion County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Fred Cyprian, the first Black to hold that rank, according to marionso.com

To learn more about the museum, call (352) 671-4175.