For a florist, Valentine’s Day is almost like the Superbowl of flora design and sale.

In the 1940’s one African American business scored the points as being the first black-owned florist in Macon.

Ruby Marlowe Rogers was the designer for Marlowe’s Florist Shop. According to Muriel Jackson, historian and Head of Genealogy at Middle Georgia Regional Library, Ruby and Herman Marlowe opened Marlowe’s Florist shop in March 1948. The florist served the community until July 1979.

While many people do not know this today, the black community flourished on Spring Street, which today is now mostly commercial.  Marlowe’s Florist Shop was located at 131 Spring Street in what was once the Old Woodliff School Building. Woodliff was the first African American School building in the city.

If you look to pinpoint Marlowe’s Florist Shop, Muriel Jackson says it was in the back area of today’s Zaxby’s, near the drive-through.

Ruby Marlowe Rogers was a well-known florist of her time. She was a member of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church and was involved in many church and community activities.

Ruby Marlowe Rogers died on March 3, 1999.  She is buried at the historic Linwood Cemetery along with Herman Marlowe.

As Marlowe’s Florist has arranged its place in black business history, so have today’s African American-owned florists. They have picked up the rose where it was laid, and are successfully filling in their place in Macon business history.

Macon Black Pages

The Macon Black Page and Resource Guide turns 32 years old this year. The historical and community value continues to grow, as the mission remains the same. 13WMAZ sat down with the publisher Alex Habersham to talk about Macon’s business history and this year’s Bicentennial Edition of the Macon Black Pages

Ellis Evans

Ellis Evans was born January 22, 1944, in Macon, Georgia and graduated from Ballard Hudson in 1961. After education at both Hampton University and Morehouse College, Ellis would go on to experience many “firsts” in the Macon Police Department.

In 1970, Ellis Evans became the first African American to earn the rank of Sergeant in the Macon City Police Department. He would become the first to serve in the Detective Unit, Internal Affairs, and a supervisor at the East Macon Police Station.

When 57-year-old Major Ellis Evans retired from the Macon Police Department in 1994, he told the Macon Telegraph why he joined the force. While the opportunity was there, Evans said a buddy said he was taking the test and dared Evans to do the same. A group of guys applied.

“Ironically, I was the only one in the group that passed,” said Evans.

Ellis Evan was laid to rest on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

Viola English Bailey

People who knew Violia English Bailey said it was clear that she cared deeply for her people and the success of Macon County.  Born in Oglethorpe, Georgia on July 13, 1919, Bailey was among the black educators in Macon County who made it possible for children of sharecropping families to get an education.  She would go on to educate students in both the rural areas and the city of Oglethorpe as a history teacher and a librarian.

Viola Bailey began her Macon County teaching career at a small church in a community known then as Cut-Off, which was off Highway 49. A year later she moved into a school that had been built. Years after, she moved up to the former Macon County Junior High School, where she was said to have touched many young lives walking those halls.

When she retired from the Macon County Board of Education in 1976, Violia Bailey did not sit down. Her impactful service to the community continued.

In the early 1940’s it was not unusual for African American students to be educated in a one-room in a rural, church. Often classes were held in the dame room for all ages, first through the twelfth grades.

According to Violia Bailey’s son, former Oglethorpe Councilman Madison Porter, she would go out of her way to meet families where they were. This included churches, homes, and even stores.

“I mean, just reached out to the parents, because that’s what was needed then. I mean, she knew everybody. And even if she didn’t, I mean, you wouldn’t know it, because she was a people person”, said Porter.

Bailey was so committed to teaching that she would pay rent to live with the families she taught.

“In many instances, you know, and especially when she started out teaching school, she had to live with the parents. You know, we didn’t have cars. It was rare for a car to be in a family”, said Porter.

Viola Bailey was responsible for leading many children to the classroom from the fields, and from Macon County Schools to their perspective careers. For several years, she also served as the Church secretary at St. Paul A.M.E. Church of Oglethorpe, Georgia. Bailey was said to have kept the church’s record books by hand with handwriting that was admired by many.

After 36 years in the Macon County school district, Bailey would go on to serve on various boards, including the Oglethorpe Benevolent Society, Inc., Literacy Council of Macon County, City of Oglethorpe Housing Authority, Macon County Historical Society, Macon County Democratic Committee, Department of Family and Children Services, and the Macon County Retired Teachers and Associates. She also served on the production committee for the writing of the book, “Macon County Life.”

The community returned a thank you to Violia Bailey by proclaiming March 19, 1995, as Violia English Day in Oglethorpe.

In addition, she was honored for her service in education with a Montezuma building named in her honor on October 26, 1998.   The facility offers literacy and Adult Education and GED services.  The courses are taught by South Georgia Technical College instructors in Macon County

Violia English Bailey died on February 5, 2016, at 96.