Black Pioneers to be Remembered Feb. 12

David Lewis, historian of the Julian Cemetery Association.

By Ruth Lepper

Plans to honor Julian’s black pioneers switched to Feb. 12 due to a conflict with the original date.

That date, Feb. 5 is the day of the Super Bowl football game that will be telecast nationwide. The committee decided that could deter some people from attending the Julian ceremony.

But organizers are not disheartened. A large turnout is expected for the Julian event and, with the weather cooperating, Feb 12 should be a historic day of its own for the town.

Chuck Ambers will be the master of ceremonies. He is the owner/director of Casa del Rey Moro African Museum in San Diego and a member of the Julian committee.

The ceremony will take place at three locations, starting at 2 p.m. at the Haven of Rest Cemetery where three headstones will be unveiled on the graves of America Newton, Albert Robinson and Susan Tull.

Ambers will unveil the Tull headstone; Steve Ballinger, owner of the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, will unveil the Robinson headstone; and David Lewis, historian of the Julian Cemetery Association, will unveil the Newton headstone.

The ceremony will then move to Pioneer Park, located on Washington Street next to Julian Pioneer Museum, for the unveiling of a historic marker placed there by Julian Historical Society. The marker is the 22nd in a series provided by the historical society. There already are three other markers located in the cemetery — at the two entrances on A Street and Farmer Road, and another inside the cemetery grounds.

Among the speakers at the park will be Tammy Valle, of San Marcos, who is a descendant of Fred Coleman, the man credited with discovering gold in 1869 near Julian. Other Coleman descendants also are expected to attend.

Coleman will be recognized as one of Julian’s black pioneers as well as Margaret Robinson, who started the Robinson Hotel, now the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, with her husband, Albert Robinson.

It is not known where Coleman was buried, but Margaret Robinson is believed to have been buried in the Los Angeles area. Her mother, Susan Tull, was buried in the Julian cemetery. Margaret Robinson’s daughter, Martha Boyd, is believed to have been buried here but her grave has not yet been located.

The program will conclude with a reception at Julian Historical Society, adjacent to the park in the old Witch Creek School.

In the event of inclement weather, the program will move to Julian Town Hall. Parking will be available at the public lot at Fourth and B streets.

As historian of the cemetery association, Lewis began searching for unmarked gravesites several years ago. He located the graves of Albert Robinson, Tull and Newton about one year ago and is continuing to search for Boyd’s grave. Cemetery records were destroyed in a fire at the home of the superintendent, Frank Lane, in the mid-1950s.

Valorie Ashley, owner of the Villa de Valor/Hildreth House Bed & Breakfast in Julian, was in the process of making arrangements to honor Newton’s memory with a headstone. Lewis and Ashley began working together and formed the Black Pioneers History Committee to finalize plans. Ambers and Ballinger joined their efforts, along with Jacqueline Beck, president of San Diego County Genealogy Association and a noted historian from Ramona, and publicist Bobbi Zane.

Others offering assistance to the committee include Jan and John Mattias, Susan Fowler, and Tori and Albie Stark.