HISTORY COMES TO LIFE AT MALA COMPRA PLANTATION RUINS

BUNNELL, Fla., April 7 -- Flagler County issued the following news release:

A group of about 60 people interested in Flagler County history Sunday, were treated to a presentation that rolled back 270 years of history at Bings Landing County Park.

The County park is the site of a nationally recognized archeological excavation of the plantation home of General Joseph Hernandez. County Attorney Al Hadeed, gave a first person historical presentation posing as William Broadnax, Hernandez's foreman.

The event was a part of Flagler County's Lunch In The Park series that features County Parks and the history of the area. Three direct descendants of Hernandez attended the event and were recognized Monday April 4 by the Flagler County Commission.

Sally Walker French, Lucia Walker Fairlie Pulgram and William Fairlie, great, great grandchildren of Hernadez, and their spouses attended the event and added their experiences to the presentation. Their ancestor was a prominent figure in Florida's early history.

His Mala Compra Plantation home was located at what is today Bings Landing County Park. The plantation was destroyed during the Second Seminole War. The Hernandez Plantation Homestead is now an archaeological dig within the park. Other parts of his plantation are part of Washington Oaks State Gardens Park and Flagler County's Mala Compra Green Way.

Hernandez was the first person of Hispanic decent to serve in the U.

S. Congress. He also served as the first presiding officer of Florida's territorial legislature having been appointed by President James Monroe. He also assisted in establishing Tallahassee as the state capitol and was elected as Mayor of St.

Augustine.

Hadeed chronicled the details of his life and eventual death in Cuba. Hadeed characterized him as a family man who raised and provided for 15 children. He was also a statesman who was fluent in three languages and able to rise to the top leadership despite the Florida territory changing from Spanish rule to British and eventually becoming an American possession.

Sally Walker French, was the driving force behind gathering the far flung family back together again and sharing and promoting the rich history surrounding Joseph Hernandez. She said it was Hernandez's fine china passed down from family member to family member that brought them together.

"After my mother died I went through her things and began calling numbers in an address book," French said. "Our parents didn't share all the historical and family information."

After phone calls and an internet search French got in contact with Lucia.

"When we exchanged pictures we found out that we both had pieces of china that matched," French said. Both Lucia Pulgram and French have donated some of that collection to Flagler County and the Flagler County Historical Society. A display of the collection is in the lobby of Flagler County's Government Services Building.

On Monday, April 4 all three descendants were honored by the Flagler County Commission which declared the day as Joseph Hernandez Day in Flagler County. The descendants presented the County Commission with the china set's punch bowl from another great, great granddaughter, Stephanie Burmeister Burkhalter. Pulgram also donated a serving bowl and red coral carved cufflinks and button studs.

The items will also go on display in the Government Services Building. French has also donated an oil painting of Hernandez to Washington Oaks State Gardens and a portraits on stone of Hernandez to the County.

The next Lunch In The Park series is planned for Flagler County's River To Sea Preserve in late June. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com