Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Sylvia Alridge 1884-1962
Born in 1884 just north of Gainesville, Sylvia Alridge was one of the county’s first black residents and one of the city’s first female entrepreneurs. In 1904, when Sylvia married Anderson Alridge, the couple moved south to Fort Lauderdale. She began work as a domestic housekeeper. Realizing a need for such work, Sylvia created her first business, Sylvia’s Employment Agency. It was the first such business in Fort Lauderdale. She even supplied employees with uniforms. When Sylvia saw her employees needed a safe and dependable means of transportation, she started Sylvia’s Victory Cabs. She also purchased several rental buildings.
Known by many as “Aunt Sylvia”, she would not push for employment fees or rent if the debtor was in a bind. During the Depression, she ignored rent deadlines and fed anyone who needed a meal. In 1936, after witnessing a group of farm laborers injured in a truck accident and refused treatment from the then white-only Memorial Hospital, Sylvia saw the need for building a hospital that would treat black patients. She became a leader in raising funds for the construction of Provident Hospital in 1938.
A proponent of education, Sylvia was the founding President of the Dillard High School PTA. Among her many other contributions, Sylvia donated the land for a sanctuary for St. John’s United Methodist Church. Sylvia was also a trustee and benefactor of Bethune-Cookman College, and active in the Northwest Women’s Federated Club, American Woodsmen, Eastern Star and Heroines of Jericho. In 1998, the branch of the United States Postal Service at 400 Northwest Seventh Avenue was officially named the Sylvia H. Alridge Branch in recognition of Sylvia’s contributions to the City of Fort Lauderdale.