Titusville Titans Spring 2022

Our Neighborhood Notables

Titusville Titans

Do You Know Who's Living Next Door?

Spring 2022

Roosevelt Hatcher, Sr. 61 yrs.

When Roosevelt Hatcher moved into his bungalow-style home off Goldwire Street in 1961, new modern housing was going up all around, his paved street was surrounded by dirt roads, and the site where Sixth Avenue Baptist Church now stands was a home for unwed mothers. Folks got their groceries at the nearby A & P Grocery and bought their medicines and sundries at the Holloway and Humphrey Pharmacy on the corner of 6th Avenue and Goldwire Street.

Why did you choose to live in Titusville?

I was about 25 years old at the time and looking for a house. They were building homes on 11th Avenue between Goldwire and Center Street. But Mr. Brunt was selling his house on 10th Avenue so I bought it. The house was about three years old at the time. It was a nice area, people were friendly and took care of their property. Neighbors like Dr. Cantelow, the Steevens, Mr. Emmit Smith, Mr. Perry and the Washington's, we became a close-knit community. Three of the original families are still there, today.

You own a small business in Titusville, too.

Hatcher's Laundromat opened in 1994 next to what is now the Goldwire Heights Subdivision. I was looking for something to do after I retired from O'Neal Steel. Ms. McGlothan was about to close the business, so I decided to buy it and keep it open. We used to do dry cleaning too, but no longer. I have 8 washers and 8 dryers. It’s a nice location and there was a small convenience store next door, but it recently closed. It keeps me busy and I get to interact with the youngsters coming through. So many have no goals or ambition. Some would rather try to get on disability than try to get meaningful work. But I talk with them and encourage them to do better. Do they listen? Yes, some do, and if they are interested, I try to help them get work. That’s the same thing I did as a manager at O’Neal Steel. Over the years I must have helped 9 or 10 guys get hired. All but one worked out and stayed until retirement.

“I’m glad to live in Titusville. I raised my family here and I would not want to live anywhere else.”

Family Matters

Mr. Hatcher is a part of a family that boasts a 90-year legacy of entrepreneurship and high achievement, which has helped to sustain and grow the Black economic base in Titusville and across this city. His dad came here from Orrville, Alabama, in the 1930s to work at TCI steel mill. Once he got established, he sent for his wife and children. Dad’s nephew, C. H., and other family soon followed. “We lived in a double tenant house in Smithfield.” At one time there were 13 family members living in that little 3-room house.

His parents set a high bar for industry in Mr. Hatcher and his 8 siblings. TCI was back-breaking work. “My dad quit and went to work for himself selling ice and coal. In those days people didn’t have refrigerators or gas stoves.” Mr. Hatcher’s mom was a beautician. “My brother Nolan and I had the same birth date, two years apart. He owned Hatcher’s Florist on 5th Avenue North for many years.” Cousins currently own an auto transmission shop near Rally’s in Elyton, and an auto mechanic shop in Titusville; and a cousin once owned an auto electrical shop in West End.

Integrating a League

I was a league bowler for 58 years until the pandemic shut everything down. We were the Sunday Night Mixed League. Before that, a bunch of us guys started bowling in the early 1960s. We all drove Impala cars so we named our team the Impalas. In those days we had two bowling alleys in Titusville, Honey Bowl and Star Bowl. The first year they were open we were the tournament champions at both bowling alleys. Then in 1962 my team petitioned to bowl in the Citywide League tournament but were denied because we were Black. So we petitioned the ABC, which sided with us. They would not sanction the Citywide League that year, and the league had to cancel their tournament. In 1963 the Birmingham Barons integrated their baseball team, and that’s when the Citywide League opened up to us.

“I would like to see more black businesses in Titusville. Black business owners are more likely to live in the community so more of the dollars generated by their businesses would stay in the community.”
—Roosevelt Hatcher, Sr.

Know someone you would like to spotlight? Call The Titusville Development Corporation at 205-252-5526; or send an email to Titusville@bellsouth.net, include Neighborhood Notables on the subject line.

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