Civil-rights history and an ice-cream cone go together on The Trail

Civil-rights history seldom tastes as good as a twirly frozen treat at Goff’s ice cream stand on the Orange Blossom Trail at Church Street.

Many people don’t realize that Goff’s is a landmark in Orlando’s civil-rights struggle.

Goff's on The Trail

Back in 1950, Goff’s was known as the Creamette.

The owner was a white transplant from up north who ignored the racist southern custom that required segregated service. Instead, the owner boldly served black and white customers at the same walk-up window.

Harry Moore

On Nov. 1, 1951 a bomb exploded at the business. The blast caused serious damage to the concrete-block building, which was later repaired. Fortunately, the explosion occurred late at night and no one was injured.

Black civil-rights activists Harry and Harriette Moore weren’t so lucky.

On Christmas day 1951 -- a little more than a month after the ice-cream shop attack -- a bomb exploded under the Moore home in the rural Brevard County community of Mims.

The gravely wounded couple was rushed to a black hospital in Sanford. Harry died first. His wife died a few days later.

In 1991 the Orlando Sentinel dug up a Federal Bureau of Investigations report that blamed both bomb attacks on the Ku Klux Klan – specifically a KKK group that claimed legendary Orange County Sheriff Dave Starr as one of its members.

Enjoy your ice cream.

For more news, click here.