Founders Prayer Breakfast Honors Freedmen Who Laid Foundation for Melbourne

MELBOURNE — Faith and history took center stage Saturday morning as the Concerned Citizens Committee of South Brevard (CCCSB) hosted its third annual Founders Prayer Breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Oceanfront, highlighting the role of freedmen who settled the Crane Creek community during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, laying the foundation for what would later become Melbourne.

The primary “founding fathers” recognized at the event — Balaam Allen, Peter Wright and a settler known as Wright Brothers — arrived separately in the area between 1867 and 1880. The CCCSB is now working to construct a monument honoring the men and the heritage of the Crane Creek community, which was incorporated as Melbourne in 1888 and later became the city we know today following its 1969 merger with Eau Gallie.

“We in this room understand the power of prayer,” said Master of Ceremonies David Jones in his opening remarks, setting the tone for a morning that repeatedly returned to faith as the foundation of the community’s earliest days and the CCCSB's effort. The invocation, delivered by Deacon Ray Lea of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, concluded in the name of Jesus Christ, and a special song rendition of The Lord's Prayer was performed by Ms. J'Renee Dickson.

Historical remarks traced the arrival of Peter Wright between 1867-1868. A freedman after the Civil War, Wright homesteaded along Crane Creek, worked in the cattle business and remained a pillar of the early settlement until his death in 1925. He is interred at Hilltop Cemetery in Cocoa.

Wright Brothers arrived around 1880, establishing himself as a citrus farmer and operating a grocery store on Lipscomb Street. Balaam Allen joined the growing community and, together with Peter Wright and Wright Brothers, helped establish and erect Melbourne’s first building used for Christian worship, Allen Chapel AME. The historic congregation will celebrate its 141st anniversary Sunday.

Keynote speaker Professor Gordon Patterson of Florida Institute of Technology drew attention to the resilience of the early Crane Creek community and its spiritual roots.

“I would argue that what makes this story special is the trinity of family, church and school,” Patterson said, emphasizing how those institutions sustained the community through difficult race relations and economic hardship. He closed his remarks with a prayer once again directed to Jesus Christ.

In closing, CCCSB President Joseph McNeil connected the historical reflection to the committee’s present mission.

“It’s the faith that brought us this far. It’s the faith that’s going to carry us to the building of the monument,” McNeil said.

Organizers also announced that HGMi Studios plans to produce a feature film about the history of the Crane Creek settlers, with production expected to begin in 2027.

The breakfast theme, “Celebrating the Legacy of a Forgotten Past,” underscored what speakers described as long-overdue recognition of the freedmen whose faith, enterprise and perseverance helped shape modern-day Melbourne.

— Christians of Brevard is a multi-church initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of local churches and ministries for the purpose of encouraging the local body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of God. Join our Facebook community @ChristiansOfBrevard