Avenue of Heroes: Amos Hudgins

Prepared by: Kevin Ashley (historian)

Born in 1845 in Missouri, Amos Hudgins, his mother, sister, and eight others were enslaved by William Hudgins. In 1863, Amos escaped and crossed the Missouri River into Kansas to join the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment of the Union Army.

During the Civil War, Amos fought in the historic Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry where his regiment distinguished itself by charging and capturing an enemy artillery battery, saving countless lives, and helping turn the tide of the battle. The 2nd Kansas—later renamed the 83rd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops—was subsequently stationed in Arkansas on garrison duty in military outposts until the end of the Civil War.

In 1867, Amos enlisted in the 10th Cavalry of the U.S. Army, one of two original African American Calvary regiments of the U.S. Army—the famed “Buffalo Soldiers.” He served a five-year enlistment based entirely within the boundaries of the Western Frontier before mustering out with the rank of Sergeant—the second highest rank possible for an African American non-commissioned officer at the time.

Amos married Annie Renfrow in 1874 in Missouri. The couple moved to Topeka, Kansas, where Annie ran a millinery store while Amos worked as a private scout/guide in the 7th U.S. Cavalry. After 269 soldiers of the unit were killed during the Battle of Little Big Horn, Amos hung up his military saddle. He worked the next 10 years as a barber, a very reputable job at a time when most African Americans were limited to menial labor.

In 1887, Amos and Annie settled in San Diego’s Logan Heights where Amos established himself as barber to the city’s wealthy and powerful. A son, Algernon, was born before the family moved to Coronado, eventually building a home at 845 B Ave. Crippled while helping build the Ocean Boulevard seawall in 1906, Amos worked the next 17 years as a night watchman at a Ferry Landing warehouse, and often wore his trademark Buffalo Soldier hat around Coronado. Amos died in 1926 and is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in San Diego. Annie passed away in 1934. Algernon was a WWI veteran and lived in Coronado until his death in 1973.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Introduced in 2014, the program has honored 261 hometown heroes to date. On May 18, 2024, another 16 were honored. City staff and volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Coronado Historical Association and Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association oversee its operation.

In 2011, the program was inspired spontaneously with the movement of two Navy SEALs to their final resting place. News spread quickly and the local Rotary Club passed out American flags. People lined Fourth Street to honor the fallen service members. As the procession approached the Coronado Bridge, a lone Navy SEAL stood at attention, saluting as he waited for the passage of his comrades. That moment made clear that Third and Fourth streets were already an Avenue of Heroes.

That spontaneous beginning launched the program in May 2015 with 18 banners. The Avenue of Heroes is a reminder that Coronado has a rich history and legacy of service to the country.