Pughsville was one of Winter Haven's earliest neighborhoods and was populated predominately by African Americans who cleared land and settled in what is now the southeast section of the city. For many decades it remained a vibrant and thriving community. It was named in honor of one of the earliest black pioneers, the Reverend Charles Pugh, who was one of the founders of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, one of the oldest black churches in Pughsville. The neighborhood also had Bethel A.M.E., St. Paul Holiness, and Church of Christ. During the peak of its existence, from the 1900s to the 1950s, Pughsville had an African American school, social halls, small grocery stores, and restaurants. Many residents worked in the citrus industry, while others were restaurant owners, business professionals, educators, construction workers, domestic workers, and employees in local, state, and federal government jobs. Pughsville produced Winter Haven's first African-American commissioner, medical doctor, mayor, fire fighter, and postal worker. The original Pughsville began to decline during the late 1970s as larger commercial establishments arrived in the area and drove up property values.