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The 1920s
Sebastian W.M. Sloan, a prominent citizen of Sebastian, died at a late hour Wednesday, Aug. 24, at his home after a lingering illness of several weeks. All members of the family were with him when the end came. The funeral services were held at the Methodist Church Aug. 25 at 5.p.m. and were conducted by the pastor, the Rev. G.W. Herndon. Burial was in the family plot in Sebastian Cemetery. The acting pall bearers were W.C. Braddock, E. Foster, W.F. Boughman, T. B. Hicks, N. Sembler and A. Foster. The funeral was one of the largest in the history of the town and the floral tributes were numerous and beautiful. Mr. Sloan was born at Sanford, Fla., October l2 in l852. In February l878,he was married to Elizabeth Sullivan and to this union seven children were born: Mrs. R.G. McCain of Sebastian; Mrs. J.F. Parker of Ft. Drum; Miss Lillie Sloan of Sebastian; W. P. Sloan of Sebastian; H.R. Sloan of Sebastian and S.A. Sloan of Fellsmere. His beloved wife passed to the beyond about a year ago. Mr. Sloan moved his family to Sebastian 20 years ago. They are some of the most prominent and wealthy people of the town. Their property interests here are extensive. Besides their homes and groves, they own several business buildings and it is understood they have large investments in other towns. Mr. Sloan's greatest satisfaction was derived from work faithfully and properly done and his chief happiness was found in the quiet and peaceful hours in his home when he was surrounded by his loved ones. His life was indeed beautiful and his devotion to his family unusully tender and sweet. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word, and a friend to humanity. In an unostentatious way he did thousands of little kindnesses that the world knew not of. His life work is preserved in the memories of those who knew him, in the splendid influence for good he wielded, in the molded, rounded, useful life which passes not away, and in the magnificent heritage of a life nobly spent.
Do You Remember? 60 Years Ago l923 - A discussion of the proposed incorporation of Sebastian as a city occupied the regular meeting of the Sebastian Chamber of Commerce last Monday night. It has been definitely decided to proceed to incorporate under the general state law but the city limits have not been decided upon. Great activity in real estate in Sebastian and vicinity is reported since the decision to incorporate was reached. A number of important new building projects are being planned, among them a 50-room hotel.
May 30 - June 6 60 Years Ago l923 - With a total rainfall of l0.06 inches in seven days, Vero and much of the Indian River Farms Drainage district during the past week experienced one of the worst floods they have ever had. The flood period began last Friday when 4.38 inches of rain fell in Vero during a few hours. Coming on top of the May rainfall of l0.l inches, the new deluge had no way to escape except through the drainage canals. The new south relief canal, completed only a few days ago, quickly demonstrated its value. Sebastian's most successful tomato shipping season was brought to a close by last Friday's heavy rain with about 20 car loads of tomatoes still in the fields. It is generally agreed that this was one of the most remarkable tomato crops ever produced in Florida. from l50 acres a total of l05 cars were shipped. The yield averaged 300 crates to the acre. As much as 700 pounds were picked from some acres.
June 26, 1983 60 Years Ago l923 - A beginning was made by the city authorities this week in a campaign of mosquito control in Vero. Four barrels of waste oil from local garages were placed in pools of standing water throughout the city Monday, and more oil is being collected for distribution later. All the drainage ditches in the city have been cleaned out and are flowing freely so they will no longer furnish a hatching place for mosquitoes.
Looking Back: Centennial Plus Ten In the spirit of the Sebastian Centennial Plus Ten celebration scheduled for March l4 through 24, the Sebastian River Area section of the Press-Journal is presenting a look at the history of the area as found in the early issues of The Vero Press. The following is from April l9, l923. School Closes At Sebastian Last Thursday evening a very pretty entertainment was given by the intermediate and primary grades of the Sebastian School at the town hall. The program consisted of a three-act play entitled, "Crowning the May Queen," the Blossom Drill by l0 girls in Japanese costumes, the Manners class by seven boys impersonting colored gentlemen, a song by Janelda Braddock and Laurine Ryall, and a goodnight song and candle march by the primary children. The good acting, beautiful costumes and abundance of flowers combined in making the evening's program a success, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone present. The program was directed by Mrs. J.T. Thompson and Miss Marie Abernathy. The stage was beautifully decorated with pine, myrtle bamboo and Spanish moss, which formed a gray and green background for the three girls and boys of the graduating class. On each side of the stage stood small table bearing large baskets filled with red carnations, the class flower, and across the back of the stage hung a large banner in blue and gold, the class colors, with the class motto, "Character is the Only True Diploma," upon it.
The program was as follows: Gifford's tall tales: We used to sit around and watch the mosquitoes play games under the trees. The one that got the most oranges on its bill, won the game. Another Gifford tall tale: The (fruit stand) business kept growing and it was a task to squeeze the orange juice, so I thought of boring a hole in the tree and drawing out the juice before it got to the oranges. It didn't work too well, so a Texas man suggested we saw off the tree and cap it, as they do oil wells in Texas, to get the juice. That worked just grand.
Looking Back: Centennial Plus Ten In the spirit of the Sebastian Centennial Plus Ten celebration scheduled for March l4 through 24, the Sebastian River Area section of the Press-Journal is presenting a look at the history of the area as found in the early issues of The Vero Press. The following is from May 22, l924. Sebastian Bank Erecting Building Construction work was started this week by Conractor Bartow of Melbourne on the New Sebastian Bank building. The structure will be of hollow tile and stucco and will be located on the lot just east of the post office. The building will be completed in six weeks and will be ready for business as soon as completed. The bank will be operated under the Witham system. Buster Snell returned home from Eau Gallie last week, where he had been attending school. A political rally was held in the Sebastian hall last Wednesday evening. Eighteen speakers were present and Dr. R. M. Huntley of Vero was chairman. A good crowd was present, this being the first pow-wow we have had this season. The younger boys baseball team played Fellsmere Saturday, winning by a score of 7-5. A new crew of men began work on the Sebastian Inlet Monday. They expect to complete the work in 30 days. Abraham Stovitz took charge of the Sebstian Hotel Tuesday morning. Mr.Stovitz purchased the building some time ago and will make extensive improvements shortly.
Notes of Interest from the First City Records The Town Council of the Town of Sebastian held its regular meeting at the Bank Bulding December l6th 7:30 o'clock p.m. Those present, Councilmen M. M. Miller, A. G. Roberts, Charles, M. Sembler, C. L. Beugnot, and Town Attorneys, Nisle and Vocelle. Motion was made and duly seconded that Charles L. Beugnot, be President of the Town Council. The First Town ordinance, passed Dec. l6, l924 has some interesting items. Sec. 2 It shall be unlawful for any person -- [c] To bathe in any public waters in the day time without bathing suits. Sec. 3 [d] To ride or drive upon the sidewalks of the Town. [e] To race or other wise drive or ride in a furious manner any horse or horses, or cattle, or to drive any animal or animals or vehicles in faster than an ordinary trot through the streets of the Town. [f] To ride a bicycle on the streets of the town at a faster rate of speed then l5 miles per hour. Sec. 4 [a] To hitch any horse, mule or any other animal to any of the shade trees upon the streets or within public parks, or on any private premises without permission of the owner. [d] To permit any horse, mule, ox or other animal to obstruct the sidewalks of the Town. [e] To ride a bicycle on any sidewalk of the Town. [g] To camp upon any of the public streets or in any of the public parks of the Town. Sec 5 [d] To keep a disorderly house, or a house of prostituion. [e] To be an inmate of a disorderly house, or house of prostituion. [n] To spit on the sidewalks,or spit on the floor, wall, porches or steps of any public building. Bank of Sebastian was used to hold council meetings. $2.00 was paid to the bank for each use of the building. An ordinance proposed in l925 - declaring privies to be a nuisance and providing for their abolishment.
Detours Will Soon Be Done Away With The Miami Herald says: Detours in the north end of St. Lucie county, a more or less necessary inconvenience for the last year and a half durng the construction of a new road, will next week be a thing of the past and there will be a fine hardsurfaced highway extending entirely through the county from one end to the other. The penetration surface on the Vero-Wabasso stretch of Dixie Highway will be completed this week, and the new highway will then be opened to traffic from Vero north to a point south of Sebastian, where the new highway leaves the old Dixie Highway. From that point on to Sebastian traffic will use the old highway, which is still in fairly good condition. This stretch of the new highway will be opened to traffic as soon as it is completed, which will be only a few more weeks. Only about three miles of concrete remain to be laid, and it is expected that this will be completed within another month. The elimination of the detours will be a joy to autoists using the highway. When the work now under way is completed approximately l5 miles of fine highway will be provided, about half of the penetration type and the remainder of concrete. These are state-federal projects. Meanwhile steady progress is being made on erection of the $75,000 bridge across the Sebastian river just north of Sebastian, and it will be ready for use in due time.
Bank of Sebastian Opens Doors St. Lucie county's newest banking institution, The Bank of Sebstian, opened its doors for business last week. The first day's business far exceeded expectations according to Cashier C.M. Warren, who expressed himself as highly pleased with the bank's prospects. The new bank is capitalized at $l5,000 and occupies its own building, an attractive stucco structure costing $8,000 which was recently completed. It is being operated as part of the Witham system, which controls 70 banks in Florida and 200 in the states of Florida and Georgia. Organization of the bank was completed at a meeting of stockholders held last Friday when the following directors were elected: F.O. Spain, J.P. Anthony, C.M. Warren, C.L. Beaugnot, A.G. Robert, E.W. Vickers and W.W. Holtzclaw.
Sebastian Gets New Newspaper W.P. Roesch, manager of the Record Printing Company and publisher of the Eau Gallie Record, announced today that his company had completed arrangements where by they would immediately undertake the publication of a weekly newspaper at Sebastian. The first issue of the newspaper is scheduled to make its appearance on September l2, and has the full support of Sebastians's recently organized Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Roesch will be in direct charge of the paper and will announce the name of the publication together with the name of the local editor later in the week.
Another Town Busy Sebastian is the latest east coast town to rouse from years of peaceful slumber and reach out for its share of prosperity which neighboring towns are now enjoying. With the completion of the Dixie Highway south to Vero and the opening of the Bank of Sebastian citizens of that thriving community decided that by co-operation their town could take its place in the sun and straightway set about organizing a chamber of commerce to look after and further the develoment of their section. The chamber of commerce, less then two weeks old, has a paid up membership of over thirty hustling, wide-a-wake citizens. We predict that more will be heard of Sebastian in the near future.
Roseland Citizens of Roseland will meet on Aril 5 for the purpose of incorporation into a municipality. Roseland is located on the Dixie Highway just south of the Sebastian River and is in St. Lucie County.
Fifty Acres on Highway South of Town
Purchased by Vero Realtors Knight and French, realtors of Vero, purchased approximately 50 acres of land south of town last week, the tract fronting on the new highway and on Indian River. The land was purchased from three property owners and are adjoining tracts. The entire tract is comprised of a five acre grove fromerly owned by B.C. Ryal: 37 acres of grove and pine land owned by A. Kroegel and eight acres of pine land owned by Paul Kroegel. It is understood that the purchase price of the entire tract was in excess of $30,000.
Vickers Brothers Have Purchased the W. F. Cox Store A deal of considerable importance to the residents of north St. Lucie County was completed this week when Vickers Brothers, Inc., purchased the general merchandise business of the W.F. Cox company. In the future the store will be operated under the title of "Vickers Store" and an effort will be made to increase its usefulness to the community. Vickers Brothers were in the merchandise business here for a number of years some time ago and are in a position to accurately judge othe needs of the community.
Sebastian Local News Happenings D.J. Williamson spent the week end at home. Mrs. Badger, we are glad to say, has recovered from a recent illness. Mrs. L. F. Chesser and Miss Icecelaine Brawner spent Sunday in Ft. Pierce. S. Kitching was a guest of his daughter Mrs. Hardee at lunch Tuesday. Mr. And Mrs. Wm. Arnold and Mrs. F.P. Park were in Vero Tuesday afternoon A. Park of Vero attended Sunday School at the Baptist church Sundy afternoon. Mrs. J. Rea has been confined to her home for the past two weeks due to illness. Messrs Tom Cambell and A. W. Young of Vero were visiting Capt. R. G. Hardee Tuesday. Rev. and Mrs. Myer were dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Parrott Hardee last Friday evening, C.M. Owens of Jacksonville visited his sisters Mesdames W. F. Baughman and F.P. Park, Monday. Miss Mildred Braddock of Ft. Piere spent last week at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Braddock. Mr. and Mrs. Parrott Hardee were guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Helseth in Oslo Sunday. The store of W.F. Cox and Co., was recently purchased by Vickers Brothers. The new owners are now in charge. The Chamber of Commerce held their regular meeting in the Bank building Monday evening. Misses Jeanelda, Dixie and Mildrd Braddock were dinner guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F.P. Park last Monday evening. The Misses Mildred Park, Beulah Fields, and Mamie Arnott attended pictures in Vero Saturday evening. A. Baughman is the assistant for the Standard Oil Co. here, taking the place formerly held by K. Harrell who is now in the Vickers Store. Geo. Peck has been spending a week in Sebastian on business. Messrs. Tom Smith, Will Mercer and M. Curran were Friday evening visitors at the home of S.A. Park, motoring down from Tillman. Perry Helseth of Oslo was a visitor at the home of Rodney Kroegel here Monday. They spent part of the day at the Sebastian Inlet and a splendid catch of fish was the result. Mrs. G.H. Fields has as her guest for the winter Mr. Pates from Tennessee. Mrs. Dave Arnott and daughter, Miss Mamie Arnott, are also visiting at the Fields home and come from Tennessee. Wellington & Lamont, entertainers, spent last week here. The tents were spread on the vacant lot owned by Capt. Hardee. Paul's Florida Shows is here this week on the same lot. Word has been received from Mrs. N. E. Rea, who is now in Riverside Hospital, Jacksonville, with Typhoid fever, that she is now well on the road to recovery. N. E. Rea spent the week end there, returning Tuesday morning. The cottage owned by Will Martin on Louisana Ave., has been completed. Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Snell expect to occupy this building in the near future. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Rodgers left Monday morning for Miami in their car. Making good time they returned the same evening.
Miami Attorney Enjoys Quail Hunt Here B. C. Willard, prominent attorney of Miami, accompanied by Mrs. Willard and young son B.C., spent the week end with Capt. Hardee and family. Mr. Willard made the trip so as to enjoy a quail hunt back of Sebastian.
Water Last Saturday night Art Ratliffe had first hand evidence of his wisdom in installing water mains throughout Midway Camp, when a fire started in the general store. Someone carelessly threw a lighted match on the floor where some gasoline had been spilled a second before. In an instant the place was ablaze, there being much inflammable material around. The fire squad in the camp was on the spot. In a jiffy, the hose attached to one of the rcently installed mains and what might have been a serious fire, was extinguished in a short time with little damage. Ratliffe is thinking of purchasing Melbournes's old chemical engine.
Dixie Highway to the South The new right-of-way for l7 miles from Melbourne to the Sebastian River has been carved out along the river's banks throgh farm yards, orange groves, the lawns of winter homes, mouths of creeks, fish houses, shell mounds, swamps and hammocks. The new road is all east of the railroad track, thus avoiding the unlighted grade crossings so dangerous to night travel and sleepy drivers. In only a few instances have condemnation proceedings been resorted to in the route of the Dixie Highway. At the new Federal Bridge at the Sebastian River, work is going on satisfactorily at the approaches by the Deal-Waldeck Dredging Co. The highway on the north side will be completed before the bridge-ends are done. The Goat Creek Bridge, a half mile north of Valkaria, will be 75 feet long in the clear, 20 feet wide between curbs and is of three 25 foot spans, two abutments and two piers. The bottom of the concrete foundation is l0 feet below sea level and the formation footings are l0 feet wide and 60 feet long, including the wing walls. These footings rest on [?] 25 feet in length. An average bridge of this description will cost about $l8,000.
Former Mayors of the City of Sebastian T.B. Hicks l2/l6/24 - l2/l3/25 C.T. Badger l2/l4/25 - l/5/40 [Died while in office] L.O. Baugham l/l7/40 - l0/20/42 E.W. Vickers l0/20/42 - l2/l0/45 L.M. Shafor l2/l0/45 - l2/08/47 Earl Roberts l2/08/47 - l2/l2/49 J.R. Middleton l2/l2/49 - l2/l0/5l A.G. Shaffer l2/l0/5l - l2/l4/55 C.E. Taylor l2/l4/55 - l2/09/57 Paul Stevenson l2/09/57 - l2/l4/59 Fred Rohme l2/l4/59 - 07/8/6l Amos Simmons 07/8/61 - l2/11/61 W.E. Boone l2/ll/6l - l2/l9/67 C. Zimmer l2/l9/67 - l2/l0/73 F.E. Cragg l2/l0/73 - l2/02/77 Patrick Flood l2/l2/77 - 3/l9/84 James Gallagher 3/l9/84 - 3/l7/86 L. Gene Harris 3/l7/86 - Present
60 Years Ago l925 - The City Council of Sebastian together with the Chamber of Commerce are doing all in their power to avoid any delays in transportation of machines and equipment for the new Municipal Power and Ice Plant. The Municipal Power and Ice Department has received letters from De La Verqne Machine Co., New York City; The Walch and Weidner Boiler Co., Chattanooga, Tenn.; and G. J. Barnett Co., Palatka, Fla.; requesting Sebastian to get permits from the Florida East Coast Railway Co., in order that they may make shipments without delay. The first strawberries of the season were on sale at the T.E. Jun grocery. This is unusually early for the berries, the usual time being after Christmas.
1926 The Sebastian Hotel has a new manager: Mrs. M.C. Bridges. The hotel, located in the heart of Sebastian, will hereafter be known as the Bridge Hotel.
Railroad Agent at Hub of Florida Growth Historians tell us that the coming of the railroad forever changed the way people lived. This was particularly true in Florida which has long been dependent on water transportation to move people and products to, throughout and from the state. Towns sprang up along the tracks; river transportation dwindled; farmers could more readily get their goods to market; people were no longer confined to the small area which could be traveled by horse and wagon. Although the first railroad cars were built of wood, before long the steel industry had expanded and they were made of metal. Ease of transportation led to the manufacturing of products to be sold and to specialization not only in industry, but also on farms. One of the people who was intimately involved with the railroad in Florida is Beckett Quay Waddell, known to all as : "B.Q." He moved to Sebastian in l9l0 as a child. At the age of l4, economic problems led him to a career in fishing which lasted for a time. In l92l, B.Q. was looking for a job. He found one at the railroad. Western Union was located in the station at the time. F.E. Snay taught him how to use the telegraph and J.O. Morgan taught him the agent's work. He rose from messenger and porter to clerk, telegrapher and agent. His first regular job was in Sebastian. After 42 years with FEC. he retired in l963. He and Ruby Pearl DuBose were married in l923. They lived in Sebastian for about l0 years and then were sent to Cocoa, on to Holopaw, South Bay, Lake Harbor and finally to Belle Glade. They stayed in Belle Glade for 23 years. A station agent keeps all the records of passengers and freight handled by the depot. Careful record keeping was of the utmost importance since the shipments were to be rerouted once they get to Jacksonville. Tracing a lost shipment would have been impossible without careful records. An agent has to be able to work the telegraph and do all the jobs around the station. B.Q. said that the depot was a busy place. Several people were also employed, especially in the freight department. They used to have a lot of fun in the rare minutes when they weren't busy with their jobs, and there was a lot of kidding and camaraderie. At this time, the station agent's job was put up for bids. The highest bidder would be assigned to the position. Since his wife had grown up in and around Wabasso, she urged him to bid for that station when the job became vacant. When the top bidder refused it, he won it, and they were happy to be returning to Wabasso. In l963, the passenger service employees of the railroad went on strike. The work stoppage was eventually settled, but passenger service was never restored. Express trains did not stop in Wabasso. If there was a message to be delivered to an expected train, Waddell would attach it to a wire ring which he then placed at the end of a long pole. When he knew it was time for the train to come along, at probably 40 to 50 miles -per-hour, he would extend the pole out to the side of the track and a trainman on the oncoming train would lean out and grab it from the pole. Ruby moved to Vero at age l4 from Lake Butler. Her father, a Baptist minister, started the Baptist churches both in Vero and Wabasso. Ruby Dubose graduated from Vero Beach High school in l922, in the second class to be graduated from the school. There were four girls, no boys, in the group. After high school she went to Gainesville for a "short course" in teaching. As one of the top graduates of the summer course, she received a five-year teaching certificate. She returned to Vero and taught for one year and then got married. However, she continued tutoring for many years and also taught at a migrant camp in Belle Glade. Mrs. Waddell remembers life as it was in Indian River County during her girlhood. The roads were mostly of marl and it was very easy to get stuck if there was a rainstorm. She recounted the story of the opening of the first bridge to the beach. A big celebration was planned for the great occasion and people came in cars to cross the bridge to the barrier island which had heretofore only been accessible from the mainland by boat. A cloudburst dampened the activities, and when the celebrants tried to get to the bridge to go home, cars got stuck in the marl road and soon traffic was stopped. The cars that were lucky enough to be ahead took other passengers with them so that eventually everybody who wanted to go got home. Even U.S. Highway l was bad. Said B.Q. "It must have been a mixture of marl and shell. Many people would get stuck going from Wabasso to Sebastian." Later, the road was four-laned and laid with cement. The Waddells are the parents of four children, all of whom went on to school after graduation from high school. The oldest girl, Rosalie, had a four-year stint in the Navy. She lives in Indianapolis, Ind. and is the mother of four children. James Eugene Waddell is a dentist in West Palm Beach and is the father of two. B.Q. Waddell Jr. is an optometrist in Vero Beach. He and his wife are the parents of five. The youngest, Jeanette, is a graduate of Florida State. She now lives in Melbourne and is the mother of two girls. Life has been full for this interesting couple. Ruby has a twinkle in her eye and a nice sense of humor. She is an avid oil painter as the home aptly displays. Her latest activity is crocheting and she has just finished two bedspreads. The gay colors reflect her personality and her joy in life. B.Q. likes to work in the garden and usually raises a good crop of vegetables. He also likes to work with wood and repair toys. He has shined and polished circular saw blades and installs clocks in them. Then his wife paints scenes on them. They are very popular at art and craft shows. The Waddells, after 63 years of marriage, are a charming couple who love to reminisce about the old times while still keeping up with the present and thinking about the future. When they hear the whistle blow, they think back to the old days when Mrs. Waddell would have to help out in the station if the express business got too voluminous. She remembers working until 4 a.m., going home to bed and being up for work the next morning. This was especially true around the holidays when people would send fruit to their relatives and friends up north. Yes, the train whistle still blows, but many of the small stations are gone. Indian River Historical Society's restoration of the old Vero station has brought a renewed interest to the study of the railroad, and of the times when little boys loved to wear an engineer's cap and bandana and dreamed of being an enginer when they grew up. Life in Florida was irrevocably changed with the advent of the railroad and it will never be the same again.
Bridge The county road department will this week complete a new bridge to span the Sebastian River on the Fellsmere Road. The bridge is more then l00 feet in length with a l6-foot roadway. It is substantially built to sustain the heavy traffic resulting from the agricultureal develoment in the Fellsmere district.
Esteemed Citizen Called By Death While At Work Funeral Services For Judge M. M. Miller Held Sunday Morning Funeral services for Milo M. Miller were held at the family residence south of Sebastian at l0:30 o'clock Sunday morning, Rev. J. C. Dubose officiating. The popularity of the deceased throughout the Indian River district was attested by the large company of friends who assembled to pay last tribute to the deceased and express their esteem with a profusion of floral offerings. Stricken with an attack of heart failure while engaged at work in his garden about seven o'clock Friday morning his death came as a shock to the community. Leaving the house apparently in his usual health, he was observed a few moments later by his wife crumpled on the ground. Death came before assistance could be summoned. Milo Milton Miller was born at Hadley, Mich., June l6, l856 where he spent his boyhood days. Moving to Troy, Missouri, he married Miss Barbara Kuda Oct. 6, l896. After some years spent at Swifton, Arkansas, he brought his family to Florida in l9l0 locating on a twenty acre tract of land near Sebastian where he erected a home. Becoming interested in horticulture he started and developed the "Square Deal Nursery," which proved a successful venture. Thru his industry he acquired other property and became identified with the civic affairs of the community. He was elected Justice of the Peace for the north district which offical capacity he retained for fifteen years. He served eight years on the board of commissioners for the Sebastian Inlet District and was deeply interested in this project. Largely through his efforts the community hall was erected in the City of Sebstian. He was chosen secretary of the board of directors which position he held at the time of his death. When the City of Sebastian was incorporated he was elected a member of the city council, resigning when his removal to his new residence south of the city made him illegible for the position. Mr. Miller was a member of the Episcopal Church and for more than eighteen years was council commander of the local camp of Modern Woodmen. He was active in all civic affairs for the city and county and his judgment was highly regarded by his neighbors and friends. The deceased is survived by his widow, Barbara K. Miller and three children, Mrs. Curtis Bobo of Ft. Pierce. Ted R. Miller of Ft. Pierce and Mrs. R. G. Anderson of Sebastian. Burial took place at Sebastian cemetery where the Woodman rites were exemplified by T.B. Hicks, Past Council Commander of the order, assisted by R. B. Ryall, Active pall bearers were R.B. Ryall, F.R. Park, G.A. Braddock, W.F. Baughman, S.A. Park and B.C. Ryall. Honorary pall bearers : P.Kroegel, R.G. Hardee, G.F. Davis, Chas. Park, Chas. Sembler, Johnson Jorgenson and M. Guttermuth.
Harvesting Filmed 60 Years Ago 1929- Two hundred feet of motion picture views, showing the harvesting of a tomato crop on the lands of the Sebastian Land company, grown by the Indian River Fruit Growers, Inc., were taken by the Eastman Teaching Films Corporation, of Rochester, New York. These films will be supplemented by other pictures showing the packing and marketing of tomatoes. The films will be shown in schools and colleges throughout this country and all over the world.
Fellsmere The Fellsmere (Hotel) in Fellsmere advertised: Now open, new, modern and all new furnishings. Best of beds and high class dining service. Our reputation for service is too well established on the Florida East Coast to need enlarging upon. American Plan $3.50 - $6.50 Per Day Personal management C.A. Rice
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Fellsmere was buit in l924. It was a "Livingston Mission Church" according to the cornerstone of the building.
C. A. Rice will operate Fellsmere Hotel The Fellsmere, a new twenty room hotel which has just been completed in Fellsmere will be operated for the next year by Mr. C.A. Rice of Melbourne. Mr. Rice is one of the best known hotel men of the East Coast of Florida and for several years he managed successfully the Brown House here and established a reputation for its splendid service. The Fellsmere is new and Mr. Rice will equip it in a thoroughly modern way. The building is of frame and will contain 20 rooms of which several are connecting rooms with bath. The hotel is furnished with hot and cold water in every room and is electrically lighted throughout. The many Melbourne friends of Mr. Rice wish him the best of success in his new undertaking.
Fellsmere Items
Poultry Colony is Plan for Fellsmere Chamber of Commerce Two farms already started: Eggs now shipped from other states. To make the Fellsmere Farms an intensive poultry producing district as famed for its chickens and eggs as the well-known Petaluma district of California is one of the programs of the newly orangized Fellsmere Chamber of Commerce. The opportunity for profitable poultry production is an unusually good one in Florida and one which thus far has not been taken great advantage of. Florida is an importer of eggs, while conditions here are ideal for the production of eggs, not only that, but thousands of cases of eggs pass through Florida bound to Cuba -- they come from other States. George F. Haddock, a recent arrival at Fellsmere from California, is looking into plans for the establishment of an intensive poultry farm adjacent to the city. This farm probably will be modeled after a system of close confinement and green feeding which has proven remarkably successful in California. Plans for buildings of rather unusual type have been ordered from California. Under Florida climatic conditions it is figured that poultry housing will cost much less than in the northern States -- probably half what it costs north. Edward Decker, also, is planning the establishment of a poultry farm near town. He has already placed his order for 2000 baby chicks which will come to Fellsmere some time in March. In the meantime preparations are going forward to house the 2000 day-old chicks. Conditions of egg production are particularly favorable in Florida for the stimulating climate will have just as beneficial effect upon chickens as it does upon plants. It is possible here to grow large quantities of green feed, so necesary to keep birds in productive condition.
Melbourne Journal
A new newspaper appeared this week in Indian River County, the Indian River News, a weekly publication at Fellsmere. Montague Worthley is editor of the newspaper. The president of the publishing company is A.B. Michael.
Melbourne Journal
Friday evening the city council of Fellsmere passed a motion to have a committee prepare the purchase of the water works which has been offered to them at a resonable figure. The council concluded that the wells could not be sunk for the price that the entire system would cost them. The cost, which will be something over $l,400, will be paid for by issuing time warrants.
Roseland
Mr. and Mrs. A. Rass and Mr. and Mrs. J.P Johnson drove to Mountain Lake Park on Friday where they visited the Bird Sanctuary and the Famous Singing Tower. Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Youngue and guest, Mrs. Stella Aubrey, attended the All-Florida congress which was held at Palm Beach, February l2. Mr. Harve Deal and the Rev. R.A. Taylor arrived here recently from Vilas, N.C., and are now guests at the W.W. Holtzclaw home. It will be remembered that Mr. Deal was formerly in business here. A number of Roseland people enjoyed a wiener roast near the R.C. Holtzclaw store on Saturday night. The occasion was in honor of Mr. and Mrs. B.T. Creary of Miami, who were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Q.O. Gibson. Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Youngue and Mrs. Stella Aubrey are spending a few days in Orlando. Mr. and Mrs. W. Williams have returned from a trip to Cuba. The first flock of White Ibis came in last week. They have not been much in evidence since. It is possible that the shots of hunters have frightened them away. It has been, for many years, the custom of the Ibis to return to the San Sebastian River islands each year for their nesting period. Albert Haag has been busily engaged during the past week in spreading nitrate around his citrus trees in hopes of producing a late spring bloom. It will be interesting to note the result of the experiment. He used about three pounds to the tree in the older grove, and one pound to the tree in the young grove. Miss Hazel Holtzclaw who is captain of a newly organized unit of the Girl Scouts, attended a Girl Scout meeting at Sebastian on Friday evening. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Radabaugh of Winter Beach and Mr. Edson Beard, were callers on Sunday at the "Camp Barbaric" the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Hanshaw. Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Anderson and Mrs. A. Rass were visitors in Melbourne on Wednesday. The Rev. R.E. Taylor and Mr. Harve Deal left on Wednesday for Vilas, N.C., after having been the guests of Mrs. and Mrs. W.W. Holtzclaw. During his stay here the Rev. Taylor conducted revival services at the M.E. church in Sebastian. Mr. A. Rass, Mr. J.P. Johnson and Mr. C.P Anderson were in Melbourne Thursday.
l922 Settler Recalls What Life Was Like
When Thomas R. and Dorothy Cadenhead and their three children came to Wabasso in l922, the roads were all of shell and sand. Cadenhead purchased the E.E. Smith house for his family. "The trip from Montgomery, Ala., took a week," reminisced Thomas R. Cadenhead Jr. "We drove an old Buick and I can remember getting it on the ferry in Jacksonville and putting it on the train that we took to St.Augustine. The roads were so narrow that spaces had been cut out at the sides where people could pass. "If you stopped at night, you could get a room anywhere for $l.50,and that included breakfast." The Cadenhead home had no electricity or water. A cistern provided the water they needed unless the season was a dry one. It had an outhouse, typical of houses at the time. Residents read and studied by oil lamps. "This town was like a family - you never locked your doors. The old meeting place was in the Wabasso Inn. My father and Mr. L.B. Osteen owned the Wabasso Mercantile, right by the railroad tracks. "Saturday night was pay night and everybody came to town, including the Indians, who brought berries and alligator skins to sell. I've seen alligator skins stacked up on the porch 5 feet high." Later on the senior Cadenhead built a filling station while his wife ran the Cozy Cafe next door. There was no municipal electricity, but there was a large power plant in back. It had big generators which charged the batteries for power to run the pumps. She sold a complete fried chicken dinner for $l, a fish dinner for 75 cents. "One of our best customers in the restarant was Mr. A.B. Michael He came in every day. There is a man who should be remembered in this area. He did a lot for this little village and the county that people don't know about. He was outstanding. When they had the public beach at Wabasso, he built a pavillion where the old folks used to go and sit." Cadenhead recalled that children made their own fun. "We had tournaments with marbles, and the boys always had slingshots in their back pockets. You could walk to the river and catch all the fish you wanted before school. "We hunted quail and dove for food and wildcats for sport. The deer used to roam freely and were a nuisance because they ate the crops. That's how Deerfield got its name." Ice came from Sebastian, delivered by Charlie Benyou in a Model-T truck. Meat came from the cattle ranches near Fellsmere. Meat also came from the Cadenhead's chicken farm. A l2-inch plow pulled by a mule team was used to turn the soil for their garden, guided by Tom Jr. "Few people could afford tractors; we all used mules." "Johnny Morgan was the station agent and everything went through him. A telegram was sent with an old CW in code. It cost $2 to go to Jacksonville. You could buy land in Summerplace for $l00 an acre. But no one had any money. "We played a lot of baseball. Joe Gibbs was our coach, and his wife was a teacher. We played from Palm Beach to Daytona, and our team was really good. Fellsmere had a good team, too." Behind the filling station, Cadenhead built a swimming pool which was used by all the kids in Wabasso. Cadenhead used to sail with Alfred and Joe Michael. Boys built tin boats with scrap from old buildings, and they would have paddle races in the river. There were no islands in the river then. The trip to Vero was made over a shell road. An old wooden bridge over the north relief canal allowed just one vehicle to pass at a time. Cadenhead got his first shotgun at age l0. "Kids lerned to shoot early. We used to hunt where the new county golf course is. I hunted that land barefoot and never got bitten by a snake. My father did, though. "About six months before the depression struck, my mother said to my father. "Tom, you's better slack up a bit 'cause you're overstepping. Something might happen." "He said, 'Frances, let me tell you something. there'll be money in Florida as long as the ocean rolls on the eastern shore.'" When the depression started there was nothing ... I mean nothing. And the taxes had to be met. Not to be denied, he started a fruit stand, which, along with the filling station and restaurant, kept them solvent. "Everybody had a garden and the women did a lot of canning. Lots of people cooked outside in the summer. The mosquitoes were so bad you had to wear a helmet with screens over your face. Each house had a smudge pot by the door." Most clothing was purchased through catalogs. "If I'm not mistaken, Mrs. Dodge's old house, right near the old Wabasso Inn, is the one that was a Sears Roebuck house. It came in sections down the river. It was the talk of the town." Buttermilk Joe used to deliver milk from Carter's dairy. "When we got our own cows we took them out there every two weeks for dipping for ticks and other pests. I used to milk the two cows every morning before I went to school. That and the big garden was about all we had, exept what we got hunting and fishing. Ducks were plentful on the river, and the fish! Man, you just wouldn't believe how easy it was to catch fish. Shrimp and oysters, too. We used to build a fire on the river beach and roast oysters. Were they good!" In l938, the younger Cadenhead joined the Marines, and he has toured all over the world. He participated in assaults on Peleliu and Guadalcanal. As a rear-seat gunner, he flew in a Corsair and SBDs. "I'm really lucky," he recalled about the war. "I saw young kids get it right by me, but I never got a scratch. I was hit once when I was in a foxhole, but my jacket saved me. I must admit that I was scared to death." His brother, Marvin, and his sister, Margaret Pierce, twins, live within walking distance in Wabasso. When asked why he returned to Wabasso to retire, this Tom Sawyer-like man said. "Because a lost chicken always tries to find its way home to roost. This place just got to me. I was in two wars and the fleet reserves. I'm thankful I never got the Purple Heart. I've had a lot of fun in my life and I've enjoyed every minute of it."
The Old Bridge Opens
The Vero Bridge was opened on Labor Day in l920. The committee that arranged the opening ceremonies consisted of Rolly R. Martin, E.J. Wood, J.C. McCann, A.W. Young, W.E. Riggs, B.E. Weston, A.M. Hill Sr., C.D. Tool, W.B.Buckngham and O. Roach Sr. The bridge was supposed to have opened sooner, but faced many delays. As Labor Day approached, futher delay was feared. Buckingham described the final spurt of activity and happenings connected with the opening of the bridge as follows: "The citizens of the community rallied to the need and I remember many men driving those spikes through that wonderful heart pine, rough-sawed decking. There were men dragging the big board into place and there were men taking turns at driving the spikes. "I will never forget how one man - Bill Woods - swung that oversize hammer. About four blows and the spike was sunk and the remarkable thing was that he just kept on doing it after any ordinary man would have been exhausted. Woods was a superman that day, as were many, but he was tops in my book. And the bridge was ready for the cars to pass over on that Monday. "I do not know how many cars went over that new bridge that morning, but I do know that not many of them came back across that afternoon and since that was the only bridge, those cars had to spend the night on the island. "You see, it was this way: The road leading to the bridge from downtown Vero Beach, which was, of course, the only road, had just been graded. This newly graded portion was an extension of 20th street from the point where 20th Street came eastward to the western bank of the Indian River and along the western bank of the Indian River to the bridgehead, which was probably one-half-mile to the north. "That section of the new road was freshly graded. The dirt along the sides of the road was of that pickleweed muck land which was as black as your hat and the kind of material which would turn into the softest MUD if a heavy dew came upon it. 'I Mean It Rained' "The cars going up that section of the road to get to the bridge that morning had cut ruts in this soft, crusty fill. And while those cars - maybe l50 of them - and the people who had come in them, were all over at Riomar having the celebration, it rained, and as we said back in those days, 'I mean it rained.' "The first cars that came back along that fill got through under their own power. Then they began to stick in the muddy ruts. The underside of the cars dragged, the wheels spun and threw black sticky mud all over me and a score of other volunteers who were pushing and pulling those cars along the road. Finally they got bogged down hopelessly and still it rained. "Someone thought of a man named Hulick who had the first Caterpiller tractor in Vero. Hulick's nickname was "Dutch". He was in love with his new lightweight caterpillar and did much boasting that he would pull those cars out of the mud. He carried some extracurricular equipment in the tool box in the nature of a bottle of what was popularly known as 'red eye'. "He got a line on the lead car that was stuck, took a big swig out of his bottle of red eye, got on his tractor and gave her the gun. The tractor roared, the tracks spun all right, but buried themselves in the mud and the tractor slipped off the fill and into the borrow ditch on the riverside. "It was at that point the people decided to wade through the mud to higher ground and seek refuge for the night. The people still on the island were marooned there. Alex MacWilliam was the manager at Riomar and with the help of some of us, mostly legionnaires, as I remember it now, built down cot or mats in the new club house and many people stayed there overnight. "I do not remember too much about the denouement. I do not remember helping to get those cars out of the mud. Probably I had to go to work Tuesday morning. (I was making $24 per week.) I do know that the celebration was a huge success - up to a point."
Prohibition Was No Umbrella For Treasure Coast
Prohibition was the law of the land in l926. Indian River County, like most of the Treasure Coast, legally was dry as a bone when R.G. McCain drove down from Winter Beach to Vero Beach in a car loaded with bonded whiskey in mid-October. Prohibition was unpopular. A saying from that era is that the policy was supported only by the "preachers and the bootleggers." The Treasure Coast was no exception. Bootleggers, driving fast Jersey Sea Skiffs, outran the Customs and Coast Guard boats between the Bahamas and the Treasure Coast every night. To combat the bootleggers and moonshiners, the state and nation deployed the Customs agents, the Coast Guard, an army of Prohibition agents - who came to be known as "Prohis" - and all of the local law enforcement agencies. McCain was confident he faced no legal problems; he thought he was under the protection of the local law. He could not have imagined the consequences of his short trip. In Vero Beach, police officers Charles Nelson and J.G. Turlington spotted McCain's car, recognized his load and arrested him. Then McCain sprung his surprise. He was, he said, a deputy sheriff hauling seized whiskey to the courthouse. He said the liquor had been found by Deputy Sheriff W.B. Davis at W.D. Henderson's filling station south of Sebastian. It was being taken to the sheriff's department for safekeeping. McCain didn't have a badge. He had never been a deputy before. So, despite his protests that Davis had deputized him, the police hauled him and his liquor off to jail. Unknown to lawmen, undercover Prohibition agent Thomas J. Maxey began an investigation after learning of McCain's statement. While Maxey investigated, Indian River County's first sheriff, Joel Knight, and his deputies were much in the news. In November, deputies broke up a l00-gallon still and arrested two young men west of Sebastian. In December, they arrested Gene Beugnot and charged him with operating the still. Several independent bootleggers were arrested running through the county. For all intents and purposes, the law of the land was being vigorously enforced. The war between bootleggers and Prohibition agents became hotter when two Prohis, working undercover out of Vero Beach, were shot to death in Perry, Fla. They had been found searching the home of a suspect. On Dec. 3, a federal grand jury convened in Jacksonville to consider the evidence connected with the killings and other incidents around the state. Maxey's report on McCain was one of the items discussed. On Dec. l0, the jury indicted l32 persons in connection with liquor law violations. Sixteen of the persons indicted came from Brevard and Indian River counties. The indictment was sealed pending the arrest of the persons named. Just two days after he had arrested three men and broken up a still southwest of Vero Beach, Knight, his chief deputy W.B. Davis, Vero Beach attorney C.A. Cunningham, Moe Ashley and Beugnot of Sebastian, were arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal W. H. Hollingsworth on Dec. 22. All had been indicted on conspiracy to run a bootlegging operation. The indictment said the sheriff had helped operate the ring by hijacking, transmitting and selling liquor, making false arrests and furnishing immunity to certain bootleggers. Indian River was not the only county to be shamed by its top lawmen. On Jan. 27, l927, Prohis arrestd Broward Sheriff Paul C. Bryan and his entire department on similar charges. But an arrest for violating federal liquor laws did not get Knight suspended and he continued to enforce the laws. He arrested more bootleggers, busted up another still and even engaged in a gunfight with two moonshiners while awaiting trial. In May, the federal case got some substance when McCain was acquitted in state court of the charges lodged by the Vero Beach Police Department. The witnesses from the sheriff's department developed unusual gaps in their memories and the chain of evidence. After the acquittal, the judge gave the evidence, about 700 bottles of whiskey, to the Red Cross "for use during a hurricane." A few days later on May l0, Knight and McCain went on trial in Miami federal court. They were convicted: a motion for a new trial was denied and they were sentenced to l3 months in jail and $l00 fines. Knight resigned as sheriff. When his appeal failed, the U.S. Marshal sent Knight a telegram telling him to report to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Knight got on board a train, unescorted, and rode out of Indian River County for good.
House On Louisiana Avenue Offers Lesson In History
Like children on Christmas morning, members of the Sebastian River Area Historical Society spent a day last week exploring the gifts of an old house. In a two-story home off Louisiana Avenue Wednesday, society members recorded a part of Sebastian's history by salvaging remnants of the city's past. Society members had the opportunity to investigate the historical findings before the home is destroyed to make room for progress. The old, wooden home is almost as old as the city itself. Packing house owner George Miller sold the house to Judge Miller in the early l920s, said Ramona Vickers, society member. Ted Miller - who testified that he witnessed the shooting of the Ashley gang by the local sheriff at the Sebastian River Bridge - lived in the home, Mrs. Vicker said. The Salmela family was the last owner of the house before it was abandoned, she said. The home came equipped with carbide lights, beaded ceilings and a footed bathtub. A homemade icebox situated in the kitchen was used before the invention of electricity. A local iceman went door to door daily to deliver blocks of ice to Sebastian households, Mrs. Vickers said. The blocks of ice were stored in the icebox surrounded by food, she said. A cistern was discovered in the rear of the home. The round container was used to contain rainwater from the roof of the home. An elaborate gutter system was used to channel the water to the cistern. The water was pumped from the tank for use within the home before wells became popular, Mrs. Vickers said. While exploring the property, Sebastian Bulding Official Roger Cloutier located the remains of an old Model A Ford. The car, owned by Jack Salmela when he was a kid, still had the spare tire intact. Two chamber pots were found by society member George Keyes. He can remember the days when the pots were stored under the bed, saving a trip to the outhouse on a cold night. A piano sold to the Salmela family in the l930s was found in the house's living room, Mrs. Vickers said. The Salmelas purchased the piano for their daughter, Edna, who was learning how to play, she said. As history goes, Art Smith, who lived with two other bachelors, gave free piano lessons to Edna and whoever else showed a sincere interest, she said. Smith sold gas, sausages and bread to Sebastian fishermen from his store, Mrs. Vicker said. Smith had a grand piano in the back of his store where he would play and his canary would sing, she said. The canary had a fondness for Smith's piano playing. The canary stopped singing the day of Smith's death, Mrs. Vickers said, never to sing a note again. The visit to the house helped to relive history. "The house is a part of the past that is no longer here." Mrs. Vickers said. "The house shows how these people lived and how they had to make due with what they had. "We would like to see a house like this restored for historical sake," she said. "But the cost prohibits that from happening."
Act Of The Legislature
IN RE; An Act Providing for the Creation of Indian River County in the State of Florida and Government Thereof: Be It Enacted By The Legislature Of The State Of Florida. Section l. That the County of Indian River be, and the same is hereby created and established as a county of the State of Florida from and after thirty days from passage and approval of this Act by the Governor, or sixty days after its becoming a law without its approval. Such County shall comprise and include all of that territory now situated in the County of St. Lucie which is desribed as follows. to-wit: "Commencing at the North West corner of Township Thirty-one, South of Range Thirty-five East; thence running east along the line dividing the townships thirty and thirty-one to the point where said line intersects the medial line of the South fork of the St. Sebastian River; thence Northerly down the middle of said stream to the main stream of the St. Sebastian River; thence down the middle of the St. Sebastian River to its confluence with the Indian River; thence East to the East shore of the Indian River; thence in a southerly direction along the east shore of said river to the township line dividing the townships thirty and thirty-one; thence easterly following said township line to the Atlantic Ocean; thence southward along the Atlantic Coast, including the waters of the Atlantic Ocean within the jurisdiction of the State of Florida to the township line between townships thirty-three and thirty four; thence west on said township line to range line dividing ranges thirty-five and thirty-six east; thence North between ranges thirty-five and thirty-six east to the northeast corner of Section One, Township thirty-three south, range thirty-five east; thence west on township line dividing townships thirty-two and thirty-three south, range thirty-five east to the range line dividing ranges thirty-four and thirty-five east; thence north on said range line to the northwest corner of township thirty-one south, range thirty-five east, being the point of beginning." Note: The County of St. Lucie was created out of the Southern part of Brevard County, on July l, l905.
Looking Back
Centennial Plus Ten In the spirit of the Sebastian Centennial Plus Ten celebration scheduled for March l4 through 24, the Sebastian River Area section of the Press-Journal is presenting a look at the history of the area as found in the early issues of The Vero Press. The following is from May 22, l924. Sebastian Bank Erecting Building Construction work was started this week by Contractor Bartow of Melbourne on the new Sebastian bank building. The structure will be of hollow tile and stucco and will be located on the lot just east of the post office. The building will be completed in six weeks and will be ready for business as soon as completed. The bank will be operated under the Withan system. Buster Snell returned home from Eau Gallie last week, where he had been attending school. A political rally was held in the Sebastian hall last Wednesday evening. Eighteen speakers were present and Dr. R. M. Huntley of Vero was chairman. A good crowd was present, this being the first pow-wow we have had this season. The younger boys baseball team played Fellsmere Saturday, winning by a score of 7-5. A new crew of men began work on the Sebastian Inlet Monday. They expect to complete the work in 30 days. Abraham Stovitz took charge of the Sebastian Hotel Tuesday morning. Mr. Stovitz purchased the building some time ago and will make extensive improvements shortly.
What Really Happened The Night Ashley Gang Was Killed?
Orlando Sentinel In l924, the population of New York City stood at roughly 5 million people. Philadelphia was halfway through its third century. Richmond had become the capital of Virginia more than l40 years earlier. The Confederacy, of which Richmond also had been the capital, was nearly 60 years in its grave. And at Sebastian Bridge on U.S. Highway l, halfway between what are now Melbourne and Vero Beach, the Ashley gang was gunned down in cold blood on a November night. The dead, when all the shooting was over, included the gang's leader, John Ashley, and gang members Clarence Middleton, Ray Lynn and Hanford Mobely, Ashley's l9-year-old nephew. The story of the Ashley gang begins in the early years of this century when John Ashley's father moved to Florida's east coast from the Fort Myers area to work as a woodchopper on Henry Flagler's railroad, then pushing south to Miami. Eventually, the family members settled in Gomez, south of Stuart, and set themselves up as bank robbers, holding up the Stuart bank several times and the Pompano Beach bank, among others. Mostly, though, the Ashleys profited as bootleggers, running rum from Britsh warehouses in the Bahamas and Bimini to the Florida coast, says Ada Coates Williams, an assistant professor of English at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce. The Ashleys also were said to be crack shots. None was better than John Ashley, though he had one glass eye, says Williams, who delivered a paper on the Ashley gang to the May meeting of the Florida Historical Society and is working on a book-length treatment of their escapades. John Ashley's story - the story of his life spent truly outside the law - opposed to the moderate lawlessness of rum running during Prohibition - begins with the murder of Desoto Tiger, the Son of Tom Tiger, one of the most famous leaders of the Seminole nation. "John Ashley was camping out with some Seminole Indians," Williams says, "and he went with Desoto Tiger to carry some otter hides. Desoto Tiger never came back to camp, but John Ashley turned up in Miami with the hides and sold them. "Several days later, Desoto Tiger's body was picked up by a boat dredging the inland waterway....John Ashley became a hunted criminal from that time on. John Ashley never killed anyone but an Indian. He thought redneck crackers would never convict him of killing an Indian, but he picked the wrong Indian." And from that murder, more or less in a direct line, flowed the events that led to the night in November l924 when the Ashley gang was wiped out on Sebastian Bridge. "They were going north to Jacksonville," Williams says. "Either they were planning to stay with a sister there because the heat was on them or they were going to break one of their men out of jail in the central part of the state on the way to Jacksonville. They planned to come back and kill Sheriff (Robert C.) Baker of Palm Beach County, which Stuart was then a part of, and then flee the state. "They had a running feud with Baker. John Ashley was always leaving a bullet with someone they had robbed, with instructions to tell Baker that the bullet was for him. Baker would send back word that he would wear John Ashley's glass eye as a watch fob someday." Of the events on that night in November l924, only this much was known with certainty for many years afterward. Warned that the gang was traveling north, Sheriff Baker contacted Sheriff John R. Merritt in Fort Pierce. Merritt, in turn, put a chain across Sebastian Bridge, a little wooden span which at that time had to be crossed if you were traveling up the east coast of the state, and hung a red lantern from the chain. When the gang members got out of their car to investigate the chain, deputy sheriffs came up from the river bank. What was not known for years was how Ashley gang members came to be shot in the aftermath of that ambush. The deputies who took part in the ambush told the coroner's jury that gang members had tried to escape and had been shot, but local rumor held that they were handcuffed when they were shot. Williams says she was told the true story of that night by a deputy who had taken part in the events. The deputy made Williams swear she would not repeat the story until the deputy's death. He is now dead. "As it was told to me," Williams says, "the men were handcuffed when they were shot that night. It seems that John Ashley was separated from the others because he was full of tricks. It was reported that he had guns hidden all over his body and that he could draw quickly. "The deputy told me that he had told John Ashley not to make a move. Ashley took a step and he was shot. The others perhaps tried to make a run for it, and they were shot, too." Was it heinous to have done so, to have shot handcuffed men? "One must not take historical incidents out of the era in which they took place," Williams says. "At that time, Florida was a frontier. The railway had only recently come down. Most of these little communities were far removed from the county government. Fort Pierce's county seat was way up the coast in Titusville, Stuart's was way down in Palm Beach. "The sheriffs of that era were frontier sheriffs. They were entrusted with enforcing the law in the best way they could....It was just a part of the era. These had been the men who had carved this community I live in (Fort Pierce) out of a tropical wilderness." And what of the participants in the story of the Ashley gang and of their descendants? Desoto Tiger's daughter lived for years on property owned by Ada Coates Williams. Tiger's grandson, Bert Jones, is now chief of the Cow Creek Indians. A granddaughter, Louise Gopher, was the first Seminole woman to receive a four-year degree from a college and now works in the cultural-affairs department of the Seminole nation. The Ashley gang was buried in a private, family cemetery in Gomez. The graveyard later was badly vandalized. According to Williams, the Martin County Historical Society recently tried to raise a fence around the cemetery and mark the graves, but members of the Ashley family resisted the plan. As for the Ashley gang's descendants, they "suffered a great deal," Williams says. "Newspapermen and writers would want to interview them and put the story in the papers. The children in school would be embarrassed....They all changed their names and left the area."
Ill-Fated Ashley Gang Leaves Bloody Legend
Spotting the red lantern, the Sebastian man eased his car to a stop at the south end of the wooden bridge over Sebastian river. It was then that he and his companion noticed the heavy chain across the bridge, from which the lantern was suspended. Another car halted behind them, this one containing four men. As the men in the first car watched, armed men suddenly appeared from the bushes alongside the road and surrounded the second car. Their leader identified himself as Sheriff J.R. Merritt of St. Lucie County and waved the first car through after the chain was lowered. What happened next remains controversial. Some say it was a shootout, others call it an execution. When it was over, the Ashley Gang was no more. John Ashley,its leader, was dead. So was his cousin, Hanford Mobley. So were Clarence Middleton and Ray (Shorty) Lynn. Their deaths brought to l2 the toll in a l3-year saga of moonshining and jailbreaks, hijacking and shootouts. It cast a pall over other members of the family, many of whom felt Ashley was being persecuted unjustly. It was in l904 that Joe Ashley brought his wife and five sons, John, Bill, Ed, Frank and Bob - from the Gulf Coast of Florida to Pompano Beach, then a tiny farming comunity by the Florida East Coast Railway. The Ashleys remained in Pompano for seven years, during which John grew through adolescence into manhood. Edmund Rodgers, who became Bill Ashley's father-in-law in l906, remembers John as anything but an incipient desperado. "John was a frequent visitor in our home, and I never saw a more mannerly or nicer boy in my life. He always came in with a smile and a pleasant word for all. "He got a job...in a packing house...and came to my house to board. He stayed with us several months and always paid his board promptly, and during the time I knew him in pompano, which was about five or six years, I never knew of him getting into any serious trouble." In l9ll the family moved to West Palm Beach, but John, who had become an expert trapper, spent much of his time in the Everglades. Later the family moved north to Gomez, south of Stuart. Up until then, the Ashleys were just another of the "cracker" families that made up much of the South Florida population in the early days - hard working individualists who cultivated plants, hunted animals and picked up odd jobs. All of that was to change, beginning on Dec. 29, l9ll. It was on that date that a dredge digging the North New River Canal from Fort Lauderdale to Lake Okeechobee unearthed the body of Desoto Tiger, son of the well-known Cow Creek Seminole leader Tom Tiger. Jimmy Gopher, a hunting companion, told lawmen that Ashley was the last person seen with Tiger. Palm Beach County Sheriff George Baker dispatched Deputies S. A. Barfield and Bob Hammon to the Gomez area (which was in Palm Beach County until Martin county was created in l925) to find Ashley. They were walking along Dixie Highway near Hobe Sound when John and Bob Ashley suddenly came out of the woods with drawn pistols. After disarming the deputies, the Ashleys sent them back south with the admonition: "Tell Baker not to send any more chicken-hearted men with rifles or they are apt to get hurt." It was the first verbal shot in what would become somewhat of a feud between the Ashley and Baker families. John Ashley stayed out of sight for three years, then returned to Gomez and gave himself up for trial. He was a model prisoner throughout his first trial, which ended in a mistrial. He seemed confident that a jury would not find him guilty of murder, particularly the murder of an Indian, on the evidence in hand. He apparently changed his mind after the state tried to have the second trial moved to Miami, away from those who knew the Ashleys. While being escorted back to his cell by the jailer, Robert Baker (son of the sheriff) who had not handcuffed him due to his good behavior, he broke away and vaulted a l0-foot fence. A number of crimes were blamed on the Ashleys during the next year, the most plausible of which seems to be an FEC train holdup that went awry when the robbers John and Bob Ashley and Kid Lowe, couldn't agree on what each was to do. On Feb. 23, l9l5 the gang made its first illegal visit to the Stuart Bank. The robbers took $4,300 and ordered a customer, Frank Coventry, to drive them out of town to a car taken from in front of the bank. Somehow during the robbery, John Ashley was shot accidentally by Lowe, the bullet destroying the sight in his left eye and forcing him to wear a black eyepatch from then on. More immediately, the wound slowed him down so that George Baker and a posse soon ran him down. Ashley was taken to West Palm Beach, then to Miami for the second trial in the Tiger death. Jailer Wilbur Hendrickson answered a knock on the door about lp.m. on June 2, l9l5 to confront a man who asked him if he were the jailer. Then shot him through the heart before he could answer. The man, Bob Ashley, grabbed the dead man's keys and ran. Obviously, Bob Ashley had not thought out his plan for the commotion raised by the shooting, coming as it did in downtown Miami, destroyed any chances he may had of freeing his brother. Besides, there was no driver for the get-away car left in a nearby garage. Ashley leaped on the running board of a passing delivery truck and held his gun on driver T. H. Dukett, ordering that he be driven to the "county road." Duckett contrived to stall his vehicle just as another car with Miami polieman Robert Riblett on its running board caught up. The ensuing shootout left both Bob Ashley and Riblett mortally wounded. The Tiger case dragged on for more than a year, with tightened security due to both the break attempt and threats from the Gang to "shoot up the whole....town" if John Ashley were convicted. Finally in November l9l6, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to l7 years in prison. Once again John Ashley was a model prisoner, so he was transferred from the prison at Raifor to a road camp in March l9l8. That apparently was what he been awaiting; three months later he and bank robber Tom Maddos fled. For the next three years, Ashley's activities seem to have been centered on moonshining and, with the advent of Prohibition in l9l9, rum-running. John, Ed, and Frank Ashley and Kid Lowe would race between West End in the Bahamas and the maze of waterways south of Stuart along the Intracostal Waterway in liquor-laden boats. They also ran the contraband by land to other parts of the state, and it was on one of these runs, in June l92l, that Ashley was arrested in Wauchula, a small town some distance east of Bradenton. He was returned to Raiford. On Oct. 2l, l92l, while returning from West End with a full load of liquor, Ed and Frank Ashley disappeared in rough seas. The gang had realized by then that it was easier to hijack other rum-runners than to go all the way to the Bahamas for liquor. Under the leaership of Middleton or Roy Matthews, the gang became more feared by the rum-runners than were the beverage agents. Many of the other outlaws paid tribute for immunity. When hijacking fell off, the gang paid another visit to the Stuart Bank. This time Mobley, a slight and somewhat effeminate teenager, led the raid after entering the bank dressed as a woman. The bandits fled cross-state to Plant City, where Mobley and Middleton were captured. Matthews was arrested in Griffin, Ga., some time later. Following the gang's activities over the next few months almost requires a chart. In fairly rapid succesion: Due to remodeling work at the Palm Beach County Jail, the three were transferred to the Broward County Jail, from which Mobley and Matthews soon escaped by climbing through a skylight and descending on a rope made from blankets. Middleton was sentenced to l5 years and transferred to Raiford, where John Ashley, Lynn and Joe Tracey were already in residence. Ashley escaped from the prison, apparently with outside help. Lynn and Middleton escaped from a road gang near Marianna, presumably in a car driven by Tracey, whose term had expired some time previously. By the end of l923, the gang was back together in the woods near Gomez, ostensibly pledging never again to be taken by the authorities. In the meantime, old Joe Ashley was into moonshining, and it was at his camp about 2 miles from the Ashley home that the last bloody months of the Ashley saga were begun in a blaze of gunfire. By this time, Robert Baker had succeeded his father as sheriff and his cousin Fred was a deputy. One dawn early in l924, a posse surrounded the camp. The lawmen said a barking dog gave them away. Whether Albert Miller, a moonshining partner of Joe Ashley's or the lawmen opened fire first is unclear, but the area soon was a hell of flying bullets. Joe Ashley was shot dead as he sat on his bunk, puttng on his shoes. Miles and Laura Upthegrove, John Ashley's girlfriend, were wounded. "I grabbed my rifle and got behind a forked tree," John Ashley told Hix Stuart, who wrote The Notorious Ashley Gang four years later. "They poured enough lead at me to kill l0 men, but fate seemed against them. I noticed a palmetto move, and I let fly a bullet in short order. A man toppled from behind the palmetto and fell prone on his face. I knew I had killed a man. The firing ceased." Ashley took advantage of the lull to flee. The second dead man was Fred Baker. With his death, the Ashley-Baker feud had become one of blood. Ashley almost was caught the same day, but he escaped in a harmless exchange of gunfire. He would never again be far ahead of the law. Once, at Salerno, the gang had to abandon its boat and flee without provisions. Another time, only Mrs. Ashley's warning signal from a window kept the outlaws from walking into an ambush near the Gomez home. By late October, posses had found and destroyed all of the gang's hideouts, and Ashley decided it might be a good idea to head north for a while, to Jacksonville. Somehow the word got to Baker, who sent two deputies to Fort Pierce to Alert Merritt. The St. Lucie sheriff took charge and decided to stop the gang at the Sebastian bridge, over which all traffic to Jacksonville had to pass. Merritt described for journalists what happened when the Gang's car appeared. "We waited untl they stopped, then came up from behind and covered them with our guns. They were caught unaware, being interestd in seeing why the automobile ahead had stopped. "When we came up alongside, John Ashley saw me first and grabbed for his rifle. I pushed a shotgun in his face and (St. Lucie county) Deputy Wiggins pushed a gun into his ribs at the same time, telling him to throw up his hands. After a number of rifles had been taken from the four men, some of the officers were getting handcuffs from their cars. Merritt said, "when Ashley gave a signal and all of the outlaws grabbed for their six-shooters. They had not been searched for them. "Right then and there the shooting began, and when the smoke cleared away all four of the desperadoes lay on the ground dead." There were conflicting stories, however. The men in the first car said that when officers flagged them away from the scene, the outlaws already were in handcuffs. And the bodies had marks on the wrists that could have been made by cuffs. The lawmen insisted that the marks were caused when the undertaker examined the bodies, and a coroner's jury accepted their version. Middleton's body was taken to Jacksonville for burial. The Ashley and Mobley families claimed their own. There was no one to speak for Lynn's remains, so John Ashley's mother said she'd take them. She found room in the family cemetery next to her home for yet another body, next to Joe, Bob and John Ashley. Mobley and an infant grandchild -- the only one of the group not to have died of gunshot wounds.
Ashley Gang Killings Prompts Controversy
FORT PIERCE, NOVEMBER 6, l924 -- An inquest into the killing of John Ashley, notorious east coast bandit, and three companions by Sheriff J. R. Merrit and a force of St. Lucie and Palm Beach County deputies at the Sebastian River Bridge last Saturday night came to a sudden halt Wednesday afternoon. The unexpected adjournment of the inquest came after four hours of startling testimony by T.R. Miller and S.O. Davis, two Sebastian young men, whose evidence tended to show that the four desperadoes might have been shot down while handcuffed and defenseless. No opportunity was afforded the officer to combat this testimony. Another coroner's jury will be empaneled to begin a new inquest at l0 a.m. next Saturday morning. Sheriff Merritt and the officers who were with him have all been subpoenaed and will tell the jury their version of the capture of the outlaws, who, they say, were shot down when they made a sudden attempt to draw their guns, after being arrested. Among the spectators was Mrs. J.W. Ashley, aged mother of the dead bandit leader, surrounded by a small party of friends. Interest was heightened by the presence of attorneys C.D. Abbott and E.C. Thompson of West Palm Beach, and H.J. Dame of Fort Pierce, who announced that they were on hand to protect the interests of the officers who took part in the capture. In the jury box were Albert Schuman, S.A. Braswell, George Badger, D.J. Rea, S.H. Bray and L.O Baughtman, all of Sebastian who had been summond by Sheriff Merritt to serve on the jury immediately after the shooting Saturday night. That the hearing was about to take an interesting and unusual turn become apparent with the calling of the first witness, W.I. Fee, Fort Pierce undertaker, who prepared the bodies of the dead bandits for burial. One of the first questions put to him was whether he noticed any marks on the arms of the dead men that might have been caused by handcuffs. He replied that no marks of any king were evident on their arms. From the time Mr. Fee was excused until the hearing ended at 3 p.m., Miller and Davis were on the witness stand, most of the time undergoing a grueling cross-examination by Attorney Abbott. In a number of details their stories differed, but their testimony that they saw handcuffs on the four captives before they were killed was never shaken. Miller was the first to testify. He said he drove his car up to the Sebastian Bridge about l0:45 accompanied by Davis. He was taking Davis home, he testified and they had decided to go for a drive beforehand. As they stopped at the barrier that had been placed across the end of the bridge, another car drove up behind them and stopped, Miller said. From the front seat of his car he could see men with guns surrounding the other car and hear the occupants ordered to stick up their hands. He said he saw one of the men on the ground strike a man in the car in the face with his gun. Thinking a holdup was taking place, Miller said he and his companion began secreting their watches in the top of the car and placing their money under the seat. He then left the car and started to walk out on the bridge, but Davis called to him to come back. Soon after he returned to his car, Miller said Sheriff Merritt came up and, saying they were capturing the Ashley gang, requested that Miller carry him to his car at the other end of the bridge. On the way over, Miller testified, the Sheriff showed him a pearl-handled revolver and told him it was the one he had taken from Ashley. Miller said that when he and Davis started across the bridge with the sheriff, the four prisoners were standing in the road with their hands in the air, surrounded by officers with their guns trained on them. After a few minutes they returned and leaving their car walked toward their party, he said. He testified that he then saw three of the men handcuffed together, and John Ashley standing to one side with a pair of handcuffs on his wrists. "These boys are going to Sebastian and want to get by," Sheriff Merritt told the other officers, so Miller testified, and he and Davis entered their car and drove toward town. They passed the prisoners slowly and plainly saw the handcuffs on their arms he declared. Arriving in town they met several men, including Mr. Schuman, Mr. Braswell and Mr. Badger and told them the Ashley gang had been captured and the officers had them handcuffed back at the bridge, Miller stated. In the meantime, he said, Sheriff Merritt had driven into Sebastian by another road and went to the depot, where he reported the shooting of the prisoners. This was the essence of the story related by Miller, and a long cross examination by Mr. Abbott and members of the jury failed to change it in any essential particular.
FORT PIERCE - NOVEMBER 8, l924 - Justifiable homicide was the unanimous verdict of the second coroner's jury empaneled Saturday to investigate the killing of John Ashley, bandit leader, and three companions by St. Lucie and Palm Beach County officers at the Sebastian Bridge on the night of Nov. l. Sheriff Meritt and the deputies who assisted in the capture of the Ashley gang all took the stand and refuted the testimony given by previous hearing to the effect that they saw Ashley and his companions handcuffed before they were shot.
Ashley Gang
St. Lucie County sheriff and other officers ambushed dreaded outlaws and killed the chief of the band and his three henchmen. Bodies of the robber gang which terrorized South Florida are taken to undertaking establishment at Fort Pierce. John Ashley, one-eyed leader of the notorious Ashley Gang, who has duplicated in Florida the daring banditry of the "James Boys" and three of the leading members of his gang, lie dead in an undertaking establishment after a gun battle with officers last Saturday night [Nov. l, l924,) which rivals the thrilling narratives of the paper back novels. In addition to Ashley, bank robber and alleged murderer, the dead bandits are Hanaford Mobley, bank robber, hold up man and traditional "right hand man" of Ashley; "Shorty" Lynn, escaped convict and alleged murderer; and Bob Middleton, escaped convict and bank robber. Not a man of the Party of Sheriff J.R. Merritt of St. Lucie County who laid the plans for the capture were wounded in the exchange of shot from six-shooters in the hands of the four bandits and the shotguns of the officers. Accompanying the sheriff in the ambush maneuvers which resulted in the slaying of Ashley gang leaders, were Deputy Sheriff O.E. Wiggins of St. Lucie county, Chief of Police J.M. Smith of Ft. Pierce, Chief Deputy Stubbs and deputies Lem Thomas and Elmer Padgett of Palm Beach County and City Marshall Padget of Stuart. The Ashley Gang, notorious for more than l5 years along the East Coast from St. Lucie County to the Florida Keys below Miami and across the Gulf Stream in the Bahamas, are charged with a long line of crimes ranging from bank robbery and piracy on the high seas down to moonshining and petty thievery.
Eau-Gallie Record Halted by a chain across the south end of the Sebastian River bridge on the Dixie Highway, on which a red lantern was displayed, John Ashley, Hanaford Mobley, Shorty Lynn, and Bob Middleton were captured and after being partly disarmed were killed by Sheriff Merritt of St. Lucie County and deputies when they showed fight. Sheriff Merritt's version: "Saturday evening at 5 o'clock, Sheriff R.C. Baker's deputies, Chief Deputy Stubbs, deputies Elmer Padgett and Lem Thomas, and City Marshall Padgett of Stuart came to me in the Silver Palace Pharmacy and notified me they had information to the effect that the Ashley gang ws going to pass through St. Lucie county by automobile that night. "They asked me to assist them in apprehending the outlaws. I said that I would do so with the understanding that they work to my plans. This they agreed to do and Deputy Wiggins, Chief of Police Smith and myself with the other deputies, left Ft. Pierce for the Sebastian River Bridge. "We were equipped with a heavy chain and red lantern. Upon our arrival at the bridge we took our automobiles into Brevard County, across the river, left them there and came back to the St. Lucie county side. We stretched the chain across the bridge and hung up the red lantern, then concealed ourselves in the mangrove tree alongside the road. "About l0:30 p.m. along came a young man named Miller and another young man, both of Sebastian. They drove up and stopped as they saw the chain and light. Close behind them followed the car with the Ashley Gang. They stopped behind the Middleton automobile. "We waited until they stopped then came up from behind and covered them with our guns. They were caught unawares, being interested in seeing why the automobile ahead had stopped. "When we came up alongside, John Ashley saw me first and grabbed for his rifle. I pushed a shotgun in his face and Deputy Wiggins pushed a gun into his ribs at the same time, telling him to throw up his hands. Wiggins reached and got Ashley's rifle while Chief of Police Smith got Linn's rifle. We then made all of them get out of the motor car with hands up and walk around in front of it, where the lights would shine on them. "I then got in Miller's automobile telling my men to search the outlaws carefully, as I was going for my motor car and handcuffs. "When I returned I stopped my automobile with the lights shining on the party, I got out and went to the side door of my car to get my handcuffs. The first pair I got I did not have a key for. I asked deputy Wiggins if he had a key to fit them and was getting more handcuffs out of the pocket of the door when Ashley gave a signal and all of the outlaws grabbed for their six shooters. They had not been searched for them. "Right then and there the shooting began, and when the smoke cleared away all four of the desparadoes lay on the ground dead. When the shooting began we were between l0 and l5 feet from the desparadoes. "When Sheriff Merritt and the other officer came alongside the bandits' car, Ashley and Lynn were in the back seat. Mobley was driving and Middlton was at his side. Ashley carried a high powered rifle and two pistols. Linn was armed with a rifle and one pistol. "Ashley was about 35 years old, Mobley l9 years, Lynn 25 to 30 and Middleton 25 years old. "The bodies were placed in the motor car in which the dead men had been riding and were brought to Ft. Pierce. On Mobley's person was found $85.85, Ashley $l00, Lynn $363, and Middleton was penniless." Credit for capturing the outlaws is being accorded Sheriff Merritt, whose plan for stopping them proved highly successful.
Remembering Roseland When Roseland was in its heyday as a winter resort, bootleggers were building houses for healthful retreats, commerce was thriving on Berry Avenue (with a gas station, grocery store, and post office), and four hotels provided a place for visitors to bide-a-wee. Of these four hotels, one was on Bay Street just east of the railroad tracks, one was within a block of the Holtzclaw Grocery on Berry Avenue, the big one was on the bluff in Ercildoune (and called, appropriately enough, the Ercildoune Hotel), and Hammond's Hotel was at the west end of the Community Building Park. It was to Hammond's Hotel in l924 that Mrs. Helen Hanson came with her husband for their first visit to Roseland. She says the delicious meals at Hammond's originated right outside the door--Mrs. Hammond raised her own fruits and vegetables and picked them fresh for each meal. What could be better than fresh food, clean air, beautiful riverview, and quiet roads to walk to put you to sleep? The riverside entertainment at Hammond's centered on the fishing pier which stuck out into the Sebastian River. Her boats were rented for fishing and here Mrs. Hammond would feed her pet alligator (he was a big fellow, too---must've been one she fed with a pole). One of the permanent residents at Hammond's was a schoolteacher. Really it was the schoolteacher because there was only one. She taught at the one room schoolhouse on Dale Street (3 blocks south of Roseland Road), so she had a walk of 5 short blocks to work each morning. The school's gone and the property's all wooded over now, but it still belongs to us (in the name of the County School Board--shall we petition to have a few of those relocatable classrooms and a couple teachers moved up here so our children can walk to school again?) The Hammonds left their place on Bay Street and the building became a fish house. Then not too awful long ago, the building was condemned and the county took over the land to add to the park. So there's nothing there now that's the same...except the clean air, the beautiful riverview, and the quiet place to walk and enjoy.
Looking Back In the spirit of the Sebastian Centennial Plus Ten celebration scheduled for March l4 though 24, the Sebastian River Area section of the Press-Journal is presenting a look at the history of the area as found in the early issues of The Vero Press. The following is from April l9, l923 School Closes at Sebastian Last Thursday evening a very pretty entertainment was given by the intermediate and primary grades of the Sebastian School at the town hall. The program consisted of a three-act play entitled, "Crowning the May Queen," the Blossom Drill by l0 girls in Japanese costumes, the Manners class by seven boys impersonating colored gentlemen, a song by Janelda Braddock and Laurine Ryall, and a goodnight song and candle march by the primary children. The good acting, beautiful costumes and abundance of flowers combined in making the evening's program a success, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone present. The program was directed by Mrs. J. T. thompson and Miss Marie Abernathy. The stage was beautifully decorated with pine, myrtle, bamboo and Spanish moss, which formed a gray and green background for the three girls and boys of the graduation class. On each side of the stage stood small tables bearing large baskets filled with red carnations, the class flower, and across the back of the stage hung a large banner in blue and gold, the class colors, with the class motto, "Character is the Only True Diploma", upon it. The program was as follows: Song - "Future Generation"
Sebastian Historical Society Uncovers Town's Past To anybody else, it may not have been a big deal. But to Arlene Westfahl and her fellow members of the Sebastian River Area Historical Society Inc., finding some old panels turned out to be quite a find indeed. The panels found recently by Michael Vickers in his family's storage barn, turned out to be from Sebastian's first bank, which opened for business in 1924. They appear to be dividers through which tellers took in and dispensed money during the bank's short life "We want to uncover the history of Sebastian - and there are a dwindling number of people who were around then," says Mrs. Westfahl. And the brief story of the area's first bank tells a lot about the times in which it was built. "Sebastian is the latest town to rouse from years of peaceful slumber and reach out for its share of prosperity that neighboring towns are now enjoying." read the Aug. 28, 1924, Eau Gallie Record. The bank was built the previous May, according to the May 22, 1924, Vero Press. The bank may have provided the impetus the area needed to formerly organize as a city, which it did in 1925. "With the completion of Dixie Highway south to Vero, and the opening of the Bank of Sebastian, citizens of that thriving community decided that by co-operation their town could take its place in the sun and straightway set about organizing a Chamber of Commerce to look after and further the develoment of their section," the Record continued. Sebastian was a part of what was St. Lucie County then, and the bank "was capitalized at $15,000," the Record reported. It was part of the Witham system, which controlled 70 banks in Florida. The bank did not last long, failing in 1929, with the directors voting to sell the assets to the Farmers Bank of Vero Beach for $21,628.72. Facing south, it was located at Main Street and what would become the middle of U.S.1. It was used as a City Hall, then razed in 1957 with the construction of the federal highway. Vickers found the panels in what is another Sebastian historical landmark--the city's train station, which was moved to the Vickers'grapefruit groves in 1965 after it was cut in half for the journey down U.S.1 from its location off Main Street. The other half was taken down after being burned and vandalized. The first section was built in 1894, the year the railroad arrived in Sebastian. The Historical Society currently does not have a place to display the panels, but the group hopes that someday it will have its own museum. General Development has donated land on Schumann Drive to be used for a museum. Mrs. Westfahl said the Historical Society hopes one day to be able to move a restored historical house or building to the sight to become a storage display area for Sebastian historical information and items. "People have been very generous with donations of old documents and photos - we just need a place to store it all," she said. Currently, the Society is using a room in the City Hall for some of its collection. Its programs are one of its main goals, presented during the Society's meetings. A major project the Society hopes to have completed before the end of the year is publishing the first in a series of books on the history of the area. "A study by the Florida Preservation Society says 70 percent of visitors visit historical sites," Mrs. Westfahl said. "Historical areas carry quite an economic impact." "And we want to give people here the chance to look for the area's roots - it gives a sense of belonging." The Society has saved $7,000, but must use part of that for its operating expenses. Those interested in donating can write to P.O. Box 1348, Sebastian, Fla. 32958. The group has five general meetings a year. Its next meeting is at 7:30 p.m, Marh 29 at the Sebastian Community Center. A program will be presented on native plants.
New Sebastian Inlet Opened By Storm Heavy winds of Saturday and Sunday caused the ocean to break through the barrier left by the contractor on the ocean end of the Sebastian Inlet and at the present time there is a depth of about five feet of water between the river and Atlantic. Contractor had completed the cut with the exception of a narrow strip of sand which was left until such time as the jetties could be completed when the dredge was scheduled to return and remove the obstruction. As a result of the storm Sebastian and vicinity will receive the benefit of tide water several months before the job could have been completed.
1926 hurricane remembered by area residents The great hurricane of September 1926 scoured Florida's east coast with 120 mile-per-hour winds that blew over fishermen's shacks at Grant, smashed the hamlet of Lockmar and set back digging of drainage canals west of Tillman. On its way to Brevard, the storm blew apart a house at Stuart, leaving only its bathroom intact, where one Ruth Allen had taken shelter, according to her cousin, Palm Bay's Delma Pospisil, 71. When the squall reached the Sebastian Inlet late at night, Charner Smith, 24, his brother Elmer, 10, and an adult friend Terrell Hayes were on a houseboat tied to a barge and had earlier been fishing. The boat was blown loose from the barge and began drifting out to sea, forcing the two adults to swim to shore, hauling along the boy. "The last thing they saw was a lantern shining in the houseboat, but after the storm, that houseboat was never seen again," said the Smith youth's sister, 82-year-old Laura Hiott of Palm Bay, then 26. At Grant, where Hiott's father, citrus nurseryman R.T. Smith owned a general store, the hurricane blew wooden, one-room fishermen's shacks into the Indian River intact, and shattered a dock. On U.S. 1 at Malabar, newlyweds Harvey and Helen Huggins, 23, were busy sweeping out water leaking through windows and doors from rain torrents that reduced visibility to zero. "Trees were going down all around. It was blowing so, people didn't dare go out, and we were shut in for 24 hours," said Huggins, now 80 living in West Melbourne. Winds of 120 miles per hour repeatedly lifted the Huggins cottage off its concrete blocks through the night but fortunately, each time it fell back on its foundation. Nearby, the gales stripped a metal roof from a sawmill, scattering debris over a half mile area. Another newlywed pair in town, World War I veteran Robert Moeller and his bride Victoria lost their front porch screen, but for Victoria, now 79, bouts with hurricanes had run in the family. Forty-six years earlier, her father, a letter-carring Indian River boater who blew a cornet to announce deliveries - had ridden out the great hurricane of 1880 in a house at the Jupiter Inlet. After ravaging the village of Lockmar, according to Melbourne history buff Fred Hopwood, and setting back Tillman's digging of drainage canals - the 1926 storm moved on to Melbourne. There, 14-year-old Delma Adkins awoke at her riverfront home off U.S. 1 to discover her parents bracing inward buckling walls with two-by-four planks. Later, when the hurricane's eye passed through, "there wasn't a leaf moving, no wind, and the sky cleared a little," remembers 72-year-old Delma Pospisil of her teen-age experience.
Sebastian Inlet Today at noon, the first shots will be made, in the main channel, blowing out the rock which is keeping many fishing boats out of Sebastian Inlet. The Inlet commission, Roy O. Couch, chairman, Al VorKeller, secretary, and Charles W. Sembler, treasurer, are responsible for the carrying through of the work to satisfactory completion. The channel which is being blown will be 350 feet long, 300 feet wide and eight feet deep.
Clara B capsizes Fourteen persons were drowned at the Sebastian Inlet about 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon when the motorboat Clara B, owned and operated by Capt. Ed Arnold of Malabar, and at the time under charter of the Melbourne Farms Co. of Melbourne, capsized in the ocean about l00 yards out from the jetties. The party, made up largely of people from Kansas, had been brought to Melbourne by the Farms Comany in order that they might look over the real estate situation in the vicinity and this trip was part of an elaborate entertainment program being carried out by the company. After a dinner at one of Melbourne's hotels, the party, numbering 23 persons, left for a trip down the Indian River and when nearing the inlet it was proposed that a short run be made out on the Atlantic. According to information given out at the company's office, Locke Davidson, vice-president of the company and in charge of the party, opposed the proposition but was overruled by his guests. According to Lee N. Brutus, sales manager from Humphrey-Shipmen, Inc., of this place, who was fishing from the jetties when the Clara B passed out, the ocean was very rough with a stiff breeze blowing, directly toward shore. While being tossed about considerably by the seas, the vessel proceeded eastward about half a mile from shore before putting about for the return trip. When about l00 yards from the end of the jetties, an unusually large wave was seen to strike the boat, causing it to veer from her course and fall into a trough of the sea - the following wave rolled the vessel bottom side up. On account of the heavy sea and strong tide a dozen or more fishermen present when the accident happened were almost powerless to render assistance, without ropes or lines of any kind several of them went into the surf in an effort to give aid. All survivors and rescuers were badly cut and bruised by being thrown against the rocks of the jetties, several of those who were on board the Clara B were injured seriously.
Ten Victims of Sea tragedy Start on Their Last Journey Ten Caskets Lined On Station Platform Yesterday Morning, Awaiting the Northbound Train - Mute Testimony of The Power of The Sea. The morning train bearing these ten good people to their last resting place in the North, furnished mute testimony to a tragedy of the sea that shocked not only this community but the whole country. All total, the lives of fourteen folks, on pleasure bent, were snuffed out as toll to one of nature's mightist forces. Melbourne, as well as the entire state was shocked beyond measure last Sunday afternoon when the report reached this city that the Clara B, a forty-foot excursion launch had capsized in the heavy seas just outside Sebastian Inlet, sinking immediately with 23 passengers on board. Fourteen of the party were drowned. Swollen, battered and bruised from having been cast by breaker upon jagged jetties, eleven survivors reached the mainland and were rushed to the care of physicians. The condition of several was reported as critical. The boat sank in comparatively shallow water, and her bottom was seen at times by rescuers as waves rose and fell. The work of rescuers was greatly hampered by the high seas. Ashore grizzled fishermen attemptd again and again to launch their crafts to go into the sea that was tossing about its human burden. Grimfaced men turned back, as the sun followed the ill-fated vessel into the blue, their jaws set, their heads shaking. For it was a sea that defied the craft of man, the daring of the stoutest. Earlier in the afternoon several vessels had been prepared to go to sea with pleasure parties, but as roller upon roller thundered into the beach, their vessels were docked. Capt. Ed. Arnold, commanding the Clara B., set out to sea. As his boat floundered in the turbulent water just outside the breakwater, he commanded that she be put back. As she was making the turn, she was caught in the trough and without warning several of the men, women and children aboard were hurled into the sea.
Karl Ullmayer Drowns in the Inlet Monday Great credit should be given to Everett Jacobs and Robert Mobley who risked their lives Monday, to save Joe Lilly, Marshall Hugg, and Karl C. Ullmayer of Winter Park, who were out in the Sebastian Inlet in a heavy sea, when their row boat and kicker turned over. Ullmayer lost his nerve and let go of the boat, and was drowned, his body being found on a sand bar in the river the next morning. Jacobs and Mobley went to the rescue in a sea skiff. The three men in the row boat were catching fish as fast as they threw in their lines, and a large one pulled them out beyond a safe distance, before they realized their predicment. They had been offered help by Jacobs and Mobley earlier in the evening, when the two men turned back from a completed trip, on account of the heavy sea. The two men went out and threw a line to the boat, which became entangled in their propeller, and Mobley went overboard risking being thrown from the boat, and cut it free. They then brought in Lilly and Hugg. The accident was attributed to inexperience.
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