Lake County Biographies

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E. E. EDGE

L. D. Edge

    E. E. Edge was born at Live Oak, North Carolina, in 1870, son of W. E. B. Edge and Mary M. (Culbreth) Edge.
    He received his education in the schools of North Carolina and early in life moved to Georgia where he followed the naval stores business for about ten years.
    In 1900 he moved to Groveland, Florida, where he has since resided. He engaged in the turpentine business on a very large scale in Lake County for the first few years after his arrival there, and he also established the Edge Lumber Company at Groveland, which was subsequently sold to the Arnold interests. Under Mr. Edge’s management this company became one of the largest lumber mills in the state and many thousands of acres of timber have been cut by it in Lake County.
    Mr. Edge has been one of the biggest orange growers o the county and is known as one of the most substantial residents of the county.
    He has always taken an interest in civic affairs and served as the first Mayor of Groveland after it was incorporated.
    His religious affiliations are with the Methodist Church. Fraternally he is a Mason and a member of the Woodmen of the World.
    He was married in North Carolina and he is the father of the following children: Senator L. D. Edge, Mrs. Bertha M. Maguire, and Mrs. Kate R. Keith.

    from: History of Lake County Florida, Wm. T. Kennedy, Editor-in-chief, History of Lake County Florida Part II, Biographical. Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Lake County, Florida p200 and 203 (p 201 is blank and p 202 is a portrait)

JOE EICHELBERGER

    Joe Eichelberger was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 18th, 1889, son of Joseph and Louise Eichelberger.
    He received his education in the schools of Cincinnati, and when a young man worked for the Southern Railway, at Cincinnati, as Delivery Clerk of Perishable Shipments. He held this connection for five years, when he accepted a position with G. E. Markley & Company, as buyer for them. After Mr. Markley’s death the business was taken over by his partner, Mr. Charles C. Oyler, the title of the new firm being Chas. C. Oyler & son. He traveled in the interest of these two firms, out of Cincinnati, for fourteen years, and it was while working in their interest that he came to Eustis. He was instrumental in this firm taking on a large packing house here, known as the Eustis Packing Company, which he managed for years, until going into business for himself. For the past four years Mr. Eichelberger has been in partnership with Mr. R. D. Keene of Eustis, in the citrus business, now known as R. D. Keene & Co. At present they jointly own about three hundred acres of bearing groves in Lake County, and operate packing houses at Eustis and Montverde.
    Due to his long preliminary training in the fruit business Mr. Eichelberger was enabled to make a success, and is now one of the leading fruit men of Lake County.
    He is a member of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, also the Eustis Chamber of Commerce. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons and the Shriners.
    He was married first to Bertha Frey, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who is deceased, and his second marriage was to Jennie Belle Chambers of Plant City, Florida. He has three children: Robert J., by his first marriage; Josephine and Elwert, by his second marriage.

from: History of Lake County Florida, Wm. T. Kennedy, Editor-in-chief, History of Lake County Florida Part II, Biographical. Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Lake County, Florida p203-204

RICHARD BAXTER ERVIN

    Richard Baxter Ervin was born in Lancaster District, South Carolina, October 23, 1839, son of Dr. Robert W. and Louisa Stukes Ervin. His paternal grandfather was Captain Samuel Ervin, who served with General Marion in the Revolutionary War. Captain Samuel married the niece of General Marion. His parents were of French and Scotch-Irish descent. Dr. Robert W. Ervin was educated in Baltimore, Maryland, and was attending college there in 1814 when Baltimore was threatened by General Ross of the British army. He volunteered and assisted in driving the British away. After graduating in 1814 he returned to Clarendon, South Carolina, marrying there the same year. He remained at Clarendon where he owned a large plantation, and practised medicine. Richard B. Ervin was the eleventh child born to Dr. Robert W. Erwin. William F., one of his brothers, was at one time Surveyor General of the State of South Carolina. Another brother, James F., was a Methodist minister preaching in North and South Carolina.
    Richard Baxter Ervin attended Cokesbury, an old noted school at Abbeville, South Carolina, under tutelage of Rector Round; also the Military Academy at Columbia, South Carolina.
    In 1857 he taught his first school at Junesville, in Clarendon County, and continued to teach in South Carolina until the outbreak of the Civil War. He first enlisted in the Cavalry Company raised at Roseville, but this company never was called into service, so its members formed an Infantry Company, being known as the “Pickens Guards” of the 6th Regiment of the South Carolina Volunteers. It entered active service April 11, 1861, and Mr. Ervin was a member of the company until he was wounded in the battle of Frazer’s Farm on June 30, 1862. He was never able to return to active service.
    He resumed teaching and taught in the South Carolina schools until he left for Florida in 1867. He entered the employ of General Owens, an extensive cotton grower at Silver Springs as manager of his warehouse and commissaries. He next conducted a store at Moss Bluff.
    In 1868 he married Mary C. Thomas of Moss Bluff, and later moved to the southeastern corner of Marion County to a point about six miles west of Umatilla. Mr. Ervin was the father of nine children: James Baxter (deceased), Mary Agnes (deceased), Francis Marion (deceased), Richard W. of Tallahassee, John F. of Umatilla, Robert S. of Miami, Lucy A. (Mrs. Sparkman) of Crystal River, Thomas Lessene (deceased), and Vance of Miami.
    Mr. Ervin died at Higley on February 2,1913.

from: History of Lake County Florida, Wm. T. Kennedy, Editor-in-chief, History of Lake County Florida Part II, Biographical. Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Lake County, Florida p204

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