HARRY C. HANNAH
Harry C. Hannah, Vice-President of the McCormick-Hannah Lumber Company, was born in Moberly, Missouri, September 20th, 1886, the son of O. E. and Sally Hannah. His father was prominent in banking circles in Missouri, but is now making his home in Orlando, Florida.
After attending school and college in Lexington, Kentucky, Mr. Hannah entered the lumber business, coming to Florida in 1910. About this time he was married in Chillicothe, Ohio, to Miss Florence Keys, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Keys, who were prominently identified with the early development of Eustis.
Realizing the possibilities in his chosen line of business, Mr. Hannah established the Lake County Manufacturing Company, having interested with him Joe M. McCormick. As the business grew it was merged with other interests in Orlando and Winter Park and the firm became the McCormick-Hannah Lumber Company, which is one of the largest concerns of its kind in the central part of the State.
Aside from being a successful business man, Mr. Hannah has had an active interest in building the community in which he lives, having held many public offices. He is Vice-President of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Trustee of the Eustis School District, Vice-President of the Citizens Bank of Eustis, Past President of the City Council of Eustis, Past President and a charter member of the Rotary Club and served two terms as President of the Eustis Chamber of Commerce. It was during his administration as President of the Rotary that the Eustis Club became internationally known through its 100 per cent attendance upon two International Conventions of Rotary, once in St. Louis and again at Toronto, Canada. Mr. Hannah is also a member of Orlando B. P. O. E.
The home occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Hannah and their two sons in Eustis is one of the beauty spots in the city.
Harry C. Hannah, Vice-President of the McCormick-Hannah Lumber Company, was born in Moberly, Missouri, September 20th, 1886, the son of O. E. and Sally Hannah. His father was prominent in banking circles in Missouri, but is now making his home in Orlando, Florida.
After attending school and college in Lexington, Kentucky, Mr. Hannah entered the lumber business, coming to Florida in 1910. About this time he was married in Chillicothe, Ohio, to Miss Florence Keys, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Keys, who were prominently identified with the early development of Eustis.
Realizing the possibilities in his chosen line of business, Mr. Hannah established the Lake County Manufacturing Company, having interested with him Joe M. McCormick. As the business grew it was merged with other interests in Orlando and Winter Park and the firm became the McCormick-Hannah Lumber Company, which is one of the largest concerns of its kind in the central part of the State.
Aside from being a successful business man, Mr. Hannah has had an active interest in building the community in which he lives, having held many public offices. He is Vice-President of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Trustee of the Eustis School District, Vice-President of the Citizens Bank of Eustis, Past President of the City Council of Eustis, Past President and a charter member of the Rotary Club and served two terms as President of the Eustis Chamber of Commerce. It was during his administration as President of the Rotary that the Eustis Club became internationally known through its 100 per cent attendance upon two International Conventions of Rotary, once in St. Louis and again at Toronto, Canada. Mr. Hannah is also a member of Orlando B. P. O. E.
The home occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Hannah and their two sons in Eustis is one of the beauty spots in the city.
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 p223.
DR. M. M. HANNUM
Dr. M. M. Hannum was born at Maryville, Tennessee, on August 15, 1885. son of William Young Conn Hannum and Charlotte Hannum. His paternal grandfather was one of the pioneer doctors of Florida, having located in Clay County in 1830, where he was the County Judge and the County Doctor. His father was a Confederate veteran.
Dr. Hannum attended schools in Tennessee and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee Medical School. He is the oldest doctor in Eustis in point of service, having established his practice there in 1912.
Dr. Hannum is a past city physician of Eustis and has served as a member of the City Council and as trustee of the Eustis School District. During the World War he was a member of the local exemption board.
He is a member of the Eustis Rotary Club and of the American, Southern, State and County Medical Associations, and of the American Public Health Association.
He was married in Eustis to Mrs. Cliff Loveless, and they have two children: Constance and William.
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 p224.
PAUL T. HARBER
Paul Talfourd Harber, Secretary of Lake County Chamber of Commerce, was born in Commerce, Jackson County, Georgia, on May 25, 1884, the son of William Thomas and Lucy Augusta Harber. His father served as a member of a Georgia regiment during the latter part of the War Between the States and was a pioneer merchant, manufacturer and banker of his community.
Mr. Harber received his education in the Commerce High School, from which he graduated in 1901, and at the University of Georgia, receiving from the latter institution the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1905. For the first two years after leaving college he was clerk in a national bank, subsequently spending two years in the Rocky Mountain States and on the Pacific Slope for the purpose of obtaining experience and making observations relative to resources and opportunities in the “Golden West.”
Returning to Georgia he established and became owner and publisher of The Commerce Observer, which he conducted for a number of years. In his home city he was president of the Board of Trade, secretary of a fair association, a leader in Sunday School activities, and connected with various enterprises designed to promote the progress and development of the community and surrounding country. Removing to Rome, Georgia, he became manager and treasurer of the Rome Tribune-Herald, a morning daily newspaper more than eighty years of age. Resigning that position he served as publicity director for an Atlanta corporation until the summer of 1924, when he moved to Tampa, where he was engaged in the real estate business.
In September, 1927, he assumed the duties of Secretary of Lake County Chamber of Commerce. During his incumbency the organization’s affairs have been conducted along conservative lines with definite objectives in view based on the idea of relating the body to practical enterprises and projects for the upbuilding of the county’s varied interests. At the completion of his first year as Secretary Mr. Harber was re-elected by the board of directors for another one-year period.
In Georgia, Mr. Harber served as President of the Georgia Press Association for a term of two years; was a member of the executive committee of the National Editorial Association; served as a member of Georgia Advertise Enterprise by appointment of the Governor; was on the Board of Visitors by gubernatorial appointment in 1914 to investigate and report on the University of Georgia’s affairs, and held other places of distinction in his native State. In the year 1920 Mr. Harber was one of the speakers on advertising before the National Editorial Association in annual convention in Boston. The following year he was invited to address the students of the Missouri School of Journalism, only newspaper men and women who have achieved distinction in some department of the publishing business being eligible for consideration in formulating the program.
In college Mr. Harber was affiliated with the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Other fraternal orders in which he was active for many years are: F & A. M., Elks, and Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Tavares Kiwanis club. Mr. Harver was married to May Hall Wilson, of Atlanta. They have one daughter, Edith Wilson, ten years of age.
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 p224-225.
WILSON E. HARKNESS
Wilson E. Harkness was born in Umatilla, July 21st, 1898, son of James A. and Nancy N. Harkness, both of his parents being natives of Georgia.
He received most of his education in the schools of Tampa, to which city his parents moved when he was quite young. His first business connection was with the Mallory Steamship Company of Tampa, after which he was connected with the George A. Fuller & Company for a number of years in New York City and at other points.
In 1923 Mr. Harkness came to Leesburg, Florida, to become City Clerk of that place. While his official title was that of City Clerk, Mr. Harkness is also ex-officio Auditor, Collector, Assessor and Treasurer of that town. Although a very young man when he came to Leesburg, Mr. Harkness has performed his official duties very efficiently, and largely due to him Leesburg has the reputation of being an exceptionally well-governed municipality.
Mr. Harkness is a member of the Leesburg Kiwanis Club and fraternally he is a Mason, Shriner, Odd Fellow and a member of the Knights of Pythias.
He was married at Wilmington, North Carolina, to Blanch Mason and has two children: W. E. Harkness, Junior, and Helen Mason.
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 p225.
B. D. HARRIS
B. D. Harris was born at Montclair, Florida, December 12, 1887, son of G. H. and Ida C. (Moore) Harris. His father once came from England and settled at Montclair, where he had an orange grove. B. D. Harris went to school in Leesburg and attended high school there.
At the age of twenty, Mr. Harris decided to go into business for himself. He had the courage of his conviction, and was so well thought of in town that he was able to borrow from the bank enough capital to enter business, and establish a hardware and furniture store in the old L. B. Lee building. He moved to 106 South Fifth Street where he now operates a hardware and furniture business, an undertaking establishment, and conducts an industrial bureau. He had a branch hardware and furniture store in Umatilla for a short time. He is one of the few merchants left in Leesburg who might be termed an “old timer” because of the number of years he has been in business.
He is a member of the Florida Funeral Directors, and a member of the Florida Hardware Association, in both of which organizations he has held office. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, and the Red Men. He was the Great Sachem for the State of Florida in the Red Men’s organization.
He was married at Leesburg to Lillie Mae Krupley, daughter of Rev. Charles Krupley, and they have two children, Dean Krupley, and Margarete.
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 p225-226.
S. L. HARRIS
S. L. Harris was born December 8, 1868, in Janesville, Virginia, son of A. W. and Frances Harris. His parents were also both born in Virginia, and his father served in the Confederate Army throughout the Civil War.
He attended the schools in Lee County, Virginia, and then went into farming. He later was in the nursery business, and was a traveling man for a nursery company.
He came to Eustis in 1908 and is now one of the largest orange growers in the county. He has 100 acres of groves of his own, and takes care of the groves of many others. Mr. Harris has made a great success of the citrus industry, and is one of the leading growers of the county, his advice being often sought by growers. All of his groves are located in Lake County.
Mr. Harris is a member of the Masons, and of Egypt Temple of the Shriners.
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 p226.
T. STIN HASELTON
T. Stin Haselton is a native son of Eustis, born February 2, 1888, to Richard and Helen M. Haselton. His parents came from Illinois to Florida, and spent many winters in Eustis before they located there permanently in 1893. He was educated in the schools of Eustis and at Stetson Academy.
Mr. Haselton’s first job was as helper in the First State Bank of Eustis during summer vacations. Later he was a plumber’s helper. Striking out for himself he ran a wood yard for two years. Selling this he again entered the First State Bank with which he remained for ten years and was Cashier when he resigned to go into the dairy business. He established the Lake View Dairy Farm and has about 100 head of cattle, of which 75 are milk cows. It is the largest dairy in the Eustis district, with winter deliveries of about 500 quarts daily. Mr. Haselton has 250 acres of land where his dairy is located. He also has a small grove, but his main interest is in his dairy.
Mr. Haselton is a past treasurer of the city of Eustis, which office he held for several years. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Eustis, and of the Rotary Club.
He was twice married. His first wife was Mary A. B. McDonald, to which union three children were born: Jean Elizabeth, Donald Stinson, and Barbara Clymene. His second marriage was at Eustis to Ruth Beach, and they have one son: Thomas Owen.
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 p226.
A. S. HERLONG
A. S. Herlong was born at Ward, South Carolina, May 18, 1886, a son of V. J. and Myra M. Herlong. His father was a railroad owner, and built and operated the Gainesville & Gulf Railroad, Florida.
Mr. Herlong received his education in the grammar schools of Florida and Georgia, and attended college at the University of Florida and at the Georgia School of Technology, at which latter institution he took a special course in Mechanical Engineering.
Almost immediately after leaving college, he accepted a position as master mechanic with the Manistee & Repeton Railroad, in which connection he remained from 1905 to 1909, when he went to Mississippi, where for three years he was engaged in the automobile business. In 1912, he returned to Florida and continued in the automobile business in this State.
It was in 1916 that Mr. Herlong entered the fruit business. For four years he acted as buyer of fruits and vegetables for a northern commission house, and in 1920 he came to Leesburg, where, two years later, he established the firm of A. S. Herlong & Company, packers, brokers, shippers and growers of citrus fruit. Under Mr. Herlong’s management this concern has become one of the largest fruit houses in the State, and a splendid new packing house has just been completed at Leesburg, at a cost of $75,000, to look after its growing business. This packing house contains the latest equipment, including a pre-cooling plant and 15 car coloring rooms, all controlled automatically. The construction of the building is practically fireproof, and almost tornado proof, being built almost entirely of steel, tile, concrete and copper. It is interesting to note that all the fruit stored in this packing house is insured against fire as long as it remains there and, due to the construction of the building, the insurance rate is remarkably low.
Mr. Herlong is one of the outstanding citizens of Leesburg. He has been a member of the City Commission the past three years, and belongs to the Kiwanis Club, Masons, Shriners, Elks, and Knights of Pythias.
He married Cora Knight, of Sumterville, and has four children: Fred, A. S., Jr., Byron, and Jim.
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 p229.
C. HAROLD HIPPLER
C. Harold Hippler was born in Geneseo, Illinois in September 1890. After graduating from high school he became the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Michigan with his bachelors and law degrees. He set a law practice in Lewistown, Illinois, later moving to Canton, Illinois. This was interrupted by service in World War I. In 1920 he married Mary Lucille Lilly of Lewiston. They lived in Canton where he was President of the Kiwanis Club and of the Chamber of Commerce. The Hipplers moved to Eustis, Florida in 1927. He was attorney for the City of Eustis, the Town of Umatilla and the First State Bank of Eustis in addition to a general law practice for many years. He served as Governor of the Florida District Kiwanis, International Trustee and Treasurer of Kiwanis and President of the Florida League of Municipalities. He was also active in the Eustis Elks lodge and served as its first Exalted Ruler. He was a member of St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church of Eustis. He passed away in 1962. Lucille Hippler died in 1986. The Hipplers had four children: Jack, Jim, Harold Jr. (Hip) and Lucille (Sis). Jack Bradley Hippler born in 1924, passed away in 1981. He graduated from Georgia Tech. He married Mary Louise Williams of Eustis in 1946. They had a son and two daughters.. Charles James Hippler born in 1928 passed away in 2002. He graduated from the University of Florida. Charles married Elizabeth Ann Walker of Columbia, South Carolina in 1952. They had 3 sons and a daughter. C. Harold Hippler, Jr. (Hip) was born in 1933. He was a graduate of the University of Florida. He married Joan Carol Heller of Leesburg in 1960. They had a daughter and two sons.Mary Lucille Hippler (Sis) was born in 1934. She passed away in 1986. She married Jack Nelson of Umatilla (later divorced). They had two sons and a daughter.
DR. W. H. HOWELL
Dr. W. H. Howell, who was one of the
prominent early residents of Leesburg, was born in Ramer, Alabama, in
1859. His father was J. S., and his mother Martha Howell.
He attended schools in his native town and studied medicine at the Atlanta Medical College, where he received his degree of M. D. He began the practice of his profession at Ramer and continued there until 1894, when he moved to Center Hill, Sumter County, Florida. In 1901 he moved to Leesburg, where he built up a very large practice, and where he was known as one of the leading citizens of the town until his death on July 24, 1926.
He took an active part in everything for the advancement of his adopted city. He organized and was president of the Citizens Bank of Leesburg, and served as Mayor of the town for several terms; in fact, every year he resided in Leesburg he held a public office of some kind.
He is remembered as one of the most public-spirited, and one of the most popular men in Leesburg, and his work there will long live after him.
He was married to Ella Wilson, to which union the following children were born: Etta Eliot (Mrs. D. T. Bozeman), Ella Bay (Mrs. W. D. Harnage), Martha (Mrs. N. O. Riles), Mary (Mrs. P. B. Alsobrooke) and William Wilson (deceased).
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 p229-230.
W. J. HOWEY
(By Opie Read)
Personality is the essence not only of
efficiency but of statesmanship. This has been exemplified by
every man who lives in the history of achievement. Behind it
all there must be honesty of purpose. Without integrity
genius itself is but a fleeting shadow. Throughout the ages
true statesmanship has arisen above mere party predilection.
Advancement seeks to break away from interested prejudice. A
revolution of principles is of more lasting effect than a revolution at
arms.
Thus I mused as I contemplated the personality and the character of W. J. Howey.
As a journalist I have interviewed many noted men, men whose achievements are now lettered in marble; and frankly, I assert that this modest man, Howey, is one of the most impressive of all the men with whom I have come into verbal contact. Without having realized it himself, so ingrained is his freedom from self-esteem, he is a statesman. This on my part is not a mere assertion. The proof exists and is convincingly set forth at Howey-in-the-Hills. Herein lives as nearly a perfect government as this earth can today exhibit. The turning of a wilderness into one of the most productive of all developments proves creative statesmanship of the highest order, and Howey’s administration as Mayor marks with distinctive honor his executive genius. The reduction of taxes, the law-abiding spirit quickly discovered even by transient visitors, all give spontaneous testimony to a civic accomplishment rarely found among the affairs of men.
The story of Howey’s life would offer a most entrancing book. In its paragraphs might be found texts of encouragement; it would be more than a romance, indeed, an illuminated verity, a sinewed truth.
Recently it was my pleasure to interview Mr. Howey. I did not with merely to quiz him; I was desirous of information, and a simple question brought it forth:
“I was born January, 1876, and reared on a farm in the State of Illinois. My parents were the Reverend William Howey and Matilda Howey. My father was a circuit rider preacher of the United Brethren faith.
“All of my life has had to do with the development and growth of products from the soil. Having arrived in the State of Florida some twenty-odd years ago because of a revolution in old Mexico, I spent the first ten years in Polk County of this State, and since 1916 have been engaged in development work in Lake County, in this State.
“It has been said that we put more taxable property on the books in this State in the two counties named than any other individual or interest. It is probably true that because of our development in these two counties, the taxes paid for the support of government would easily approximate $250,000 annually, because we have sold in Polk County approximately 50,000 acres, much of which is under development and now occupied with homes or orange groves or towns and an equal acreage in Lake county, part of which is now occupied with orange groves and the town of Howey-in-the-Hills.
“By way of comparison it should be understood that one acre of orange grove is about equal in revenue production to fifty acres of good land in the Northern States. Therefore, the sale and development of 100,000 acres would be the equivalent of five million acres producing corn, wheat or oats.
“ In Lake County, the taxes on this property were less than $3,000 per year in 1916, and because of our efforts and development the same tract of land is now paying to the State, county and municipal government, approximately $140,000 per year. The incorporated municipality of Howey-in-the-Hills is conducting its government at a cost of two mills, which is the lowest operating cost of perhaps any city in the State of Florida, having all of the conveniences, such as electric lights, city water, sidewalks, streets, etc.
“We have been directly responsible in bringing to this State during the twenty-year period something in the neighborhood of twenty-five thousand people who have purchased property, many of whom now live in the State and most of the remaining number expect to move here as soon as their orange groves are developed to a point of sustaining them.
“It is agreed by railroad officials that each family located in its territory is worth $500.00 per year for the freight which is moved in and out to support that family. This being true, it is safe to assume that each family is worth an equal sum to the State in which they locate sot that would be the equivalent of $1,000 per year of new capital created for which the State receives the benefit. Therefore, through our efforts the State of Florida has been enriched through this vital element to a sum of money equal to $500,000 annually, and this benefit is not for a day or for a year but is continuous.
“We have an invested capital here in this development represented by the purchases of the various people approximating $20,000,000 and this is a fixed, permanent investment which will remain and be here for all time. The maturity of the present development at Howey-in-the-Hills will benefit the State of Florida when it reaches maturity and operating efficiency to a sum of money equal to $30,000,000 annually, or about equal to the present crop production of the entire State. In order to benefit and stabilize the citrus industry for the State of Florida, we have expended a fortune in carrying on experiments for the purpose of perfecting a method of processing the waste oranges so as to assure a fair return to that class of oranges which heretofore has been thrown away and wasted. This one department will be worth to the State of Florida, in effecting a full crop recovery, an amount between three and five million annually. In other words, this amount of money will be paid to the grower for his oranges from the dump pile.
“Some thirteen years ago, I married Mary Grace Hastings, from the historical family of Hastings. Her grandfather established a Presbyterian College in Ohio and gave thousands of acres of coal lands to its superannuated ministry.”
Here he turned to other subjects, the future of Florida, its ultimate leadership in prosperity; and turning away to take my leave, I was impressed with a remark offered by a man from the North: “If Howey should be elected Governor of Florida it would be worth more to the State than a hundred million dollars spent in direct advertising. It would attract the attention of all America. It would set an example of broadminded and unprejudiced advancement.”
Mr. Howey was not elected, but he achieved something which no other man has been able to do in fifty years in Florida’s history. Florida has reached the point where entry of Republicanism into the State primary becomes mandatory, and regardless of the presidential vote, this could not have been accomplished had he not been able to poll at least thirty per cent of the gubernatorial vote. In addition to that, the fact that he received almost 100,000 votes has attracted the attention of northern newspapers and magazines, and the declaration of my friend that his election would be worth a hundred million dollars in advertising, has almost been borne out. Staff writers for several of the leading northern dailies have interviewed Mr. Howey since the election and no less a newspaper than the New York Herald-Tribune ran a series of articles on Mr. Howey’s accomplishment, and what it means to the future of Florida.
Prior to his nomination and acceptance just a few brief weeks before the election, he had no more thought of going into politics than he had of starting an orange grove in Alaska. He is an eminently successful business man, the owner of the largest citrus development in the world, and he did not need the office. But once he undertook to champion the Republican cause, he did it with a vengeance, and with all the odds against him piled up the biggest vote ever given a Republican within the State.
There was no State machine of any consequence. There was no sign of an organization. Not a newspaper in the State, of any great influence, supported him. He started out from scratch in a race against rabid party prejudice, and by his dignified, business-like, vigorous attack on State issues he won a host of friends and votes. He had to build his own political fences as he went and it was a difficult thing for even a veteran to achieve. His remarkable showing was due to his inherent character as a man and to his public-spirited citizenship.
Shortly after starting his campaign he offered to donate his salary for four years as governor, if elected, to a state-wide advertising fund, which he declared was Florida’s greatest need. He attacked taxation and administrative expenses and showed voters the frailties and the viciousness of one-party government. His strongest vote-getter was an appeal for a protective tariff on agricultural imports.
He was largely responsible for the growth of Winter Haven through his citrus activities in that section. He has four successful citrus developments to his credit. At Howey-in-the-Hills he has 60,000 acres under orange and grapefruit development, with over 14,000 acres already planted. He was here before the boom, he went through the boom unperturbed by the waves of speculative buying, and he is still going strong, predicting for the present season the biggest volume of business in his history. Any man who can do that would make a good governor. At least nearly a hundred thousand Floridians thought so on election day and the chances are that another hundred thousand will think so if he “chooses to run” in November, 1932.
Prior to coming to Florida Mr. Howey developed large areas of land in Texas and Mexico. He is an Elk and is a member of the South Shore Country Club and the Hamilton Club in Chicago and of the Orlando and Lake County Country Clubs in Florida.
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 p230-235 (p 231 is a portrait and p 232 is blank).
DAVID LYMAN HUBBARD
David Lyman Hubbard was born at Glastanbury, Connecticut, son of David and Jerusha (Hollister) Hubbard. The Hubbard family is one of the old families of New England and originated in old England.
Before coming to Florida, Mr. Hubbard was engaged in the manufacturing business on a large scale in Connecticut, and his father established J. B. Williams, the famous soap manufacturer, in business.
Largely on account of his health, Mr. Hubbard moved south in 1871, settling at Corley Island, Sumter County. He early engaged in orange growing, continuing until his death in 1886 at Corley Island.
Mr. Hubbard was a forerunner of the huge influx of population which has come from all parts of the United States during the past forty years, and was a real pioneer in what is now Lake County, and was one of the first persons to engage in orange growing on a large scale in Florida.
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 p235.
J. W. HUNTER
J. W. Hunter was born in Naylor, Georgia, March 31, 1881, son of Ellis H. and Margarite Elizabeth Hunter. His father served in the Civil War as a member of the 20th Georgia Battalion and moved to Florida in the early days, having helped to build the railroad from Ft. Mason to Astor, which was the first railroad in Lake County.
Mr. Hunter is very largely a self-educated man, as at the time when most boys are attending school, he was compelled to support his younger brothers and sisters as his father had died when he was very young.
He early became a school teacher and taught school a number of years in various parts of Lake County, having been principal of schools in several places.
He next engaged in the railway mail service, and it was while serving in this capacity that he gave himself what amounted to a high school course and a law school course, studying at odd moments. He successfully passed the bar examination in 1913, in which year he moved to Tavares to commence the practice of his profession.
Mr. Hunter has built up one of the finest law practices in Lake County, and besides representing a large number of important individuals, he represents several of the banks of the County in legal capacities. He is also State Attorney for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit and is Attorney for the Board of County Commissioners.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Hunter is largely interested in real estate and citrus growing.
He is a member of the Methodist Church and of the Tavares Kiwanis Club.
His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons, Shriners and Knights of Pythias.
He was married at Eustis in 1904 to Nettie C. Morin, daughter of one of the pioneers of the County.
He has four children: Doris, Walton, James and Richard.
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 p235 .
DR. M. M. HANNUM
Dr. M. M. Hannum was born at Maryville, Tennessee, on August 15, 1885. son of William Young Conn Hannum and Charlotte Hannum. His paternal grandfather was one of the pioneer doctors of Florida, having located in Clay County in 1830, where he was the County Judge and the County Doctor. His father was a Confederate veteran.
Dr. Hannum attended schools in Tennessee and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee Medical School. He is the oldest doctor in Eustis in point of service, having established his practice there in 1912.
Dr. Hannum is a past city physician of Eustis and has served as a member of the City Council and as trustee of the Eustis School District. During the World War he was a member of the local exemption board.
He is a member of the Eustis Rotary Club and of the American, Southern, State and County Medical Associations, and of the American Public Health Association.
He was married in Eustis to Mrs. Cliff Loveless, and they have two children: Constance and William.
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 p224.
PAUL T. HARBER
Paul Talfourd Harber, Secretary of Lake County Chamber of Commerce, was born in Commerce, Jackson County, Georgia, on May 25, 1884, the son of William Thomas and Lucy Augusta Harber. His father served as a member of a Georgia regiment during the latter part of the War Between the States and was a pioneer merchant, manufacturer and banker of his community.
Mr. Harber received his education in the Commerce High School, from which he graduated in 1901, and at the University of Georgia, receiving from the latter institution the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1905. For the first two years after leaving college he was clerk in a national bank, subsequently spending two years in the Rocky Mountain States and on the Pacific Slope for the purpose of obtaining experience and making observations relative to resources and opportunities in the “Golden West.”
Returning to Georgia he established and became owner and publisher of The Commerce Observer, which he conducted for a number of years. In his home city he was president of the Board of Trade, secretary of a fair association, a leader in Sunday School activities, and connected with various enterprises designed to promote the progress and development of the community and surrounding country. Removing to Rome, Georgia, he became manager and treasurer of the Rome Tribune-Herald, a morning daily newspaper more than eighty years of age. Resigning that position he served as publicity director for an Atlanta corporation until the summer of 1924, when he moved to Tampa, where he was engaged in the real estate business.
In September, 1927, he assumed the duties of Secretary of Lake County Chamber of Commerce. During his incumbency the organization’s affairs have been conducted along conservative lines with definite objectives in view based on the idea of relating the body to practical enterprises and projects for the upbuilding of the county’s varied interests. At the completion of his first year as Secretary Mr. Harber was re-elected by the board of directors for another one-year period.
In Georgia, Mr. Harber served as President of the Georgia Press Association for a term of two years; was a member of the executive committee of the National Editorial Association; served as a member of Georgia Advertise Enterprise by appointment of the Governor; was on the Board of Visitors by gubernatorial appointment in 1914 to investigate and report on the University of Georgia’s affairs, and held other places of distinction in his native State. In the year 1920 Mr. Harber was one of the speakers on advertising before the National Editorial Association in annual convention in Boston. The following year he was invited to address the students of the Missouri School of Journalism, only newspaper men and women who have achieved distinction in some department of the publishing business being eligible for consideration in formulating the program.
In college Mr. Harber was affiliated with the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Other fraternal orders in which he was active for many years are: F & A. M., Elks, and Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Tavares Kiwanis club. Mr. Harver was married to May Hall Wilson, of Atlanta. They have one daughter, Edith Wilson, ten years of age.
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 p224-225.
WILSON E. HARKNESS
Wilson E. Harkness was born in Umatilla, July 21st, 1898, son of James A. and Nancy N. Harkness, both of his parents being natives of Georgia.
He received most of his education in the schools of Tampa, to which city his parents moved when he was quite young. His first business connection was with the Mallory Steamship Company of Tampa, after which he was connected with the George A. Fuller & Company for a number of years in New York City and at other points.
In 1923 Mr. Harkness came to Leesburg, Florida, to become City Clerk of that place. While his official title was that of City Clerk, Mr. Harkness is also ex-officio Auditor, Collector, Assessor and Treasurer of that town. Although a very young man when he came to Leesburg, Mr. Harkness has performed his official duties very efficiently, and largely due to him Leesburg has the reputation of being an exceptionally well-governed municipality.
Mr. Harkness is a member of the Leesburg Kiwanis Club and fraternally he is a Mason, Shriner, Odd Fellow and a member of the Knights of Pythias.
He was married at Wilmington, North Carolina, to Blanch Mason and has two children: W. E. Harkness, Junior, and Helen Mason.
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 p225.
B. D. HARRIS
B. D. Harris was born at Montclair, Florida, December 12, 1887, son of G. H. and Ida C. (Moore) Harris. His father once came from England and settled at Montclair, where he had an orange grove. B. D. Harris went to school in Leesburg and attended high school there.
At the age of twenty, Mr. Harris decided to go into business for himself. He had the courage of his conviction, and was so well thought of in town that he was able to borrow from the bank enough capital to enter business, and establish a hardware and furniture store in the old L. B. Lee building. He moved to 106 South Fifth Street where he now operates a hardware and furniture business, an undertaking establishment, and conducts an industrial bureau. He had a branch hardware and furniture store in Umatilla for a short time. He is one of the few merchants left in Leesburg who might be termed an “old timer” because of the number of years he has been in business.
He is a member of the Florida Funeral Directors, and a member of the Florida Hardware Association, in both of which organizations he has held office. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, and the Red Men. He was the Great Sachem for the State of Florida in the Red Men’s organization.
He was married at Leesburg to Lillie Mae Krupley, daughter of Rev. Charles Krupley, and they have two children, Dean Krupley, and Margarete.
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 p225-226.
S. L. HARRIS
S. L. Harris was born December 8, 1868, in Janesville, Virginia, son of A. W. and Frances Harris. His parents were also both born in Virginia, and his father served in the Confederate Army throughout the Civil War.
He attended the schools in Lee County, Virginia, and then went into farming. He later was in the nursery business, and was a traveling man for a nursery company.
He came to Eustis in 1908 and is now one of the largest orange growers in the county. He has 100 acres of groves of his own, and takes care of the groves of many others. Mr. Harris has made a great success of the citrus industry, and is one of the leading growers of the county, his advice being often sought by growers. All of his groves are located in Lake County.
Mr. Harris is a member of the Masons, and of Egypt Temple of the Shriners.
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 p226.
T. STIN HASELTON
T. Stin Haselton is a native son of Eustis, born February 2, 1888, to Richard and Helen M. Haselton. His parents came from Illinois to Florida, and spent many winters in Eustis before they located there permanently in 1893. He was educated in the schools of Eustis and at Stetson Academy.
Mr. Haselton’s first job was as helper in the First State Bank of Eustis during summer vacations. Later he was a plumber’s helper. Striking out for himself he ran a wood yard for two years. Selling this he again entered the First State Bank with which he remained for ten years and was Cashier when he resigned to go into the dairy business. He established the Lake View Dairy Farm and has about 100 head of cattle, of which 75 are milk cows. It is the largest dairy in the Eustis district, with winter deliveries of about 500 quarts daily. Mr. Haselton has 250 acres of land where his dairy is located. He also has a small grove, but his main interest is in his dairy.
Mr. Haselton is a past treasurer of the city of Eustis, which office he held for several years. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Eustis, and of the Rotary Club.
He was twice married. His first wife was Mary A. B. McDonald, to which union three children were born: Jean Elizabeth, Donald Stinson, and Barbara Clymene. His second marriage was at Eustis to Ruth Beach, and they have one son: Thomas Owen.
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 p226.
A. S. HERLONG
A. S. Herlong was born at Ward, South Carolina, May 18, 1886, a son of V. J. and Myra M. Herlong. His father was a railroad owner, and built and operated the Gainesville & Gulf Railroad, Florida.
Mr. Herlong received his education in the grammar schools of Florida and Georgia, and attended college at the University of Florida and at the Georgia School of Technology, at which latter institution he took a special course in Mechanical Engineering.
Almost immediately after leaving college, he accepted a position as master mechanic with the Manistee & Repeton Railroad, in which connection he remained from 1905 to 1909, when he went to Mississippi, where for three years he was engaged in the automobile business. In 1912, he returned to Florida and continued in the automobile business in this State.
It was in 1916 that Mr. Herlong entered the fruit business. For four years he acted as buyer of fruits and vegetables for a northern commission house, and in 1920 he came to Leesburg, where, two years later, he established the firm of A. S. Herlong & Company, packers, brokers, shippers and growers of citrus fruit. Under Mr. Herlong’s management this concern has become one of the largest fruit houses in the State, and a splendid new packing house has just been completed at Leesburg, at a cost of $75,000, to look after its growing business. This packing house contains the latest equipment, including a pre-cooling plant and 15 car coloring rooms, all controlled automatically. The construction of the building is practically fireproof, and almost tornado proof, being built almost entirely of steel, tile, concrete and copper. It is interesting to note that all the fruit stored in this packing house is insured against fire as long as it remains there and, due to the construction of the building, the insurance rate is remarkably low.
Mr. Herlong is one of the outstanding citizens of Leesburg. He has been a member of the City Commission the past three years, and belongs to the Kiwanis Club, Masons, Shriners, Elks, and Knights of Pythias.
He married Cora Knight, of Sumterville, and has four children: Fred, A. S., Jr., Byron, and Jim.
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 p229.
C. HAROLD HIPPLER
C. Harold Hippler was born in Geneseo, Illinois in September 1890. After graduating from high school he became the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Michigan with his bachelors and law degrees. He set a law practice in Lewistown, Illinois, later moving to Canton, Illinois. This was interrupted by service in World War I. In 1920 he married Mary Lucille Lilly of Lewiston. They lived in Canton where he was President of the Kiwanis Club and of the Chamber of Commerce. The Hipplers moved to Eustis, Florida in 1927. He was attorney for the City of Eustis, the Town of Umatilla and the First State Bank of Eustis in addition to a general law practice for many years. He served as Governor of the Florida District Kiwanis, International Trustee and Treasurer of Kiwanis and President of the Florida League of Municipalities. He was also active in the Eustis Elks lodge and served as its first Exalted Ruler. He was a member of St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church of Eustis. He passed away in 1962. Lucille Hippler died in 1986. The Hipplers had four children: Jack, Jim, Harold Jr. (Hip) and Lucille (Sis). Jack Bradley Hippler born in 1924, passed away in 1981. He graduated from Georgia Tech. He married Mary Louise Williams of Eustis in 1946. They had a son and two daughters.. Charles James Hippler born in 1928 passed away in 2002. He graduated from the University of Florida. Charles married Elizabeth Ann Walker of Columbia, South Carolina in 1952. They had 3 sons and a daughter. C. Harold Hippler, Jr. (Hip) was born in 1933. He was a graduate of the University of Florida. He married Joan Carol Heller of Leesburg in 1960. They had a daughter and two sons.Mary Lucille Hippler (Sis) was born in 1934. She passed away in 1986. She married Jack Nelson of Umatilla (later divorced). They had two sons and a daughter.
DR. W. H. HOWELL
Dr. W. H. Howell, who was one of the
prominent early residents of Leesburg, was born in Ramer, Alabama, in
1859. His father was J. S., and his mother Martha Howell.He attended schools in his native town and studied medicine at the Atlanta Medical College, where he received his degree of M. D. He began the practice of his profession at Ramer and continued there until 1894, when he moved to Center Hill, Sumter County, Florida. In 1901 he moved to Leesburg, where he built up a very large practice, and where he was known as one of the leading citizens of the town until his death on July 24, 1926.
He took an active part in everything for the advancement of his adopted city. He organized and was president of the Citizens Bank of Leesburg, and served as Mayor of the town for several terms; in fact, every year he resided in Leesburg he held a public office of some kind.
He is remembered as one of the most public-spirited, and one of the most popular men in Leesburg, and his work there will long live after him.
He was married to Ella Wilson, to which union the following children were born: Etta Eliot (Mrs. D. T. Bozeman), Ella Bay (Mrs. W. D. Harnage), Martha (Mrs. N. O. Riles), Mary (Mrs. P. B. Alsobrooke) and William Wilson (deceased).
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 p229-230.
W. J. HOWEY
(By Opie Read)
Personality is the essence not only of
efficiency but of statesmanship. This has been exemplified by
every man who lives in the history of achievement. Behind it
all there must be honesty of purpose. Without integrity
genius itself is but a fleeting shadow. Throughout the ages
true statesmanship has arisen above mere party predilection.
Advancement seeks to break away from interested prejudice. A
revolution of principles is of more lasting effect than a revolution at
arms.Thus I mused as I contemplated the personality and the character of W. J. Howey.
As a journalist I have interviewed many noted men, men whose achievements are now lettered in marble; and frankly, I assert that this modest man, Howey, is one of the most impressive of all the men with whom I have come into verbal contact. Without having realized it himself, so ingrained is his freedom from self-esteem, he is a statesman. This on my part is not a mere assertion. The proof exists and is convincingly set forth at Howey-in-the-Hills. Herein lives as nearly a perfect government as this earth can today exhibit. The turning of a wilderness into one of the most productive of all developments proves creative statesmanship of the highest order, and Howey’s administration as Mayor marks with distinctive honor his executive genius. The reduction of taxes, the law-abiding spirit quickly discovered even by transient visitors, all give spontaneous testimony to a civic accomplishment rarely found among the affairs of men.
The story of Howey’s life would offer a most entrancing book. In its paragraphs might be found texts of encouragement; it would be more than a romance, indeed, an illuminated verity, a sinewed truth.
Recently it was my pleasure to interview Mr. Howey. I did not with merely to quiz him; I was desirous of information, and a simple question brought it forth:
“I was born January, 1876, and reared on a farm in the State of Illinois. My parents were the Reverend William Howey and Matilda Howey. My father was a circuit rider preacher of the United Brethren faith.
“All of my life has had to do with the development and growth of products from the soil. Having arrived in the State of Florida some twenty-odd years ago because of a revolution in old Mexico, I spent the first ten years in Polk County of this State, and since 1916 have been engaged in development work in Lake County, in this State.
“It has been said that we put more taxable property on the books in this State in the two counties named than any other individual or interest. It is probably true that because of our development in these two counties, the taxes paid for the support of government would easily approximate $250,000 annually, because we have sold in Polk County approximately 50,000 acres, much of which is under development and now occupied with homes or orange groves or towns and an equal acreage in Lake county, part of which is now occupied with orange groves and the town of Howey-in-the-Hills.
“By way of comparison it should be understood that one acre of orange grove is about equal in revenue production to fifty acres of good land in the Northern States. Therefore, the sale and development of 100,000 acres would be the equivalent of five million acres producing corn, wheat or oats.
“ In Lake County, the taxes on this property were less than $3,000 per year in 1916, and because of our efforts and development the same tract of land is now paying to the State, county and municipal government, approximately $140,000 per year. The incorporated municipality of Howey-in-the-Hills is conducting its government at a cost of two mills, which is the lowest operating cost of perhaps any city in the State of Florida, having all of the conveniences, such as electric lights, city water, sidewalks, streets, etc.
“We have been directly responsible in bringing to this State during the twenty-year period something in the neighborhood of twenty-five thousand people who have purchased property, many of whom now live in the State and most of the remaining number expect to move here as soon as their orange groves are developed to a point of sustaining them.
“It is agreed by railroad officials that each family located in its territory is worth $500.00 per year for the freight which is moved in and out to support that family. This being true, it is safe to assume that each family is worth an equal sum to the State in which they locate sot that would be the equivalent of $1,000 per year of new capital created for which the State receives the benefit. Therefore, through our efforts the State of Florida has been enriched through this vital element to a sum of money equal to $500,000 annually, and this benefit is not for a day or for a year but is continuous.
“We have an invested capital here in this development represented by the purchases of the various people approximating $20,000,000 and this is a fixed, permanent investment which will remain and be here for all time. The maturity of the present development at Howey-in-the-Hills will benefit the State of Florida when it reaches maturity and operating efficiency to a sum of money equal to $30,000,000 annually, or about equal to the present crop production of the entire State. In order to benefit and stabilize the citrus industry for the State of Florida, we have expended a fortune in carrying on experiments for the purpose of perfecting a method of processing the waste oranges so as to assure a fair return to that class of oranges which heretofore has been thrown away and wasted. This one department will be worth to the State of Florida, in effecting a full crop recovery, an amount between three and five million annually. In other words, this amount of money will be paid to the grower for his oranges from the dump pile.
“Some thirteen years ago, I married Mary Grace Hastings, from the historical family of Hastings. Her grandfather established a Presbyterian College in Ohio and gave thousands of acres of coal lands to its superannuated ministry.”
Here he turned to other subjects, the future of Florida, its ultimate leadership in prosperity; and turning away to take my leave, I was impressed with a remark offered by a man from the North: “If Howey should be elected Governor of Florida it would be worth more to the State than a hundred million dollars spent in direct advertising. It would attract the attention of all America. It would set an example of broadminded and unprejudiced advancement.”
Mr. Howey was not elected, but he achieved something which no other man has been able to do in fifty years in Florida’s history. Florida has reached the point where entry of Republicanism into the State primary becomes mandatory, and regardless of the presidential vote, this could not have been accomplished had he not been able to poll at least thirty per cent of the gubernatorial vote. In addition to that, the fact that he received almost 100,000 votes has attracted the attention of northern newspapers and magazines, and the declaration of my friend that his election would be worth a hundred million dollars in advertising, has almost been borne out. Staff writers for several of the leading northern dailies have interviewed Mr. Howey since the election and no less a newspaper than the New York Herald-Tribune ran a series of articles on Mr. Howey’s accomplishment, and what it means to the future of Florida.
Prior to his nomination and acceptance just a few brief weeks before the election, he had no more thought of going into politics than he had of starting an orange grove in Alaska. He is an eminently successful business man, the owner of the largest citrus development in the world, and he did not need the office. But once he undertook to champion the Republican cause, he did it with a vengeance, and with all the odds against him piled up the biggest vote ever given a Republican within the State.
There was no State machine of any consequence. There was no sign of an organization. Not a newspaper in the State, of any great influence, supported him. He started out from scratch in a race against rabid party prejudice, and by his dignified, business-like, vigorous attack on State issues he won a host of friends and votes. He had to build his own political fences as he went and it was a difficult thing for even a veteran to achieve. His remarkable showing was due to his inherent character as a man and to his public-spirited citizenship.
Shortly after starting his campaign he offered to donate his salary for four years as governor, if elected, to a state-wide advertising fund, which he declared was Florida’s greatest need. He attacked taxation and administrative expenses and showed voters the frailties and the viciousness of one-party government. His strongest vote-getter was an appeal for a protective tariff on agricultural imports.
He was largely responsible for the growth of Winter Haven through his citrus activities in that section. He has four successful citrus developments to his credit. At Howey-in-the-Hills he has 60,000 acres under orange and grapefruit development, with over 14,000 acres already planted. He was here before the boom, he went through the boom unperturbed by the waves of speculative buying, and he is still going strong, predicting for the present season the biggest volume of business in his history. Any man who can do that would make a good governor. At least nearly a hundred thousand Floridians thought so on election day and the chances are that another hundred thousand will think so if he “chooses to run” in November, 1932.
Prior to coming to Florida Mr. Howey developed large areas of land in Texas and Mexico. He is an Elk and is a member of the South Shore Country Club and the Hamilton Club in Chicago and of the Orlando and Lake County Country Clubs in Florida.
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 p230-235 (p 231 is a portrait and p 232 is blank).
DAVID LYMAN HUBBARD
David Lyman Hubbard was born at Glastanbury, Connecticut, son of David and Jerusha (Hollister) Hubbard. The Hubbard family is one of the old families of New England and originated in old England.
Before coming to Florida, Mr. Hubbard was engaged in the manufacturing business on a large scale in Connecticut, and his father established J. B. Williams, the famous soap manufacturer, in business.
Largely on account of his health, Mr. Hubbard moved south in 1871, settling at Corley Island, Sumter County. He early engaged in orange growing, continuing until his death in 1886 at Corley Island.
Mr. Hubbard was a forerunner of the huge influx of population which has come from all parts of the United States during the past forty years, and was a real pioneer in what is now Lake County, and was one of the first persons to engage in orange growing on a large scale in Florida.
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 p235.
J. W. HUNTER
J. W. Hunter was born in Naylor, Georgia, March 31, 1881, son of Ellis H. and Margarite Elizabeth Hunter. His father served in the Civil War as a member of the 20th Georgia Battalion and moved to Florida in the early days, having helped to build the railroad from Ft. Mason to Astor, which was the first railroad in Lake County.
Mr. Hunter is very largely a self-educated man, as at the time when most boys are attending school, he was compelled to support his younger brothers and sisters as his father had died when he was very young.
He early became a school teacher and taught school a number of years in various parts of Lake County, having been principal of schools in several places.
He next engaged in the railway mail service, and it was while serving in this capacity that he gave himself what amounted to a high school course and a law school course, studying at odd moments. He successfully passed the bar examination in 1913, in which year he moved to Tavares to commence the practice of his profession.
Mr. Hunter has built up one of the finest law practices in Lake County, and besides representing a large number of important individuals, he represents several of the banks of the County in legal capacities. He is also State Attorney for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit and is Attorney for the Board of County Commissioners.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Hunter is largely interested in real estate and citrus growing.
He is a member of the Methodist Church and of the Tavares Kiwanis Club.
His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons, Shriners and Knights of Pythias.
He was married at Eustis in 1904 to Nettie C. Morin, daughter of one of the pioneers of the County.
He has four children: Doris, Walton, James and Richard.
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 p235 .
GEORGE McCLELLAND HUTCHISON
George McClelland Hutchison was born September 16, 1862 in Bealsville, Ohio, the son of William H. Hutchison of PA. and Mary Katherine Miller from Ireland. He lived in Sunbury and Zanesville, Ohio before moing to Eustis. He had retired from F. Wilkins and Sons.
His sister, Flora McVey also lived in Eustis. Her son, William McVey and wife (Dot) Dorothy lived in Mt. Dora.
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