Lake County Biographies

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JOHN JAMES

John James     It has often been discussed who was the first in the State of Florida to grow and market the sprays and seeds of Asparagus plumosus nanus.  The following will probably answer this inquiry:
    John James, with his wife and two children, Mrs. M. J. Morris and Raymond J. James, came to Florida from England in the fall of 1886.  After living in other parts of the State, they decided to make their home in Yalaha.  Three other children were born in America, Mrs. D. J. Whitt, Stanley, and Roland James.  For about three years Mr. James was employed by Mrs. John Kanard as manager of her orange grove.  While he was in her employment, Mrs. Kanard had him build her a little greenhouse similar to one of his own.  Being a woman of considerable wealth, Mrs. Kanard spared no expense in having this conservatory a perfect little paradise.  Mr. James was a born florist, having followed the business to some extent in England, and knew just how to make things beautiful.  Therefore the entire buying and planting was left to him.  Among many other plants and ferns there were several Asparagus plumosus nanus plants bought from Henry A. Dreer, Philadelphia.  Mrs. Kanard gave Mr. James the privilege of taking cuttings and seeds from anything she had, and it was from these plants and other seeds bought from the North that the asparagus industry began.
    Mr. James gave his business the name of the Yalaha Conservatories and added the asparagus to his already established retail business of selling pot plants and ferns, shipping the seeds to the northern markets, the price at that time being about $9.00 per thousand seeds.
    In the year of 1895 or 1896, Mr. James was compelled to leave the employ of Mrs. Kanard, wages and salaries having been reduced all over the State because of the terrible freeze of 1895.  Then Mr. James’ attention was turned to growing asparagus exclusively.  It was difficult to get money at that time, and he struggled on, trying to persuade his friends to put up the money to enlarge his small acreage, but they were all afraid to venture in the new enterprise.  Finally Mrs. Kanard’s son, T. P. Drake, entered as a partner, putting up a small sum of money.  However, Mr. Drake only remained as a partner for a few months.  He then engaged in the business for himself.  This business, known as the Drake Point Greenhouse, was the second in the State.  Of course others soon followed.
    In the year 1902 Mr. James interested M. E. Gillett, of Tampa, who remained in the business until after Mr. James’ death, January 5, 1906.
    Shortly after this, Mrs. James bought Mr. Gillett’s interest and operated the enterprise successfully until her own death, in August, 1917, since which time it has been owned and carried on by her two daughters, Mesdames M. J. Morris and D. J. Whitt, the brothers having sold their interests to their sisters and engaged in the business for themselves.
    So the Yalaha Conservatories has seen and experienced the ups and downs of the asparagus business from the beginning to the present and it has grown from a mere quarter of an acre, year by year, until there are now a large number of acres.
    Mr. James died at Yalaha January 5, 1906.

    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  p241-242
RAYMOND JAMES

    Raymond James was born in Dover, England, on January 2nd, 1884, son of John and Ellen James.
    He came to the United States with his parents in 1886, settling at Yalaha, Florida, where he received his early education.  He subsequently attended Stetson University.
    Mr. James was brought up in the fern business, his father having been the pioneer fern grower of Florida.  He lived in Yalaha practically all his life until he recently built a magnificent home in Leesburg on the shore of Lake Harris in Palmora Park.
    Mr. James has always followed the fern business at Yalaha and has so increased his holdings that he now is one of the largest, if not the largest, individual grower of asparagus ferns in Florida.
    He is a member of the Episcopal Church and holds membership in the Masons and Shriners.
    He was married on the 10th day of June, 1914, to Ophelia Bussey and has one child, Octavia.
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  p242

ROLAND JAMES

    Roland James was born at Yalaha, Florida, on November 16th, 1892, son of John and Ellen James.  His father was the pioneer fern grower of Florida, an account of whose life will be found elsewhere in this volume.  Mr. Roland James attended school at Yalaha and subsequently was a student at Stetson University for two years, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Delta College Fraternity.
    He has spent practically his entire life in the fern growing business and at the present time is the owner of about six acres of ferneries in Yalaha, being the third largest grower in this section.
    He was married in Sanford to Kathryn Bayan of Tavares and has four children: Helen, Janet, Dorothy, and Norma.
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  p245
DAVID JOHNSON

    David Johnson was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on September 10th, 1897, son of the Reverend T. David and Lulu Ryall Johnson.  He received his early education in South Carolina and later attended the University of Texas, where he studied law.
    Mr. Johnson came to Florida in 1922, settling first at Auburndale; in the following year he moved to Eustis, where he has since resided and where he established, in association with his father, the Paradise Fernery Company, which is one of the largest fern growing organizations in Lake County.  Mr. Johnson is Vice-President and General Manager of the company, which owns about seven acres of ferneries on Lake Shepherd about four miles north of Mineola.  In addition to his interest in the fern business, Mr. Johnson is State Agent and County Distributor for Protein Bottled Gas, and has built up a very large trade in this business.
    Mr. Johnson’s war record is especially deserving of mention as he spent two years and a half as a member of the 113th Field Artillery of the 30th Division; four months of his military service was spent on the front in France, and he held the rank of First Sergeant.
    He is a member of the Delta Theta Phi College Fraternity.
    He was married in Texas to Frances Kemp.
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  p245
LEWIS M. JOHNSON

    Lewis M. Johnson was born in Gadsden County, Florida, on February 13th, 1876, son of James R. and Sarah (Van Landingham) Johnson.  He was raised on a farm in his native county and came to Leesburg in 1897, where he has since resided and where he has become known as one of Lake County’s outstanding men. 
    From 1900 to 1901 he was manager of an ice company in Leesburg and from 1901 to 1903 he was a clerk in a dry goods store and from 1903 to 1910 he engaged in men’s furnishing business for himself.  Since 1911 he has engaged actively in the real estate and insurance business, in which lines he has made a great success.
    Mr. Johnson has always taken a prominent part in school affairs, having served as a member and Chairman on the County School Board from 1908 to 1920.  He was City Clerk and Treasurer of Leesburg from 1906 to 1916, and served a number of years as secretary of the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce.
    His religious affiliations are with the Presbyterian Church and fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, having served as Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Florida from 1926 to1927.
    He was married at New Smyrna in November, 1906, to Ivy Clough and has four children:  Alice, Martha, Lewis M., Junior, and Cora Elizabeth Johnson.
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  p246
REVEREND DAVID T. JOHNSON

Reverend David T. Johnson, Pastor of St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Eustis for the past two years, was born in Union, South Carolina, November 7th, 1872, son of David and Dora Johnson.  His father was a lawyer, as was his grandfather, and there have been many other lawyers numbered among his ancestors.
He attended school in South Carolina, including the University of South Carolina, and took his theological training at the General Theological Seminary in New York City.  He was ordained at Asheville, North Carolina and his first charge was at Lincolnton, North Carolina, and he subsequently was pastor of the Episcopal Churches at Winona and Canton in Mississippi and at Del Rio in Texas.
Reverend James paid his first visit to Florida about 1892, at which time he worked on the construction of the Florida East Coast Railroad for a few months.  He came to Eustis in 1922 largely on account of his health, which was so greatly improved that he decided to remain there, and has been Pastor of the local Episcopal Church for the past two years.  Prior to assuming this position he was editor of the Eustis Lake Region.
He is heavily interested in the fernery business with his son and together they have made a very big success of their Paradise Fernery Company, the ferneries of which are located on Lake Shepherd about four miles north of Mineola.  Mr. Johnson has taken an active part in various directions in civic affairs of Eustis, having served as a school trustee, also as a member of the Library Board.
Fraternally he is a member of the Masons, and Elks, and he belongs to the Eustis Kiwanis Club.
He was married at Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Catherine Badger McPherson and is the father of the following children: David R., Catherine B., Elizabeth J. and David Thomas.
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  p245



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