Albert Carlton Home and History

The Carlton House was built in 1885 by Albert and Martha McEwen Carlton.
Originally located in Hardee County 4 miles west of Wauchula. It served as the home of Albert, Marth, and their 10 children.
The Outside stairs led to the bedrooms of the nine Carlton Son's. Inside was another staircase leading to their daughters bedroom.
It is now located at the Florida State Fairgrounds
4700 Orient Rd. Tampa, Florida 33610

In 1977 Doyle E. Carlton Jr., and his wife Mildred W. Carlton felt the need for an exhibit to bring the rich History of early rural Florida to life. Their vision Began in 1978 when the Carlton House was donated by family members and moved from Hardee County to a four acre tract on the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.
This became later known as Cracker Country.

File contributed for use in USGenWeb ® Archives by:
Nancy Rayburn Naev@earthlink.net February 25, 2007, 1:02 am

Author: The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. II page 299  1923

     CARLTON, ALBERT.  To some men are given the faculty of successfully 
conducting several lines of business at the same time, the prosperity in one 
leading them to embark in another.  Such men are very valuable to their 
community, for they not only build up sound enterprises, but through their own 
success lead others to venture into fields as yet unexplored by them, and 
interest outside capital.  ALBERT CARLTON, president of the First National Bank 
of Wauchula, owner of one of the finest orange groves in the county, and a man 
who has been connected with a number of other enterprises of the city, belongs 
to the above-mentioned class.  His progress has been a healthy one, nothing 
spectacular marking his career, and all that he has today has been honestly 
earned through his own initiative and good management.
     ALBERT CARLTON was born in Thomas County, Georgia, May 9, 1845, a son of 
DANIEL W. and SALLIE ANN (MURPHY) CARLTON.  About the time of his son’s birth 
DANIEL W. CARLTON came to Florida and settled in Marion County, of which he was 
a resident at the time, in 1855, that the settlers had their trouble with the 
Seminole Indians, and he participated as a soldier in that warfare.  His 
father, ALDERMAN CARLTON, was also a soldier in the war, as a lieutenant under 
Captain Durrance.  The settlers had gathered at Fort Meade for protection 
against the attacks of the hostile redskins.  Lieutenant CARLTON taking seven 
men, one of whom was his son, DANIEL W. CARLTON, went out against a band of the 
Seminoles who were entrenched in a nearby swamp.  He, with WILLIAM PARKER and 
LOTT WHITTON, were killed and DANIEL W. CARLTON had a horse shot from under 
him, and was wounded in the arm, but managed to escape further injury.  He was 
in pursuit of an Indian, who turned and aimed at him.  Mr. CARLTON drew up his 
horse, and the ball passed through the animal and into his left arm.  Mounting 
another horse, Mr. CARLTON returned to Fort Meade, secured a fresh horse, went 
to Fort Frazier, where he secured the help of a company of soldiers, and with 
them followed the Indians, who had reached Peace River.  The crafty Indians 
were hidden under the bank of the river, and the soldiers were surprised by an 
attack, in which a Mr. Mansfield was killed and another member of the Whitton 
family badly wounded.  However, the soldiers managed to kill a number of the 
Indians, and the survivors swam across the river, but were pursued by the 
soldiers, who finally dispersed them.  With the warfare ended DANIEL W. CARLTON 
returned to his peaceful pursuit of cattle raising, and moved about to 
different sections in order to get fresh grazing ground for his large herds.  
During the last years of his life he lived in retirement from his former 
activities, and passed away in 1902, at Nocatee, Florida, but his widow 
survived until 1907, when she died at the home of her son ALBERT.
     During his boyhood ALBERT CARLTON attended the subscription schools of his 
neighborhood, and was early taught to make himself useful, assisting his 
father, with whom he remained until he reached his majority, and then began 
raising cattle for himself, and also entered upon his career in the citrus 
industry, which has been unbroken ever since.  Securing some land from his 
father that was located four miles south-east of Wauchula, he also homesteaded 
120 acres in its vicinity, and kept on adding to his holdings until he had 340 
acres in all, eighty acres of which were planted to oranges.  There he 
continued to reside until about 1905, carrying on farming, stock raising and 
orange culture, but in that year he moved to Wauchula and bought thirty acres 
of land, of which only two acres were improved, being set out to oranges.  On 
this property he erected a two-story, ten-room residence on a naturally 
elevated building site, and has a beautiful home.  He has now about twelve 
acres of this property in oranges, and cultivates about fifteen acres of it.  
In 1903, with his son, CHARLES J. CARLTON, he went into a general mercantile 
business at Wauchula, and continued to operate it for about two years.  Selling 
it then at an excellent figure, they established a private bank, which they 
nationalized in 1917, with a capital of $50,000, and Mr. CARLTON has since 
continued its president; C. J.CARLTON is cashier; and C. S. CARLTON assistant 
cashier.  About 1905 Mr. CARLTON established the hardware store at Wauchula 
which his son LEFFIE is now managing.  Mr. CARLTON belongs to the Missionary 
Baptist Church.  In politics he votes for the man he thinks best fitted to fill 
the office, regardless of his politics.
     On October 11, 1868, Mr. CARLTON married MARTHA W. McEWEN, born in 
Washington County, Georgia, February 10, 1851, a daughter of WILLIAM and RUTH 
(SHEPHARD) McEWEN, of Georgia, who came to Florida in 1865.  Mr. and Mrs. 
CARLTON became the parents of the following children:  ELLA, who is Mrs. W. A. 
SUTHERLAND, of Wauchula; CHARLES J., who is cashier of the First National Bank 
of Wauchula; and THOMAS N., WILLIAM ALBERT and ALTON H., all of whom are 
residents of Hardee County, Florida; CARL, who is a resident of Wauchula; DOYLE 
and LELAND, both of whom are residents of Tampa, Florida; and LEFFIE M. and 
GETTES, both of whom are residents of Wauchula.  The CARLTONS are fine people, 
and are held in the highest respect by all who know them.  Mr. and Mrs. CARLTON 
have every reason to be proud of their children and what they are accomplishing 
in the several communities in which they are residing.

 

 

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