1932 Leaders of Hardee County Florida

Florida Leaders Of 1932

Edited by Spessard Stone



This article, adapted from The Tampa Daily Times of October 8, 1932, courtesy of Doyle Spears, was published in The Herald-Advocate of April 25, 1996.



J. A. Albritton

Mr. Albritton, manager of Altman & Albritton, feed and fertilizer merchants, Bowling Green, and manager of the beautiful Green Terrace hotel, Bowling Green, is a native of Hardee County. Mr. Albritton is president of the famous Hardee County Strawberry festival, held each winter in his home town. He was one of the organizers of this very worthwhile enterprise and served as its first president. He is also a member of the Bowling Green city council.

J. G. Anderson

Mr. Anderson is one of Hardee County's greatest assets. He is president of J. D. Anderson Realty Company, J. D. Anderson & Co., Anderson Investment Company and a director of the Celo Inter-County Products Company. It is in one of Mr. Anderson's buildings that the new Wauchula post office will be located. Mr. Anderson, a native of North Carolina, located in Wauchula nineteen years ago, entering the mercantile business. In 1924 he opened his realty business.

C. E. Baggott

Mr. Baggott, teacher of agricultural vocation at the Hardee County High School, is a native of Hillsborough County and a graduate of the University of Florida. hile this is only his second term in Hardee County, he has already accomplished splendid results, with both high school students and adults. He has forty-three regular members of his class of agriculture. Besides conducting his regular class, he has unit day, part time and evening classes.

C. R. Bostick

Mr. Bostick is a native of Hardee County. His parents located in this section shortly after the close of the Civil War. He is one of the county's most progressive farmers, is president of the Wauchula Kiwanis Club, of which he was a charter member, president of Wauchula Airport, Inc., member of the American Legion. He served in the navy during the world war.
Mr. Bostick received his education in the schools of Hardee County and at Stetson University.

Hon. L. Grady Burton

Mr. Burton is prosecuting attorney for the Nineteenth Judicial circuit and is immediate past governor of Florida district of Kiwanis International. He is teacher of a large men's Bible class of the Baptist church, past president of the Wauchula Kiwanis Club, and is a forceful speaker who is often sought for public addresses. He is a member of the state democratic executive committee. He is a former mayor of Wauchula and was born in Bowling Green, Ky.

Will Crews

Mr. Crews, who is a resident of Zolfo Springs, was born on a farm about three miles from his present home, his parents being a pioneer family of this section. He has long been one of the Hardee County's outstanding planters, and while he continues this vocation he recently accept ed the distributorship for Sinclair oil products for Hardee County and is showing a tremendous progress in this field.

J. W. Earnest

Mr. Earnest is a native of Atlanta, Ga. but has lived in Wauchula for twenty-six years and is one of the outstanding merchants and businessmen of the county. He owns considerable business property as well as several fine orange groves in Hardee County. He is a member of the city council and for many years has been active in civic and business circles. He has unbounded faith in the future of Wauchula and this section of the most fertile district in Florida.

W. H. Fortson

Mr. Fortson, agent at Bowling Green, is the oldest agent in point of service on the Atlantic Coast Line. He is a native of Georgia and came to Bowling Green July 8, 1908. For fifteen years he has been a member of the city council of his town and is now city manager. He is one of the outstanding grove owners of Hardee County and a director of the State Bank of Bowling Green. Mr. Fortson also has large interests on the Pacific coast, but Florida, he says, will always remain his home.

Judge F. G. Janes, Jr.

Judge Janes is a native of Georgia, has lived practically his entire life in Hardee County, moving there with his parents twenty years ago. He graduated from Mercer University in 1925 and the University of Florida in 1928. At the age of twenty-six, just after finishing his law course, he was elected county judge and been renominated by the democratic party for this position. Judge Janes is past president of the Wauchula Kiwanis club and served as president Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. M. C. Kayton

Dr. Kayton is a native Floridian and has been a practicing physician of Wauchula for seventeen years. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville. He served his country during the World war.

Samuel Kervin Revell

Hardee County, Florida Leaders Of 1932, Part 2
Edited by Spessard Stone

This article, adapted from The Tampa Daily Times of October 8, 1932, courtesy of Doyle Spears, was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of June 13, 1996.




Hon. W. C. King

Mr. King, merchant of Zolfo Springs, grower, and the county commissioner from his district, is also one of the organizers and for three years has been president of the Zolfo Springs Strawberry Growers' Association. Mr. King, a native of Citrus County, has lived in Hardee County thirteen years, during which time he served eight years on the council of Zolfo Springs, four years as county commissioner, to which office he has been renominated, and has always been a community leader.

Earl L. Metheny

Mr. Metheny is a native Iowan who located in Hardee County twenty years ago, most of the time engaging in the fruit business. or five years he has been manager of the Wauchula house of Gentile Brothers, who operate eight packing plants in the state, the Wauchula house shipping between three and four hundred cars of fruit each year. Mr. Metheny is also associated with his father and brother in agricultural pursuits. "The productive soil of Hardee County will give an ample reward to the real worker and this is a great place in which to live," says Mr. Metheny.

Hon. H. E. Murphy

The new senator from the district, H. E. Murphy, is a native Floridian and one of Hardee County's outstanding citrus growers. For sixteen years he served old DeSoto County as tax assessor. Senator Murphy established the first bank in his home town Zolfo Springs, and is always found in the front ranks of community leaders. The senator has a progressive sound program which he hopes to see the new legislature adopt and which he intends shall hasten prosperity.

A. Z. Oliff

Mr. Olliff, Hardee County distributor for Gulf Refining Oil Products, is a native of Brooks County, Ga., and has lived in Wauchula for twelve years. Prior to accepting the Gulf distributorhip two and a half years ago, Mr. Olliff was manager of the Kilgore Seed Company. He is treasurer of the Lions Club and an aggressive candidate for councilman from Ward two. His many friends in Wauchula are confident of his election and that his continuance in office will result in the general good.

F. L. Revell

Mr. Revell, head of the Wauchula Insurance and Rental Agency and the Hardee County Tax Adjustment Bureau, is a native of Hardee County, the home of his family and many relatives. The real estate business, which he established seven years ago, controls the management and rental of 90 per cent of the residential property offered for rent and 60 per cent of the business property. Perhaps it is partly due to Mr. Revell's enterprise that Wauchula has few vacant houses.

Rev. B. A. Roth

Rev. Roth came to Wauchula two months ago from Georgia to become pastor of the First Baptist Church. A native of London, England, Rev. Roth came to Philadelphia at the age of five years. He served as a private in the twenty-eighth division, U.S. Army. He attended Mercer University, Atlanta, and National Bible Institute, Philadelphia. Prior to entering the ministry, he was engaged in newspaper work in Philadelphia. He is a Lion and active in civic affairs.

R. C. Simmons

He graduated at Stetson University and also attended the University of Florida, taking a course in law. Last June, he was nominated clerk of the circuit court over two opponents and will take office in January. He is active in civic affairs and has abiding faith in the future of Hardee County and this section, which he says is second to none in the state.

Al G. Smith

Mr. Smith, Hardee County distributor of Texaco products, is a native of Wauchula. After his graduation from the local high school, he attended the University of Florida and graduated from Oglethorpe, Atlanta, in 1924. Mr. Smith is a member of the Wauchula Kiwanis Club and a leader in all civic movements. He has been with the Texas company for seven years and under his supervision the demand for Texaco products is continually on the increase. He is a valued citizen.

Dr. B. D. Spears

Dr. Spears, practicing physician and owner of the Central Pharmacy, Wauchula, came to Hardee County in 1914, shortly after being graduated from the Georgia College of Electric Medicine and Surgery. He located at Zolfo Springs, but moved to the county seat three years ago, and has taken an active part in all movements for the betterment of his city and county. He is a member of the Lions Club. Dr. Spears is a native of Alabama, but a firm believer in the future of Florida.


Hardee County, Florida Leaders Of 1932, Part 2

Edited by Spessard Stone



This article, adapted from The Tampa Daily Times of October 8, 1932, courtesy of Doyle Spears, was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of June 13, 1996.



Hon. W. C. King

Mr. King, merchant of Zolfo Springs, grower, and the county commissioner from his district, is also one of the organizers and for three years has been president of the Zolfo Springs Strawberry Growers' Association.

Mr. King, a native of Citrus County, has lived in Hardee County thirteen years, during which time he served eight years on the council of Zolfo Springs, four years as county commissioner, to which office he has been renominated, and has always been a community leader.

Earl L. Metheny

Mr. Metheny is a native Iowan who located in Hardee County twenty years ago, most of the time engaging in the fruit business.

For five years he has been manager of the Wauchula house of Gentile Brothers, who operate eight packing plants in the state, the Wauchula house shipping between three and four hundred cars of fruit each year. Mr. Metheny is also associated with his father and brother in agricultural pursuits.

"The productive soil of Hardee County will give an ample reward to the real worker and this is a great place in which to live," says Mr. Metheny.

Hon. H. E. Murphy

The new senator from the district, H. E. Murphy, is a native Floridian and one of Hardee County's outstanding citrus growers. For sixteen years he served old DeSoto County as tax assessor.

Senator Murphy established the first bank in his home town Zolfo Springs, and is always found in the front ranks of community leaders.

The senator has a progressive sound program which he hopes to see the new legislature adopt and which he intends shall hasten prosperity.

A. Z. Oliff

Mr. Oliff, Hardee County distributor for Gulf Refining Oil Products, is a native of Brooks County, Ga., and has lived in Wauchula for twelve years. Prior to accepting the Gulf distributorhip two and a half years ago, Mr. Oliff was manager of the Kilgore Seed Company.

He is treasurer of the Lions Club and an aggressive candidate for councilman from Ward two. His many friends in Wauchula are confident of his election and that his continuance in office will result in the general good.

F. L. Revell

Mr. Revell, head of the Wauchula Insurance and Rental Agency and the Hardee County Tax Adjustment Bureau, is a native of Hardee County, the home of his family and many relatives.

The real estate business, which he established seven years ago, controls the management and rental of 90 per cent of the residential property offered for rent and 60 per cent of the business property. Perhaps it is partly due to Mr. Revell's enterprise that Wauchula has few vacant houses.

Rev. B. A. Roth

Rev. Roth came to Wauchula two months ago from Georgia to become pastor of the First Baptist Church.

A native of London, England, Rev. Roth came to Philadelphia at the age of five years. He served as a private in the twenty-eighth division, U.S. Army. He attended Mercer University, Atlanta, and National Bible Institute, Philadelphia.

Prior to entering the ministry, he was engaged in newspaper work in Philadelphia. He is a Lion and active in civic affairs.

R. C. Simmons

He graduated at Stetson University and also attended the University of Florida, taking a course in law. Last June, he was nominated clerk of the circuit court over two opponents and will take office in January.

He is active in civic affairs and has abiding faith in the future of Hardee County and this section, which he says is second to none in the state.

Al G. Smith

Mr. Smith, Hardee County distributor of Texaco products, is a native of Wauchula. After his graduation from the local high school, he attended the University of Florida and graduated from Oglethorpe, Atlanta, in 1924.

Mr. Smith is a member of the Wauchula Kiwanis Club and a leader in all civic movements. He has been with the Texas company for seven years and under his supervision the demand for Texaco products is continually on the increase. He is a valued citizen.

Dr. B. D. Spears

Dr. Spears, practicing physician and owner of the Central Pharmacy, Wauchula, came to Hardee County in 1914, shortly after being graduated from the Georgia College of Electric Medicine and Surgery.

He located at Zolfo Springs, but moved to the county seat three years ago, and has taken an active part in all movements for the betterment of his city and county.

He is a member of the Lions Club. Dr. Spears is a native of Alabama, but a firm believer in the future of Florida.


January 31, 2001


January 31, 2001 & March 18, 2004

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