George_W._Hendry

George W. Hendry

George W. Hendry

American Florida early settler (1838–1914)

George Washington "Wash" Hendry (1838–1914),[1] was an American land developer, writer, and farmer, who was from an early settler family in Southwest Florida.[2][3] Hendry served in the Seminole Wars, and in the American Civil War for the Confederate States Army. He was also known as G.W. Hendry, and Wash Hendry.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Biography

George Washington Hendry was born on December 3, 1838, in Thomas County, Georgia.[4] The family was of English and Scotch ancestry.[5] He arrived in the Fort Meade area at age fourteen in 1853.[6] The Hendrys were a prominent family in Southwest Florida.[7][8] His older brother was Captain Francis Asbury "Berry" Hendry, one of the founders of the city of Fort Myers and the namesake of Hendry County, Florida.[6][9][10]

Hendry had dealt in land development in Florida.[1] He farmed citrus fruit but lost his crops during a freeze.[1] Hendry is credited with building the first residence in the area, a log cabin used by cattle herders and for hunting and fishing by him and his friends.[11] In 1883, he authored a book on the history of Polk County, Florida.[1][6] Hendry was married three times.[1]

Hendry served in the Seminole Wars from 1855 to 1856.[4] He also served in the American Civil War (1861–1865) for the Confederate States Army, and he held the title of Captain.[4][5][12]

Death and legacy

Hendry died on March 2, 1914, at the Southern Hotel in Fort Meade, Florida after six weeks of an illness.[12] He was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Meade.[4]

The Wash Hendry Branch of the Peace River was named for the area that once housed his former cabin and land; and the nearby Berry Hendry Branch of the Peace River was named for his older brothers former cabin and land.[13]

Writings

  • Hendry, George Washington (1883). Polk County, Florida, its Lands and Products. Jacksonville, Fla.: Ashmead Bros. OCLC 25604428.

References

  1. [1]
    Hawes, Leland (1990-04-15). "New Book Explores Giant Hendry Family". The Tampa Tribune. p. 114. ISSN 1042-3761. Retrieved 2023-10-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. [2]
    Grismer, Karl Hiram (1949). The Story of Fort Myers: The History of the Land of the Caloosahatchee and Southwest Florida. St. Petersburg Print. Company. p. 91.
  3. [3]
    Stone, Spessard, ed. (1989). John and William, Sons of Robert Hendry. Genie Plus. p. 171.
  4. [4]
    "Florida Loses Pioneer". The Tampa Times. March 4, 1914. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. [5]
    "Capt. F.A. Hendry Pioneer of Lee County Is Dead". The News-Press. 1917-02-13. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-10-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. [6]
    Brown, Canter (1995). Fort Meade, 1849–1900. University of Alabama Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-8173-0763-9.
  7. [7]
    "Hon George W Hendry died". The News-Press. March 4, 1914. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  8. [8]
    "From Cattle Rustlers to High-Rise Resort". The News-Press. December 28, 1986. page 2, page 3
  9. [9]
    National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Captain Francis A. Hendry House) (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. 2016.
  10. [10]
    Amrhein, Saundra (October 23, 2013). "Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: A cattle drive into history". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  11. [11]
    Frisbie, Louise (1976). Yesterday's Polk County. E.A. Seemann Pub. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-912458-64-9.
  12. [12]
    "Captain G. W. Hendry Dead at Fort Meade". The Tampa Tribune. March 4, 1914. p. 12. ISSN 1042-3761 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. [13]
    "United States Land Map of 1855 Lists Many Polk Pioneer Families". The Tampa Tribune. 1958-12-14. ISSN 1042-3761. Retrieved 2023-10-26 – via Newspapers.com.
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