Edited by Spessard Stone from The Florida Times-Union of October 18, 1896
Wauchula is a distributing point for a fine fruit and farm section, on the Plant System railway, twenty-six miles north of Arcadia and 225 miles south of Jacksonville. It is centrally located in a very fertile section of country, having for its environment Peace river, Paine's [Payne's] creek and Troublesome creek.
Along these streams are found a very fine quality of hammock lands, which merge into high pine, all of which is exceedingly productive. In the vicinity are many very fine groves. The people are in a prosperous condition, and no single drawback has occurred to stay the progress of the community.
The most productive lands extend from what is known as the Popash belt, six miles east through Wauchula and up Troublesome and Paine's creeks to their very source. It is the same belt that reaches Bowling Green and on into Polk county.
The village has a population of about 200. There are five stores and a good hotel, the Bel-Air, kept by A. C. Clavel, and a boarding house. There is a Methodist, a Baptist and a Primitive Baptist church. One public school with seventy pupils, Rev. M. S. Stevens is principal, assisted by Miss Alice Hearn.
There is a blacksmith, harness and shoe shop and wood working establishment; also a tannery, where the palmetto root furnishes the tannic acid with most satisfactory results. Near here, too, is the only rice mill in the county.
There is a daily mail, G. W. Bostwick, postmaster; railway express and telegraph office, A. G. Smith, agent; a sawmill and gristmill.
Five miles west of Wauchula is the Oak Grove settlement. Here there is a flourishing school of seventy-three pupils, G. W. Harn, principal, G. H. Driggers, assistant. There are some excellent groves in this vicinity, amongst others that of Albert Carlton , one of the finest in the county. This country is all tributary to Wauchula, and really a part of it for all practical purposes.
Mr. T. J. Sparkman of Arcadia formerly lived here, and still owns some very choice property, portions of which are for sale. He will be glad to furnish further information regarding this locality, as will also the following: J. D. Southerland, A. C. Clavel, A. G. Smith, G. W. Bostwick, or W. J. Altman, county commissioner, Wauchula.
This article was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of October 3, 1991.
May 24, 2001 & link = October 16, 2001