Business Directory
There are now in business in Wauchula eight orange packing houses, eight general stores, two dry goods stores, two drug
stores, two hardware stores, two millinery stores, two good hotels and several boarding houses, two livery stables, two blacksmith shops, one furniture store, one jewelry store, one ice factory, one of the largest crate factories in the state.
[Also] one newspaper, one job printing office, several newsdealers, one barber shop, two dentists, three doctors, two attorneys, several fruit buyers, several contractors, one piano dealer, local and long distance telephone service, express, telegraph, concrete works, dealers in buggies and wagons, saddlery and farm implements, two real estate dealers, lumber dealers, dealers in building materials of all kinds.
Beeson Bros., Druggists
The firm began business in March, 1905, with a stock of drugs amounting to no more than $50. Now it carries a stock worth $5,000, and the fixtures in the store are worth $3,000. The stock as carried consists of a full line of fresh medicines, proprietary compounds, druggists' sundries, a splendid department of cold drinks, chemicals, patent medicines, paints, oils and varnishes, books, stationery, toilet articles, cigars and tobaccos.
Dr. J. Mooring Beeson, the senior member of the firm, is a practicing physician, a graduate of the Medical college of Alabama, class of 1897, and has been practicing constantly since that time.
Mr. W. B. Beeson, the junior member of the firm, came to Wauchula when this drug business opened.
Carlton & Carlton Bankers
This is the third oldest banking house in DeSoto County. It is a private bank. The members of the firm are Albert Carlton and his son, Charles J. Carlton. The capital, surplus and undivided profits of this bank on the 11th of December were $19,507.93, deposits $88,700, and undivided responsibility $180,000.
This bank now has in process of construction one of the handsomest banking buildings in any part of this state. It is of concrete structure, two stories high. The first floor will be divided into stores, space being reserved for accomodation of the bank, and the second floor will be taken up with offices of various kinds.
The Florida Advocate
The Florida Advocate, published at Wauchula by Geo. M. Goolsby, is Wauchula's first newspaper and has never changed ownership.
Eight years ago when Editor Goolsby moved an old outfit from Starke to Wauchula and launched the Advocate, some of the state editors extended their sympathy, and one of the Miami papers facetiously remarked that it was a "wonderful paper to come out of the woods." They did not know the wonderful country back of the little hamlet in the woods, nor did they know that what few dollars Editor Goolsby had brought to Florida had been left in the old orange belt, and that when he shipped the old Acorn pattern Washington hand press, the patched up Gordon and apron full of small pica to Wauchula that he owed every cent of the bargained price and a $50 freight bill besides and landed in Wauchula without one dollar to pay it with.
At that time Wauchula had less than 300 inhabitants, and it was evident to make a success of a newspaper it was necessary for the town to grow, and from its first issue the Advocate has been a town builder and developer and has had the satisfaction of seeing the town grow from a piny hamlet to one of the thriving little cities in Florida.
The old Washington has been paid for and discarded and a two-revolution cylinder has taken its place; the old Gordon is gone and the latest improved Colts' Armory press is in its place, while a little Pearl clicks merrily alongside of it.
The Advocate office of today is known as the neatest, cleanest, lightest and best equipped country printing office in the state. It occupies its own building and is within 150 feet of the neat cottage owned by its editor, all surrounded by bearing orange and grapefruit trees, flowers, shrubbery and a neatly kept lawn.
McCrae & Co., General Merchandise
T. K. McCrae came to Wauchula from Georgia where he had been engaged in merchandise. He established his business in a frame building 16X40, one story high. The premises he now occupies are 55X70, two stories high.
Mitchell Hardware Co.
Mr. W. E. Mitchell came to Wauchula in 1901 from Savannah where he had been engaged in the transportation business. Mr. Mitchell handles hardware, stoves, tinware, farm implements, pumps, pipe and pipe fittings, doors and sash, builders' supplies, paints and oils and all other items usual to such concerns.
He is a member of the City Council and vice president of the Bank of Wauchula. He owns considerable real estate around the city.
Peace River Hotel
It was opened to the public on the 29th of November. The hotel is centrally located, right in the business center of Wauchula, near the postoffice and depot. It is a three-story building, built of concrete. The hotel is conducted by Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Edwards. [It also is the] home of grocery and millinery stores of W. A. Southerland and drug store of Beeson Bros.
H. P. Read, Contractor
His main office is at 602 Forest Avenue, Tampa, but his operations are confined to no single portion of the state. He now has in process of construction the handsome $25,000 Carlton and Carlton bank building. Recently he constructed the handsome three-story DeSoto bank building at Arcadia, the upper floors of which are arranged for a thirty-room hotel. He also built in Arcadia the handsome high school building, Daniels block, Gore and Scott block, F. Marquis block, Jones and Carlton block and the C. C. Choller residence.
W. A. Southerland, General Merchandise
This gentleman was in the general merchandise business in Wauchula for many years, his store being burned out in June 1906. He took up rest for one year and opened up his present place of business in October, 1907. Mr. Southerland came to Wauchula in 1886 from North Carolina.
Wauchula Hardware Company
This is one of the prime commercial concerns of Wauchula. It was established in 1903. The officers are B. F. Allman, president; I. C. Smith, vice president; J. W. Daughtry, secretary, treasurer and manager. When the new bank building is completed, the firm will occupy one of its storerooms.
Wauchula Manufacturing Company
This business was established in 1904 and has a capital of $50,000, the greater portion of which was furnished by home people.
It ships 600 carloads of knocked down crates per annum, using in their construction 250,000 feet of logs and 100,000 feet of boards per month. The product amounts to 1,250,000 finished packages per year, which is distributed locally, shipped to Cuba and Porto Rico, to Georgia during the peach season and to Maryland during the vegetable season.
The company owns a tram road three miles in length, which is used in bringing the raw material from the forests.
In addition the company conducts one of the best ice factories in the state. In addition to supplying the local market, large quantities are shipped to Punta Gorda and Boca Grande to be used in iceing the fishing schooners and packing fish for shipment.
The officers of the company are E. F. Bostick, president; Eugene Holtsinger, vice president; A. G. Smith, treasurer; J. L. Chase, manager; I. C. Smith, secretary.
Ye Old Curiosity Shop
This is one of Wauchula's foremost department stores.
Mr. A. C. Clavel came to this city in 1900 direct from New York and entered the hotel business, his place being known as Bel Air. Mr. Clavel discontinued the hotel business and entered the realm of merchandise, which he did six years ago.
Last February his store and stock were consumed by fire and he erected his present fine commercial building.
This was published in The Herald-Advocate of October 1, 1998.
January 28, 2001 & links = October 16, 2001