Portrait of John A. Graham in uniform. University of South Florida Tampa Library still image eng Portrait of John A. Graham in World War I era uniform. John was a local boy who was paying taxes by 1888 and earned the title of "professor" by 1889. He went to Tallahassee in 1890 and put up a large cypress mill at St. Marks, which he sold in October 1901, when he returned to Braidentown. He handled the sale of railroad lands for the Southern States Land and Timber Company in 1902, turning over $10,000 to the the state comptroller. He bought a good deal of land in 1901 and 1902, erected a lovely large home on the Manatee River and began the construction of an electric power plant in Bradenton and a trolley line from Fogartyville, through Bradenton and on to Manatee. The Manatee Light and Traction Company, as his enterprise was known, began full operation in December of 1903. He was also involved with the Bradenton Wagon and Machine Works, incorporated in 1903. The trolley line only lasted three winter seasons before sand roads, the lack of business and the arrival of the automobile put it out of business. He and his wife, Nina H., allowed the trolley properties to go through bankruptcy sales, since they could not resell them for any other useful enterprise. But the Manatee Power Company lasted. John was involved with other streetcar lines in Tampa and Silver Springs and had land deals in DeSoto County as well. The pair were quite social and attended lectures and parties regularly. Nina was a regular member of the Friday Literary club. In 1918 John joined the Red Cross and did work at Camp Wheeler, just in time for the first wave of the great influenza empidemic to hit that camp. John ran for the state legislature in 1906 on an anti-drainage platform and for the state senate in 1920, making speeches at Wauchula and elsewhere. Having caught the automobile bug back around 1909, he and his wife were able to get to parties and political affairs. He filed for bankruptcy again in 1912, having $63,000 in mortgage debt and $24,000 in unsecured debt, of which over $9,000 was to the Bank of Zolfo. On the plus side, he owned 88,719 acres of land, of which over 55,000 acres were in DeSoto County. He was a Democrat, a Mason, a bridge player and an Episcopalian. Portrait of John A. Graham in World War I era uniform. John was a local boy who was paying taxes by 1888 and earned the title of "professor" by 1889. He went to Tallahassee in 1890 and put up a large cypress mill at St. Marks, which he sold in October 1901, when he returned to Braidentown. He handled the sale of railroad lands for the Southern States Land and Timber Company in 1902, turning over $10,000 to the the state comptroller. He bought a good deal of land in 1901 and 1902, erected a lovely large home on the Manatee River and began the construction of an electric power plant in Bradenton and a trolley line from Fogartyville, through Bradenton and on to Manatee. The Manatee Light and Traction Company, as his enterprise was known, began full operation in December of 1903. He was also involved with the Bradenton Wagon and Machine Works, incorporated in 1903. The trolley line only lasted three winter seasons before sand roads, the lack of business and the arrival of the automobile put it out of business. He and his wife, Nina H., allowed the trolley properties to go through bankruptcy sales, since they could not resell them for any other useful enterprise. But the Manatee Power Company lasted. John was involved with other streetcar lines in Tampa and Silver Springs and had land deals in DeSoto County as well. The pair were quite social and attended lectures and parties regularly. Nina was a regular member of the Friday Literary club. In 1918 John joined the Red Cross and did work at Camp Wheeler, just in time for the first wave of the great influenza empidemic to hit that camp. John ran for the state legislature in 1906 on an anti-drainage platform and for the state senate in 1920, making speeches at Wauchula and elsewhere. Having caught the automobile bug back around 1909, he and his wife were able to get to parties and political affairs. He filed for bankruptcy again in 1912, having $63,000 in mortgage debt and $24,000 in unsecured debt, of which over $9,000 was to the Bank of Zolfo. On the plus side, he owned 88,719 acres of land, of which over 55,000 acres were in DeSoto County. He was a Democrat, a Mason, a bridge player and an Episcopalian. Graham, John A. United States Florida--Manatee County--Manatee. Manatee County Public Library Historic Photograph Collection
Portrait of John A. Graham in uniform.
University of South Florida Tampa Library
still image
eng
Portrait of John A. Graham in World War I era uniform. John was a local boy who was paying taxes by 1888 and earned the title of "professor" by 1889. He went to Tallahassee in 1890 and put up a large cypress mill at St. Marks, which he sold in October 1901, when he returned to Braidentown. He handled the sale of railroad lands for the Southern States Land and Timber Company in 1902, turning over $10,000 to the the state comptroller. He bought a good deal of land in 1901 and 1902, erected a lovely large home on the Manatee River and began the construction of an electric power plant in Bradenton and a trolley line from Fogartyville, through Bradenton and on to Manatee. The Manatee Light and Traction Company, as his enterprise was known, began full operation in December of 1903. He was also involved with the Bradenton Wagon and Machine Works, incorporated in 1903. The trolley line only lasted three winter seasons before sand roads, the lack of business and the arrival of the automobile put it out of business. He and his wife, Nina H., allowed the trolley properties to go through bankruptcy sales, since they could not resell them for any other useful enterprise. But the Manatee Power Company lasted. John was involved with other streetcar lines in Tampa and Silver Springs and had land deals in DeSoto County as well. The pair were quite social and attended lectures and parties regularly. Nina was a regular member of the Friday Literary club. In 1918 John joined the Red Cross and did work at Camp Wheeler, just in time for the first wave of the great influenza empidemic to hit that camp. John ran for the state legislature in 1906 on an anti-drainage platform and for the state senate in 1920, making speeches at Wauchula and elsewhere. Having caught the automobile bug back around 1909, he and his wife were able to get to parties and political affairs. He filed for bankruptcy again in 1912, having $63,000 in mortgage debt and $24,000 in unsecured debt, of which over $9,000 was to the Bank of Zolfo. On the plus side, he owned 88,719 acres of land, of which over 55,000 acres were in DeSoto County. He was a Democrat, a Mason, a bridge player and an Episcopalian.
Portrait of John A. Graham in World War I era uniform. John was a local boy who was paying taxes by 1888 and earned the title of "professor" by 1889. He went to Tallahassee in 1890 and put up a large cypress mill at St. Marks, which he sold in October 1901, when he returned to Braidentown. He handled the sale of railroad lands for the Southern States Land and Timber Company in 1902, turning over $10,000 to the the state comptroller. He bought a good deal of land in 1901 and 1902, erected a lovely large home on the Manatee River and began the construction of an electric power plant in Bradenton and a trolley line from Fogartyville, through Bradenton and on to Manatee. The Manatee Light and Traction Company, as his enterprise was known, began full operation in December of 1903. He was also involved with the Bradenton Wagon and Machine Works, incorporated in 1903. The trolley line only lasted three winter seasons before sand roads, the lack of business and the arrival of the automobile put it out of business. He and his wife, Nina H., allowed the trolley properties to go through bankruptcy sales, since they could not resell them for any other useful enterprise. But the Manatee Power Company lasted. John was involved with other streetcar lines in Tampa and Silver Springs and had land deals in DeSoto County as well. The pair were quite social and attended lectures and parties regularly. Nina was a regular member of the Friday Literary club. In 1918 John joined the Red Cross and did work at Camp Wheeler, just in time for the first wave of the great influenza empidemic to hit that camp. John ran for the state legislature in 1906 on an anti-drainage platform and for the state senate in 1920, making speeches at Wauchula and elsewhere. Having caught the automobile bug back around 1909, he and his wife were able to get to parties and political affairs. He filed for bankruptcy again in 1912, having $63,000 in mortgage debt and $24,000 in unsecured debt, of which over $9,000 was to the Bank of Zolfo. On the plus side, he owned 88,719 acres of land, of which over 55,000 acres were in DeSoto County. He was a Democrat, a Mason, a bridge player and an Episcopalian.
Graham, John A.
United States
Florida--Manatee County--Manatee.
Manatee County Public Library Historic Photograph Collection