Leonard Family Records

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MSS 0-166

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Business records of enterprises managed by Samuel A. Leonard and Wade Hampton Leonard in Calhoun County, Florida. Significant subject areas include Florida naval stores state, business and social life of Florida counties along the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers, steamboats, lumber, Florida Governor Cary A. Hardee, tobacco, cotton, resin, and Julia W. Leonard.

Dates

Created: 1913-1950
Other: Majority of material found in 1914
Other: Date acquired: 03/01/1972

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical or Historical Information

Samuel A. Leonard (died 1938), Henry C. Leonard (died 1921) and Wade Hampton (W.H.) Leonard (died 1956) came from Bladen County, North Carolina, about the turn of the century or a little before, and in 1902 started a turpentine and rosin enterprise at Frink, Florida. W. H. later moved to Ochessee, Florida and, in partnership with Samuel Leonard, engaged in enterprises including naval stores, cane syrup manufacture, automobiles, investments in Miami real estate, and dairying.

W. H. was the guiding business genius of the enterprise and was quite a plunger. As a result of his expertise the Leonard enterprises made much money but the money-making was accompanied by much indebtedness. Finally his investments in Miami during the Florida boom were almost disastrous for the mortgaged West Florida enterprises when the bust came.

Some time after this the government claimed .3100,000 back income taxes (according to a story that has come down in the family) but Mr. Leonard was able to prove that the government owed him that amount. The reason he was able to do so was that his record-keeping was almost total. This same record-keeping habit makes this collection an extremely valuable record, not only of a naval stores enterprise during a time when Florida was the principal naval stores state, but also an illuminating record of the business and social life of Calhoun, Jackson, and other counties along the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers, and of the day of steamboats on these rivers.

Note written by Mr. Clifton Paisley

Extent

36359.00 items

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

Cross reference (cp numbers) from Clifton Paisley's numbering to the processed collection numbering are listed with each item.

Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mr. Donald Leonard

Method of Acquisition

Received in several portions from March 1972-June 1972. Acquired through the efforts of Clifton Paisley.

Processing Information

Processed Fall 1975. Cross reference (cp numbers) from Clifton Paisley's numbering to the processed collection numbering are listed with each item.

Subjects

Account books Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Business enterprises--Florida Subject Source: Local sources
Calhoun County (Fla.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
Florida State University Libraries. Manuscripts Collections Subject Source: Local sources
Naval stores Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Steamboats--Florida Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Turpentine industry and trade Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings