William H. Kendrick
Born1822
Hamilton County, Florida
Died(1901-11-26)November 26, 1901
Jacksonville, Florida
Allegiance
Service/branch
Years of service1855, 1861, 1864
RankCaptain
Unit10th Florida Infantry, Co. E
Battles/warsSeminole Wars

American Civil War

Spouse(s)Mary Gibbons
Martha E. Johnston

William H. Kendrick (1822 – 1901) known as Captain Bill Kendrick was a soldier, state senator, pioneer and lecturer in Florida.[1] He has been referred to as "the original Florida cracker".[2] Kendrick, Florida is named for him.[3] He is also credited with naming Orlando.[3]

Biography

He fought in the Seminole Wars[4][5] and was present at the capture of Osceola.[6] He once lived in the "White House" plantation just north of Dade City.[7][8] He was involved in a land dispute.[9]

He also fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War and was at the Battle of Olustee.[6]

He was a member of the Florida State Senate for two terms, retiring from politics in 1876 to devote his time to the real estate business.[3] In 1870, he was involved in an aquatic plant propagating company that planned to build a canal.[10] In 1880, he discovered the phosphate deposits in the Bone Valley region, a key moment in the economic history of the region.[3]

His father James came from Georgia and fought in the War of 1812.[3] His brother Edward Tatnall "Tat" Kendrick commanded a company in the Third Seminole War,[5] served as sheriff of Hillsborough County, and sheriff of Polk County during the Civil War. He died in the war.[11] "Tat"'s son William was a contractor who laid the first brick in Tampa, and constructed the Old Hillsborough County Courthouse.[12][13] His sister Emily married William Spencer, who was Hillsborough County sheriff during the Civil War, and the father-in-law of W. B. Henderson and Henry L. Mitchell.[3]

He was known as a great story-teller[14] and traveled the state recounting tales.[2] He died in Jacksonville.

References

  1. ↑ Denham, James M.; Brown, Canter Jr. (25 December 2018). Cracker Times and Pioneer Lives: The Florida Reminiscences of George Gillett Keen and Sarah Pamela Williams. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9781570035128 – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 "Capt W. H. Kendrick Dead". The Weekly Tribune. November 28, 1901. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hazen, Pauline Brown (1914). The Blue Book and History of Pioneers, Tampa Florida (PDF). p. 14.
  4. ↑ "Statutes at Large of the United States of America from ..." U.S. Government Printing Office. 25 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. 1 2 Florida militia muster rolls, Seminole Indian Wars. pp. 32–33.
  6. 1 2 "Captain Kendrick Dead". Ocala Evening Star. November 29, 1901. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ↑ "History of Dade City, Florida". www.fivay.org.
  8. ↑ "History of Pasco County Florida, by J. A. Hendley". www.fivay.org.
  9. ↑ "Southern Reporter: Containing All the Decisions of the Supreme Courts of Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi". West Publishing Company. 25 December 1889 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ "General Acts, Resolutions and Memorials Adopted by the ... Legislature of Florida ..." Office of the Floridian and Journal. 25 December 1870 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ "Tax Collector for Polk County". www.polktaxes.com.
  12. ↑ "Kennedy / Lafayette St. Bridge History, Tampa - Part 2". www.tampapix.com.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ↑ "Pamphlets". 25 December 1880 – via Google Books.
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