50 STATES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, the FINALE: AK & HI

Summer Blog Part 18: The FINALE

Summer is fast drawing to a close, and so too is our CitrusLANDFL Summer Blog Series. 

Each Sunday throughout the past 17 weeks we have been featuring 19^th century pioneers from all across this great land who had played a role in a developing 19^th century Florida Paradise. Dreamers and doers, these individuals selected parcels in a wide swath of a Citrus Belt that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. A courageous bunch of guys and gals, these amazing individuals came to Florida from parts of every modern day State as well.

This week, we conclude our series shining the spotlight on Alaska, State #49, admitted January 8, 1959; and Hawaii, State #50, admitted on August 21, 1959.

ALASKA

“The Speer and BECK grove, and twenty other great ten, twenty, hundred acre parks of bearing orange trees. To see these in their beauty one must take a buggy and follow the picturesque old Fort Mellon Road, among the groves and gardens of a prior generation.” The description you just read is of MELLONVILLE and FORT REID, two Ghost TowNs today, but up and coming 19^th century cities between 1850 and 18800. The description of this “prior generation” appeared in an 1887 travelogue published by the South Florida Railroad Company.

Citrus had become Central Florida’s catalyst for development. Groves were believed to be the pathway to accumulating wealth. Claiming a share of that wealth was simple in the 19^th century, make your way to Florida and file a homestead claim. CitrusLAND had its share of home grown visionaries as well, one in particular being a Floridian named Charles H. BECK of Fort REID. He owned the “BECK grove” first mentioned above.

A pre-Sanford resident, Charles married Nancy (GALLOWAY) WOODRUFF, the Widow of William W. WOODRUFF, a prominent Fort Reid resident who had come to central Florida in the 1850s. Charles H. Beck raised three Woodruff children, and fathered two sons of his own with Nancy.

Mrs. Nannie Woodruff married Charles H. Beck at Fort Reid, FL

The Beck’s continued enjoying America’s Paradise until two back to back freezes swept south in the winter of 1894-95. Historian William F. Blackman, in his 1927 History of Orange County, described residents of 1895 as: “disheartened, apparently bankrupt and helpless.” Tens of thousands of trees had been “killed to the ground,” and many of the citrus growers lost everything, and in some cases, one report had stated, “they left tables set and beds unmade, and went away.” Desperate times required desperate measures, and so Charles H. BECK came up with a plan.

As CitrusLAND dreams turned to frozen nightmares, in the faraway northwest, another fantasy of great wealth was just beginning to stir. ALASKA’S Gold Rush had begun in 1896, the year after Florida’s killer freeze. Floridian BECK came up with an idea to resolve his financial dilemma – he’d strike it rich by finding Alaska gold.

Charles H. BECK left his family at Fort Reid and set out for Skagway, Alaska, gateway to the Klondike. At Skagway, gold seekers then needed only to climb the CHILKOOT Mountain Pass to reach Canada and the Klondike, a task much easier said than done.

Heavy March and April 1898 snows had made Chilkoot Pass even more dangerous than usual. But the gold seekers drive to find gold outweighed concern, and an endless procession of prospectors climbed the treacherous pass anyway.

Charles H. Beck grave marker, Dyer AK

Charles H. Beck and other prospectors were attempting to make the difficult climb up Chilkoot Mountain on Palm Sunday, 1898, but an avalanche suddenly brought their journey to an abrupt end. Charles H. Beck of Fort Reid died in an historic PALM SUNDAY Avalanche. Beck was buried at DYEA, ALASKA cemetery, in a territory later to be admitted as the 49^th State in our Union of States.

True-life pioneer Charles H. Beck is featured in my Historical Novel, The Rutland Mule Matter, based on a little-known, real-life central Florida Civil War event,

As Charles H. BECK was making his way toward ALASKA, a debate was underway at our Nation’s Capital. Politicians were at odds concerning the future status of a group of Pacific Islands. Some felt strongly that the islands should become a U. S. Territory, while others argued against such a move. One well-known Attorney - Politician, a New Englander who also had close ties with Orange County, Florida, set the record straight. His words moved Congress, and the rest, as they say, is history. Harry Bingham, a man of remarkable vision, and the 50^th State, concludes our summer of 2018 series.

HAWAII

“It has been objected that the annexation of HAWAII will require us to augment our Navy and to become a strong naval power.” These words were spoken by a New Hampshire Politician and Lawyer in an address to the New Hampshire Bar Association on January 28, 1898. “This objection assumes that if we do not annex HAWAII, we shall not need an augmented navy and will never have occasion to become a strong naval power. Nothing can be further from the truth than this assumption.”

Within the month, February, 1898, the U. S. S. Maine was sunk, and the Spanish American War commenced. The significance of a mid-Pacific fueling station became clear. Despite the objections, Harry Bingham helped make the annexation HAWAII a reality, as the islands became a Territory of the United States in 1898.

Forty-three (43) years after annexation, while HAWAII was still a Territory, on the Day of Infamy, December 7, 1941, our Navy Fleet was attacked at Pearly Harbor.

The USA Territory of Hawaii became our 50^th State on the 21^st day of August, 1959.

But 16 years before Harry Bingham of New Hampshire came out in favor of annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, the prominent Attorney expressed an interest in yet another land far from his New England residence: Orange County, Florida. Harry Bingham partnered with Orlando land agent John G. SINCLAIR, also of New Hampshire, in a 160 acre parcel of land south of present day Winter Garden. A town of Winter Garden however did not yet exist at that time. 

A 538 Page Memorial paid tribute to the Honorable Harry Bingham

Located along the west side of Lake Butler, the partnership of Bingham and Sinclair originated July 27, 1882. One year prior, Capitalist Hamilton Disston of Philadelphia had purchased 4 million acres of wilderness land in what is now Osceola County, a purchase that set off an overabundance of central Florida developments. Bingham was among the earliest of Northerners to invest in West Orange County, Capitalists that very soon included such notable individuals as Charles H. Morse, Franklin Fairbanks, and Francis B. Knowles, three men known too for their role in developing Winter Park and nearby Rollins College.

Bingham also took an interest in South Orange County. Cypress Grove Park, a mile west of Randolph’s Fort Gatlin and that family’s 19^th century family burial ground, was once partially owned by Harry Bingham. Nearly equidistant to this park was the Will Wallace Harney homestead. Although a park today, in 1884 much of the lakeside parcel belonged to Attorney Harry Bingham: “Toward the close of his life,” we learn from the man’s 538 page memorial to Honorable Harry Bingham; “he became interested in orange growing in Florida, where he spent some time in the late winter and early spring for several years, and where he became the owner of considerable real estate, including fine orange groves.” Fourteen years later, Harry Bingham spoke out in favor of annexing the Hawaiian Islands.

Harry Bingham in fact owned thousands of acres in West Orange County, and 80 acres fronting on Lake Jessamine, one mile from the home of Will Wallace Harney and the town named for Harney’s residence, Pine Castle.

Cypress Grove Park west of Historic Fort Gatlin, Orlando, FL

Central Florida was truly an American Melting Pot, especially during the 19^th century. Pioneers arrived from nearly every corner of the earth, and, as our summer of 2018 series has shown, they came as well from places that are today America’s 50 States. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. My central Florida history books are available in the Gift Shop at Winter Garden’s Heritage Foundation in Winter Garden, Florida, or visit my Author Page at Amazon.com by clicking on the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Lee-Cronin/e/B00E78LYU6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1533121698&sr=8-1

Comments and questions always welcome at: Rick@CroninBooks.com