The Gonzalez Family - FM First Permanent Settlers The picture of the man and his wife was taken in 1930 is a picture of Manuel Sigismund Gonzalez and his wife Irene Elizabeth (Haskew) Gonzalez. The guy in the photo standing by the chair is Capt Manuel A Gonzalez. The other stuff his a brief bio and two obits that were published following Capt Gonzalez death. Capt. Gonzalez is my great-great-grandfather and his son, needless to say, is my great grandfather. These folks were friends with the Indians long (18-years) before the Hansons showed up. Maybe Ive been looking up the wrong limb of the tree? According to The Story of Fort Myers, Capt. Manuel A. Gonzalez was born in Madrid, Spain, October 22, 1883. When fourteen years old he sailed for Cuba with a party of boys. The ship was wrecked on the Florida coast but all on board managed to get ashore. A few years later he went to Key West where he became a United States citizen. While in Key West he met and married Evalina J. Weatherford, of English descent, who was born in the Bahama Islands in 1836. During the Seminole uprising of the 1850s, Captain Gonzalez ran a mail boat between Tampa and the Fort Myers. His wife often accompanied him. They liked FM so well that they decided to make it their home after the Seminoles wee conquered. However, the Civil War upset their plans and they were unable to come until April 1866. After settling in FM, Capt Gonzalez continued to follow the sea and became known as one of the best pilots and seamen in Gulf waters. He also opened the first general store in the infant settlement selling to passing cattlemen and trading with Seminoles. When the government survey was started on the south side of the river in 1872, Capt Gonzalez moved from town to the edge of the creek now known as Manuels Branch. During the 1890s, the Gonzalez family moved back into town, building a residence on Monroe Street where the Atlantic Coast Line depot later was built, Mrs. Gonzalez selling to the railroad for $6,000. Capt Gonzalez died Tuesday, February 25, 1902, survived by his widow and their eight children. One of his children, Manuel S Gonzalez, the oldest son, followed the sea for a number of years, becoming a sailing master. Later he became a contractor and a dealer in lumber and building supplies. Many of the buildings he constructed are still standing. He was one of the forty-four men who incorporated he town and for many years played an active part in civic affairs. He was married to Irene Haskew. Mrs Gonzalez died in 1933. He died on August 11, 1935, one day before the town celebrated its fiftieth anniversary as an incorporated town.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 22:49:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015