Biography of Braxton B. Blount, Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
III, page 297, 1923.

BLOUNT, M.D., BRAXTON B.  Few counties have so many skilled and resourceful physicians enrolled 
upon its books as has Charlotte, and one of them who has won the confidence of his patients and 
the general public of Punta Gorda by years of conscientious service is Dr, BRAXTON B. BLOUNT.  
He was born at Bartow, Florida, October 1, 1864, a son of NATHAN SNOW and MARTHA ANN (KNIGHT) 
BLOUNT, natives of North Carolina, who came to Florida at an early day.  Locating in Polk 
County, he became one of the prominent men of that section of the state, and served the county 
as clerk for sixteen years and as sheriff for one term.  When war was declared between the two 
sections of the country he cast his lot with the South and enlisted in a Florida regiment of 
the Confederate army, and was made major of the Seventh Florida Volunteer Infantry.  His service 
was terminated only by the close of the war.  Prior to this war he had seen service under JOHN 
T. LESLIE in the Seminole Indian troubles during 1855.  Both times when he was needed he did 
not hesitate to offer his services, and was always a brave and gallant soldier.

Resolving upon a profession, Doctor BLOUNT first took a course at the institute at Bartow and 
subsequently the medical course at the Louisville, Kentucky, Medical College, and was graduated 
from the latter in 1890, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine.  He was in an active practice 
at Bartow for some time, and then moved to Arcadia, where he remained for six years.  Being 
then offered the position of head of the Marine Hospital at Bocagrande, Florida, he accepted 
it, and also had charge of the Tampa Bay quarantine station, continuing in the service from 
March 1, 1898, until October 1, 1918, at which time he resigned and came to Punta Gorda, Florida.  
He had previously lived here, from April 1, 1918, as acting assistant surgeon, and knew the 
people and neighborhood.

Doctor BLOUNT married, March 6, 1901, Miss AMELIA E. KRESLER, who was born at Louisville, 
Kentucky, and they became the parents of the following children:  BRAXTON B., Junior, who 
is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida; ROSE LEE, who is the wife of CHARLES W. SMITH, of 
Roanoke, Virginia; MARTHA JOHERNETTA, who is the wife of Dr. H. N. ALFORD, of Atlanta, Georgia; 
and JUSTUS, who is at home.  In his political sentiments Doctor BLOUNT is a democrat, but 
his professional duties have been so heavy as to make any active participation in public matters 
almost impossible.  He maintains membership with the Midland Medical Society, for he is a firm 
believer in professional organizations.  Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic Lodge, to 
Tallahassee Lodge No. 937, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and to the Woodmen of 
the World.