Hillsborough County FlArchives Biographies.....Duncan, William E. August 29, 1870 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Nancy Rayburn http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006128 August 21, 2015, 3:09 am

Source: Vol. II  pg.52  The Lewis Publishing Co. 1923
Author: History of Florida, Past and Present     

        WILLIAM E. DUNCAN.  Success or failure cannot always be determined by 
the amount of a man’s worldly possessions, but rather by the sum of his 
accomplishments during the time he has been actively engaged in a business or 
professional line. According to this standard WILLIAM E. DUNCAN, city clerk of 
Tampa, has led a very useful life and must be considered as one of the 
successful men of his locality, for in everything he has undertaken he has 
rendered excellent service and aided in bringing about many much-needed
improvements. Discouragements have been his, but he has not permitted them to
hinder him in the development of his plans, but rather has gained through the
experience he has received, and pressed forward to more strenuous effort.
	The birth of WILLIAM E. DUNCAN took place at Madison, Florida, August 
29, 1870, and he is a son of Rev. E. B. and SARAH (WEST) DUNCAN, natives of 
Columbia, Tennessee, and Richmond, Virginia, respectively. Rev. E. B. DUNCAN 
was a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was in active service for 
forty-three years, and during a portion of that period was missionary to the
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee and Creek Indians in Indian Territory. In 1872 he
was stationed at Key West, Florida. His wife had the only cook stove in that
region, and it was regarded as a great curiosity. She was his second wife, he
having been married first to a lady who bore him two daughters, namely: LIZZIE,
who married DAVID S. WALKER, and one who died young. DAVID S. WALKER was a very
prominent man, serving as circuit judge at the time of his death, and having
been at one time governor of Florida. Mrs. Walker died in 1909, and in her
honor the flag was lowered on the capital building, the only instance of such
an honor being paid to a woman by the State of Florida. Reverend Duncan died at
Lawtey, Florida, in 1878. He and his second wife had two children: WILLIAM E.,
Who was the elder; and EDWARD P., who is vice president of the Bank of Bay
Biscayne, Miami, Florida. He was born in West Virginia, where his parents were
then stationed.
	WILLIAM E. DUNCAN spent the greater part of his boyhood at Tallahassee,
Florida, and was a student at the West Florida Seminary, which subsequently
became the University of Florida. For one year he studied medicine, and then,
in 1887, when only seventeen years old, he began railroad work as a clerk and
telegraph operator at Madison, Florida, and continued in this line until 1916.
In 1889 he was on Egmont Key, in the employ of the Government, having charge of
all the clerical work for about two years, or until the construction operations
were completed. He was then made train dispatcher of the Florida Central and
Peninsula Railroad; from 1902 to 1906 he was with the Georgia Southern and
Florida Railroad, Macon, Georgia, leaving it in 1906 to go with the Sea Board
Air Line, with which he remained until 1910, and the latter year coming to
Tampa. Mr. Duncan then invested his money, but was unfortunate in his choice of
enterprise, and lost all he had, and for two years was in the employ of GEORGE
A. McCLOUD in the naval stores business, then for a year he had charge of the
new building of the Knights of Pythias. From then until April 30, 1920 he was
with the Department of Sanitation, when he went into the insurance business. On
March 1, 1921, he was appointed city clerk of Tampa, and is very efficiently
discharging the duties of that office Mr. Duncan has always been a democrat,
and cast his first presidential vote for GROVER CLEVELAND. He is a Mason.
	In 1891 he married SARAH V. MILLER, of Lloyd, Jefferson County, F
Florida, and they have one daughter, ANNIE E., who is at home. A daughter,
MARGARET, died in Tampa in 1913.


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