Biography of Joseph E. Bender, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
III, page 61, 1923.

BENDER, JOSEPH E.  A successful business man in the North for many years, JOSEPH E. BENDER 
came to South Florida largely for rest and recreation, but soon became attracted by the 
unusual opportunities at West Palm Beach and is now a fixture and an enterprising factor in 
the business life of that city, where he is president of the Anarctic (sic) Ice Company.

Mr. BENDER is a native of Starke County, Indiana, grew up on a farm, had a country school 
education, and left the farm when still a boy to get into the practical details of business.  
At the age of seventeen he located at Centerville, Wayne County, Indiana, and was engaged 
in the meat business there, later in the laundry business at Cambridge in the same county, 
and for eleven years was handling a profitable business at Richmond, Indiana.  At Richmond 
he had control of the ice cream products of the Wayne Ice Company, distributing this under 
his individual organization, known as the Bender Ice Cream Company.  Thus he had an extensive 
experience in various branches of refrigeration before he came to South Florida.

Mr. BENDER has lived at West Palm Beach since early in 1920.  His visit was lengthened into 
a prolonged stay which he now regards as permanent.  After a time he organized the Anarctic 
Ice Company, of which he is president and general manager.  The splendid plant of this company 
was built under his personal supervision and began operations with its first output of ice 
early in January, 1922.  The plant has a capacity of eighty tons per day, the ice being 
manufactured by the raw water system, the system most approved by experts in the ice industry.  
The machinery and equipment are the most modern to be had, and represent the last word in 
ice manufacture.  The water supply is secured from a well on the premises sixty-eight feet 
deep, the water being in eight feet of solid rock, and by analysis of competent chemists 
is pronounced to be of the highest standard of purity.  The pump can raise 250 gallons of 
water per minute from this well.  The building is of modern concrete construction, and all 
the electricity for power is produced by Fairbanks-Morse oil-burning engines.  Besides the 
ice plant the company operates a storage plant, leased to the Evansville Packing Company 
for meat storage.

Mr. BENDER is a popular member of the West Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.  He married Miss 
EVA GUYTON, of Wayne County, Indiana, and they have one son, RAYMOND CECIL BENDER.