Biography of William Franklin Boyd, Winter Haven, Polk County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
II, page 227, 1923.

BOYD, WILLIAM FRANKLIN is one of the representative business men and progressive citizens 
of Winter Haven, Polk County, where he is president and manager of the Winter Haven Water, 
Ice & Light Company.

Mr. BOYD was born in Marshall County, Tennessee, on the 4th of March, 1872, and is a son 
of L. B. and ROSINA (OLIVER) BOYD, the former of whom was born in Tennessee and the latter 
in Texas.  The paternal grandfather of the subject of this review was a pioneer settler 
in Tennessee, where he acquired a large landed estate, including much of the present site 
of the City of Nashville.  He was a representative of a family of Irish lineage but early 
founded in America.    WILLIAM F. BOYD was the fifth in order of birth in a family of nine 
children, and on the maternal side the ancestry traces back to Scotch origin.

Mr. BOYD was a lad of eleven years at the time his parents came to Florida and established 
their residence in what is now the fine little City of Winter Haven, this having been one 
of the first families to settle in the place.  L. B. BOYD obtained in this immediate locality 
a homestead of 160 acres, and set the same to orange trees.  He developed one of the fine 
citrus-fruit tracts of this section of the state, and on this fine homestead, on Lake Howard, 
he continued to reside until his death, at the age of seventy-eight years.  He was one of 
the honored pioneers of the Winter Haven District, and one of the earliest real estate 
transactions in his immediate locality was made when he sold forty acres of land for ten 
dollars an acre.  As indicative of the splendid progress of this section of this state it
may be noted that this same tract of land eventually brought when placed on the market at 
auction sale about $16,000.

WILLIAM F. BOYD gained in Tennessee his rudimentary education, and after the family removal 
to Florida he attended school in Polk County.  He continued closely associated with the 
development of his father's citrus enterprise until he was about twenty years of age.  In 
former years he made a record also as a contractor and builder, and in the operation of 
dredges.  In 1910 he became associated with his brother, THOMAS J., in founding the business 
now controlled by the Winter Haven Water, Ice & Light Company, and after the death of the 
brother he became the sole owner of the property and business, representing important 
public utilities at Winter Haven.  In 1914 the company was incorporated with a capital 
stock of $15,000; in 1920 the capital was raised to $25,000; and in 1922 the capital 
stock of this progressive corporation was raised to $50,000, Mr. BOYD being president 
and general manager and holding about ninety-five per cent of the stock of the company.  
Mr. BOYD takes marked satisfaction in knowing that he has been actively identified with 
the development and wonderful progress of Winter Haven and Polk County, and his loyalty 
to his home city and county is of the most insistent and appreciative order shown in civic 
liberality and much public spirit.  He is a stockholder in the Snell National Bank at 
Winter Haven and is a director in the Winter Haven Building & Loan Association.  He has 
no desire for public office.

In  December, 1910, Mr. BOYD wedded Miss CREOLA LAMERAUX, who was born at Shreveport, 
Louisiana, of French descent.  Mr. and Mrs. BOYD have no children.