St Lucie-Brevard County FlArchives Biographies.....Fee, Frank Henry 1850 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 4, 2008, 1:50 pm Author: B. F. Johnson Frank Henry Fee Although Florida has been in the Union as a State for more than sixty years and has within its borders the first settlement on the Atlantic coast, the development of it has been so retarded that when one travels over the State and meets with the prominent citizens, he can almost safely assume, as they do out West, that these prominent citizens were born in some other State, and the conversation might be started as is usually done in Oklahoma and the new Western States, "Where are you from?" Among the prominent and valuable business men of Fort Pierce is Frank Henry Fee,who is from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Ohio to Pennsylvania. He was born at Niles, Ohio, on March 9, 1850, a son of Dr. William Miller Fee, who had married Mary M. Barnshire. The grandfather of Mr. Fee, John Fee, came with his brothers and sisters to Canada from Ireland, about 1813, and later some of the family removed to Pittsburg, Pa., and others to Ohio. Mr. Fee was educated in the common schools, supplemented by a course at the Franklin (Pa.) Academy and the State Normal College, at Edinburg, Pa. In 1871, being then just a man grown, he entered the hardware and oil business, at Franklin, Pa. He continued there until 1887, when drawn by the attractions of Florida he moved to Melbourne and engaged in the hardware business at that place. Mr. Fee prospered in his business and in 1901 be became connected with the Melbourne State Bank, which has since been changed to the Bank of Fort Pierce, and of which he has been president since its organization. In 1900 he opened a branch of his business at Fort Pierce and moved to that town. The hardware business, conducted under the style of the Fee and Stewart Hardware Company, does a retail and wholesale business, and in addition to his duties as president of the bank, Mr. Fee is also president of that company. He is a valued citizen of Fort Pierce, held in high esteem by the people, as is proven by his having been called on to serve the town as a member of the City Council for two terms and as Mayor for two terms. In 1872 he married Miss Margaret Irwin. Of six children born to them two survive, William Irwin and Fred. In politics Mr. Fee is identified with the Democratic party. His religious preferences incline towards the Methodist Church. He is a member in good standing of the Masons and Odd Fellows and through his banking connection he has become affiliated with the State and American Bankers' Association. In his younger days, when living in Pennsylvania he had some military tastes and served as a member of the Pennsylvania State militia for seven years. He has found trade journals of more value to him than any other class of reading but like all other intelligent citizens, he keeps in touch with all questions of interest through current periodicals. Mr. Fee is a strong advocate of the abolition of capital punishment, which he believes would work good to the Commonwealth, and is equally as strong in favor of compulsory education. It is a notable fact in connection with the educational questions that such an immense number of thoughtful men are coming to the conclusion that we must have compulsory education. However this may be, it demonstrates clearly one thing, and that is that there must be a large percentage of the people of this country who are so indifferent to the needs of their children that they will make no effort to educate them unless forced to do so by the State. This is a sorrowful fact, but brings us to the conclusion that those good citizens who do think of the future will be forced, in the interests of the generations yet to come, to make these negligent parents do their duty. Mr. Fee has succeeded in his business affairs in Florida and made money. He is a man of fine courtesy, considerate of the rights and feelings of all with whom he comes in contact and has established in his community a high character, not only as a successful business man, but is in all respects a most excellent citizen. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. III. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. McCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. COPYRIGHT 1909 B. F. JOHNSON Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/stlucie/photos/bios/fee42gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/stlucie/bios/fee42gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb