St Lucie-Brevard County FlArchives Biographies.....Fee, Fred 1880 - ************************************************ 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, 1:54 pm Author: B. F. Johnson Fred Fee In no other State of our Union is the young man cutting such a large figure as in the State of Florida. Judging from appearances the people of that State, having decided that a forward movement must be made along broad lines, and recognizing the necessity of great energy and strength, in order to get the best results, have called their young men to the front to lead the advance movement. The State is dotted now from end to end with new, bright and growing towns, and in nearly all of these towns can be found these zealous, active and earnest young men, leading in the struggle for material development and moral betterment. One of these valuable men is Judge Fred Fee, of the thrifty city of Fort Pierce. Like so many other leaders in Florida, Mr. Fee is a native of another State. He was born in Lindsborg, Kansas, on February 15, 1880. His father, Frank H. Fee whose life is treated elsewhere in this volume, is a banker and merchant. His mother's maiden name was Margaret Irwin. On both sides of his family, he is of Scotch-Irish descent. The paternal name was originally MacFie. Like many other Scotch and Irish names in this country, the prefix "Mac" and "O" have been dropped. From this MacFie clan we get McAfee, MacFee and Macphee. These are merely variations of the same name. A singular feature of this name is that the MacFees and MacDuffies were originally the same clan. The seat of the clan was in the islands of Colonsay and Oronsay. In the clan feuds of Scotland, they were dispossessed of their original inheritance, and became a broken clan. The greater part then became followers of the McDonalds of Islay. Others settled in the country of the Camerons, under Lochiel. Still others settled in the north of Ireland, and we find there the name changed to McHaffie. Frank H. Fee, the father of Fred Fee, was a native of Ohio and was born in the same town with the lamented President McKinley. William Thomas Fee, another member of the family was consul to Bombay, India, and Bremen, Germany, and was Chairman of the Christian Herald Relief Committee at the time of the great Indian famine. In 1884 Dr. Wm. M. Fee, grandfather of Fred Fee, moved with his family to Florida and settled at Melbourne. Fred Fee was educated in the schools of that town, followed by a course in Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pa., and later at Stetson University, DeLand, Fla. In that school he attended both the academic and law departments, and was graduated in 1904 from the academic department with the degree of A.B., and from the law school in 1905 with the degree of LL.B. Locating in Fort Pierce, in 1905, he at once began the practice of his profession, and engaged actively in real estate operations. He gained instant prominence in his community, and in 1906 was nominated in the Democratic primary for county judge, and duly elected in November of that year. This for a young man only one year established and twenty-six years of age was a remarkable testimonial of confidence by the people of the county. Mr. Fee is an active church man, a member of the Southern Methodist Church, for two years past a steward in the local organization and a district steward of the East Coast District. He is also affiliated with the great fraternal order of the Woodmen of the World. While at Stetson University he was a member of the Greek letter fraternity, Phi Kappa Delta, and served a time as president and grand master of that order. Judge Fee has occasionally contributed to the local press on questions of interest to the people of St. Lucie county, and during his college career was a frequent contributor to the college magazine. On September 3, 1907, he married Miss Emma Morgan, a daughter of Colonel Eli O. and Leasy (Geiger) Morgan. His wife's father, Colonel Morgan, was one of the prominent cattle men of the State. Of this marriage there is one son, William Morgan Fee, born May 30, 1908. Judge Fee is a general reader, but he acknowledges special obligations to that monumental work of Henry George's, known as "Progress and Poverty." There is no question that the man who will read and give intelligent thought to that great work better qualifies himself for the duties of citizenship. Judge Fee believes that the best interests of Florida are to be promoted by a scientific agriculture, such as will conserve the natural resources of soil and climate and even improve the soil. There should, in his judgment, be enough industrial development to enable the people to tan their hides and to can or preserve their tomatoes, pineapples, and oranges, and thus prevent the natural products of the State being sent out in their least valuable form. Another great question of local interest, that is, to the State of Florida, is in his judgment the distribution of the ownership of land from large land companies to independent holders of farms. At this time that appears to be the greatest drawback in Florida. The country needs more small land owners. Large land owners, as a rule, contribute but little to the development of any country. The immediate branch of the Fee family to which he belongs came to America in the Revolutionary period. One member served under the famous naval hero, John Paul Jones. Soon after the Revolution the family established itself in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, then frontier country. From there into Kansas, when it was a new State, and now into Florida. Like many other American families this movement is typical. The blood of the first settler, the pioneer, flows strong through the veins of his descendants, and they are ever found upon the frontier line, where there is a work of development to be done. Judge Fee is doing his share of the work worthily and well. 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/fee43gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/stlucie/bios/fee43gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 6.8 Kb