Sunday Favorites: The History Behind Pelot's Pharmacy

John Cooper saw to it that his children had access to the best education possible. He hired private educators for John Crews and his siblings. John Crews graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1858 and married Mary Elizabeth Cooper, the daughter of Gen. James Gignilliat Cooper, of Georgia, and Pharaba Vaughan Cooper, of Amelia Island.

James Cooper served in the Second Seminole War was severely wounded in battle. He was appointed Major General, a title he carried with him thereafter. He preferred to be called ”The General,“ more than his given name according to the book ”The Singing River“ by Joe Warner.

Dr. Pelot was also a veteran. During the War Between the States he joined the Florida Calvary and was appointed to the role of assistant surgeon of the Confederacy, according to a 1978 interview the Manatee County Historical Society conducted with his grandson, John Crews Pelot III.

At the end of the war, Dr. Pelot and Mary moved to the Village of Manatee along with Mary’s parents, The General and Pharaba. They wanted to escape what they perceived as an unfavorable political climate in northern Florida. Their arrival was most welcome as Dr. Branch, the area’s only doctor, had recently moved. Dr. Pelot stepped into his role almost immediately, serving area residents suffering a multitude of ailments.

On August 8, 1867 Mary Pelot purchased the Braden Plantation, which consisted of 1,147 acres and including Braden Castle, for $2,000, according to historical records. Mary’s parents, The General and Pharaba, lived in Braden Castle while Mary and Dr. Pelot constructed a new home.

Tragically, Mary died in 1873 during childbirth with her second son, John James Francis Pelot. A devastated Dr. Pelot needed help raising his infant son and his toddler, Charles. Multiple relatives joined the family in Manatee including Dr. Pelot’s sister, Christine. Christine married Joe Gates, the son of village founder Josiah Gates, and the two ran the Gates Hotel. Dr. Pelot eventually married into the Gates family too, taking Katie Gates as his new wife.

In 1888, Dr. Pelot identified a yellow fever epidemic early on, and quickly enacted quarantine guidelines to protect the townspeople. He called for help from other doctors in the state, including Dr. H.B. Harrison, of Parrish, Dr. Joseph Porter, from the Department of Health in Tampa, and Dr. R.D. Murray from Key West. The doctors split up the cases, riding to the aid of those inflicted on horseback. Dr. Murray reportedly saw 40 patients in one day during the outbreak, according to Warner (87).

One of the sources for the epidemic was the frequent stops by steamers that transported passengers and supplies to the area. Dr. Pelot was appointed Port Inspector and Physician to ensure no sick travelers disembarked the vessels. Every house with an inflicted resident was instructed to fly a yellow flag to ward off visitors. Even Billy, a pet deer, had yellow flags on his antlers in an effort to keep people out of town. A town guard was placed at the mouth of the Manatee River to alert incoming ships of the situation. All mail was fumigated and all houses whitewashed after the sickness had subsided. A few travelers were caught in quarantine without funding. In these cases, the county commission paid them $250 for food and accommodations, according to Warner (87).

Despite his first inclinations, Dr. Pelot deduced that the epidemic was likely not yellow fever as only one person had died in more than 60 cases. He guessed the outbreak was more likely a Dengue Fever, which was less severe. He petitioned to have the quarantine lifted. Despite his pleas, the quarantine remained in effect for more than three months, from July through the end of October.

Dr. Pelot served the community in many ways. Not only was he a doctor, he was elected Mayor and considered an entrepreneur. Next week, we’ll examine more of his endeavors as well as the origin story behind Pelot’s Pharmacy.