Sunday Favorites: The First Settler

He married his wife Mary in Jacksonville, then the couple traveled to Fort Harlee located in present-day Alachua County where they settled for some time. When the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) began, the couple moved to Fort Brook, or present-day Tampa.

At the time, Fort Brooke was the most important establishment of American forces, attracting many citizens to the area because of the economic opportunity, according to Carl King in his walking Tour of the Village of Manatee.

By then, Josiah and Mary had established a small family and opened an inn that accommodated military officers and their wives. The inn was famous for ”setting a good table,“ and became a popular meeting place for military personnel, King said.

As the war began winding down in 1841, (most of the Seminole tribe was forced to relocate to a reservation in Oklahoma), Josiah recognized the military would soon leave and he and his family would need to relocate.

Around the same time the U.S. Government opened up Florida lands south of Fort Brooke for settlement under the Armed Occupation Act. Settlers could apply for the land grant as permanent residents if they were male, 21-years of age and would stand in a militia.

The Manatee River area was wild and pristine with a few bands of Seminoles living in the area as well as some seasonal Spanish fisherman.

Gates toured the region and fell in love with its beauty, predicting that it would be a popular destination for settlement because of its close proximity to Fort Brooke. He also reasoned that any new settlers would need a place to stay while they were building their own homesteads. He built an inn, planning to serve home grown vegetables from his farm and freshly-caught fish along with wild caught game to his guests.

On January of 1842, Josiah, Mary, their two children, Mary’s brother and eight slaves arrived aboard the sailboat Margaret Ann. The crew erected a large wooden lodge with a detached kitchen on what is now 15^th Street East in Bradenton. Slave quarters and hunting dog pens were located adjacent to the kitchen. A large log barrier surrounded the entire property and a sturdy metal gate was bolted shut at night for protection against Seminoles, panthers, wolves, bears or other unknowns lurking in the darkness.

Josiah’s plan worked out well for the most part. His hotel was open for business when the first settlers began arriving. The inn provided them with a safe lodging and sustenance while they built their own accommodations and prepared their own farms.

Among Josiah’s first guests were: Dr. Joseph Braden, who built Braden Castle on the Braden River; Major Robert Gamble, who built the Gamble Mansion in Ellenton; Ezekiel Glazier, a contractor who would eventually build the first courthouse; Rev. Edmund Lee, the first ordained minister who would eventually adopt one of the ”Feral Children of Terra Ceia“; Col. William Wyatt; William H. Whittaker, who would eventually settle in present-day Sarasota; James Vanderipe, who would settle in Ellenton; Col. Warren Johnson and Mr. Gib Johnson.

These were the first families of Manatee County. They relied heavily on their friendships in order to survive the many trials and tribulations that would affect these pioneers in the beginning. They survived Seminole attacks, outbreaks of disease, freezes, hurricanes and much more. They wore many hats, serving as city councilors, tax collectors, postmen and other duties as the settlement grew into a town, and they town into a city. Many of these families are still located in Manatee County today.