...- -- L I _______________________ _____
 Of the Pioneers of Tampa

 TiH HONOR FAIRLY

 TH name of Iooker has been a prominent one from the pio-
 neer days to the present time in at. least five Florida coun-
 ities--iamiilton, Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk and DeSoto.
 The founder of the family in Florida was '::illiam Brin-
 ton Hooker, -7h0o tas born in '.;are County, Georgia, on Lh3
 border of F'lorida, in 1S07. In his early manhood he removed
 to this state, making his first home at -hite Springs, on
 the Suwanneo river, in 1l32. Ho took a prominent. position
 in social, business -and political life from the beginning
 of his residence in Florida. lie prerosented 'l:milton Coun-
 ty in the convention that fra:.:ed t-ih first state. constitu-
 tion preparatory to the admission to Statehood in 1845.
 Upon the breaking out of t o Indlian Tar in 1835 '.:il-
 liam B. Hcoker raised a company of volunteers, at th1 head
 of u-hich he s-rvdcl throughout toe war. -e also se-rzed in
 t.: samL rank in the lLjr tini in :jar fr o:.' 18.55 to 1858.
 .c remove from .'imnilton to 2:ilsborough County in 1843 and
 -settles in the section knovnm since as "Si:.i.ons' ainmock,"
 one of the most fertile localities in the county.
 Upon his coming to South Florida ;r. Hooker engaged
 in the busiioess of cautle-raiing, a-d 0 soon becario one of th
 largest stock o-nrers in all this region. '.hen, after many
 :years, he decided to retire from tda active business he sold
 'his stock to Captain J..;os ;Mciay, sr., 9'ho ras then heavily
 engaged in shipping cattle to Cuba, for tho large sLum of
 $60,000.
 S He has an excellent claim to be considered the pio-
 ,neer in orange culture in Florida, as he planted the first
 seeds, at least in this section, from which were produced
 the sweet oranges that have madse Florida f.~aous.
 'lilliam 3. iooder was a i pioneer" in many lines; he
 was a man of such individuality and strong convictions,
 possessing in an eminent degree the power of initiative.
 He was the first good roads booster in I!illsborough, the
 county that has followed his example and h:is talkn the lead
 of the state in the construction of improved highways. He
 laid out and cleared the first road from the central part
 Sof Hillsborough County to the .Ian tee river, near the pre-
 !sent toen of Parrish. He settled a place in this vicinity,
'where he lived for about tu;o years. Mlr. Hooker was the large
est slave owner of that time in this portion of the_state.
 In 1860, just before the commencement of the .ar Be-
tween the States, he left Manatee County ani took up his
residence in Tampa, building what -.as then, an- for many
yFlorida, kno largoeSt a rds and for many yearooe-is s teerahge
Florida, kno%'n afterwards and for many years as the "Orange