Augustus Steele

Augustus Steele (June 4, 1792 – October 25, 1864) was a Florida entrepreneur, a member of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, and considered the founder of Hillsborough County.

Career and life

Early life

Augustus Steele was born June 4, 1792 in Connecticut it is not known where specifically in Connecticut.[1]

Personal life

Steele was married to Elizabeth Coddingham, no information is known about her. He had one daughter, Augusta Florida Steele was born on Atsena Otie Key in 1847. Augusta received her education there, by tutors including Lignoski and James Ryder Randall.

Time in Northern Florida

Steele had come to Florida in 1825 and was originally a settler in Northern Florida. He later helped found the town of Magnolia. The town was soon eclipsed by St. Marks and decided to move south to Fort Brooke in Tampa.

Tampa

Steele had came Tampa in 1830 and had planned the city. Tampa at the time of Steele's arrival was only a small village. Steele had suggested that there be a county there and had even said it should Tampa as it's county seat. Steele had persuaded friends that he knew in the State Capitol, Tallahassee and made the county 8,580 sq Miles of land for Hillsborough County. During the Seminole War, Steele was given the position of postmaster at Fort Brooke. He was even asked to give the news of the Dade Massacre from Fort Brooke to the governor. His town plat was invalidated by the state because it had included Fort Brooke's property.

Cedar Keys

Steele, discouraged had left Tampa after the town plat was invalidated and moved to Cedar Key. After this, Steele had bought land at a Navy land auction at Atsena Otie Key and with it built a resort there. Steele had wanted Atsena Otie to be a port and had planned on using it's deep water facilities for shipping out cotton, lumber, sugar and tobacco from plantations inland. Steele bought all the buildings on the island for $270 (worth $6,900 in 2015) in 1843. Steele later on became Cedar Keys postmaster, Tampa & Cedar Key's port inspector and a Internal Revenue Service collector. He later became a member of the Florida State Legislature.[2] He lobbed for in the state legislature for a cross state railroad to go to and was going against the governor's idea of making it go to St. Marks.[3]

Death

Steele died October 25, 1864 in Wellborn, Florida. It is not specifically known how or why he died.[4]

References

  1. ↑ McCarthy, Kevin M. (2007-01-01). Cedar Key, Florida: A History. The History Press. ISBN 9781596293106.
  2. ↑ "Judge Steele left his mark". TBO.com. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  3. ↑ McCarthy, Kevin M. (2007-01-01). Cedar Key, Florida: A History. The History Press. ISBN 9781596293106.
  4. ↑ "Augustus Steele (1792 - 1864) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
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