Obadiah Clough as the unnamed co-investor in the Avon Park purchase
Finding
The Avon Park Historical Society’s account of the town’s founding claims that in 1885, Oliver Marvin Crosby and an unnamed “another investor” purchased 20,000 acres for $50,000 directly from Hamilton Disston.[aphs-verona] Historical records identify this unnamed investor as Obadiah A. Clough, the publisher of the South magazine where Crosby worked as the Florida editor.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
The Historical Society’s date of 1885 for the land purchase is slightly inaccurate. While Crosby did discover the site in May 1885, the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Avon Park Historic District (citing Crosby’s 1919 unpublished manuscript) establishes that Clough conditionally acquired the 20,000 acres in 1886, intending to finance the venture and profit from land sales advertised in his publications.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
When Clough experienced financial difficulties in 1887, Disston refused to renew the contract with him. Crosby then assumed Clough’s debts, acquired Clough’s interests, and took over the contract in his own name, organizing the Florida Development Company to handle land sales.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
Documentation
- National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Avon Park Historic District): Cites Crosby’s 1919 manuscript, explicitly identifying Obadiah Clough as the publisher who initially financed the venture and conditionally acquired the 20,000 acres in 1886.
- Avon Park Historical Society, “The Verona Hotel”: Notes that Crosby and “another investor” purchased 20,000 acres for $50,000 from Hamilton Disston in 1885.
References
- nrhp-avon-park-district — Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation / National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Avon Park Historic District (ref. 90000486). 22 March 1990. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/90000486_text
- aphs-verona — Avon Park Historical Society. The Verona Hotel: The early years of Avon Park. 31 August 2026. https://avonparkhistoricalsociety.com/article/145_The-Verona-Hotel
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation / National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Avon Park Historic District (ref. 90000486) (1990)
- Avon Park Historical Society, The Verona Hotel: The early years of Avon Park (2026)
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