The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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Abbie R. Dodge

Abbie R. Dodge was a Jacksonville hotelier and commercial investor who became the principal landowner of Avon Park following the collapse of Oliver M. Crosby’s Florida Development Company in the wake of the 1894–1895 Great Freeze.[savannah-morning-news-1897] By acquiring the company’s 20,000-acre estate at a judicial sheriff’s sale in January 1897 and honoring outstanding settler contracts, Dodge prevented mass foreclosures and maintained the continuity of private property titles in the settlement.[savannah-morning-news-1897][pineapple]

Background and Hotel Management

During the 1890s, Abbie R. Dodge was active in North Florida commercial business as a managing partner in the hotel firm Dodge & Cullens with Frank T. Cullens, initially operating the New Duval Hotel in Jacksonville.[savannah-morning-news-1897] Following the Great Fire of 1901 that destroyed much of the city, Dodge and Cullens rebuilt and reopened the prominent Windsor Hotel on February 15, 1902, occupying an entire block facing Hemming Park.[jaxson-windsor-hotel] The enterprise provided lodging and commercial hospitality during Florida’s early tourist boom, positioning Dodge as a prominent commercial creditor and investor in state financial circles.

Furthermore, Florida Supreme Court records confirm that Abbie R. Dodge deeded Avon Park property directly to her business partner Frank T. Cullens, establishing a chain of title connecting her Jacksonville operations to her DeSoto County investments.[smith-v-wilson-1916]

Foreclosure of the Florida Development Company

The Florida Development Company, organized by Oliver Marvin Crosby in November 1891 to develop and market Avon Park, suffered catastrophic financial disruption during the consecutive freezes of December 1894 and February 1895.[nrhp-avon-park-district] In October 1895, Dodge initiated legal proceedings in Duval County Circuit Court against the company to recover an outstanding debt of $8,000, which subsequently grew with accrued interest and court fees to a final judgment of $10,000.[savannah-morning-news-1897]

To satisfy the judgment, the Circuit Court directed the Sheriff of DeSoto County to execute a public judicial sale of the company’s entire real estate holdings at the county courthouse in Arcadia in January 1897.[savannah-morning-news-1897]

The 1897 Sheriff’s Sales and Townsite Transition

At the Arcadia sheriff’s sale, Abbie R. Dodge submitted the successful bid of $10,000, securing title to approximately 20,000 acres in northern DeSoto County (now northern Highlands County).[savannah-morning-news-1897] The acquired property encompassed:

On 9 January 1897, Judge Barron Phillips of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, sitting at Tampa, formally confirmed the deed conveyance to Dodge and denied a petition filed by minority stockholders seeking a receivership.[savannah-morning-news-1897] In February 1897, a secondary sheriff’s auction was conducted on-site in Avon Park to liquidate remaining personal assets, including company office records, presses, tools, and loose timber.[pineapple]

Preservation of Settler Land Contracts

Crucially for the pioneer community, Dodge announced immediately following the confirmation of title that she would recognize and fulfill all existing installment purchase agreements made between individual settlers and the Florida Development Company.[savannah-morning-news-1897] Rather than declaring defaults or re-auctioning occupied parcels, her representatives audited settler payment records and executed warranty deeds as contracts matured.[pineapple]

Later Landholdings and Title Continuity

Dodge retained substantial acreage and platted town lots across Section 22 for over a decade.[desoto-news-1906] Official DeSoto County tax assessment rolls published in February 1906 listed numerous Avon Park parcels assessed to Abbie R. Dodge and William Boyd under 1898 and 1900 tax certificates, establishing her long-term role in managing the settlement’s underlying acreage until subsequent subdivisions and the 1920s land boom.[desoto-news-1906]

References

  • savannah-morning-news-1897 — Savannah Morning News. Savannah Morning News, 10 January 1897 and 1 February 1897: Sheriff’s sale of Florida Development Company lands to Abbie R. Dodge. 1 February 1897. florida-development-company.md
  • pineapple — W. E. Pabor and E. A. Pabor. Pabor Lake Pineapple, February 1897 and August 1897: Sheriff’s auction of personal property and land title adjustments. 15 September 1897. pabor-lake-pineapple.md
  • desoto-news-1906 — The De Soto County News (Arcadia, Fla.). The De Soto County News, February 1906: Tax deed notices for Avon Park townsite lots. 1 February 1906. de-soto-county-news-avon-park-department.md
  • 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
  • smith-v-wilson-1916 — Supreme Court of Florida. Southern Reporter, Volume 71, page 919 (Smith v. Wilson). 1916. https://cite.case.law/so/71/919/
  • jaxson-windsor-hotel — Abandoned Florida. Windsor Hotel, Jacksonville, Florida. 18 September 2026. https://abandonedfl.com/windsor-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.
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society

Sources

  1. Savannah Morning News, Savannah Morning News, 10 January 1897 and 1 February 1897: Sheriff's sale of Florida Development Company lands to Abbie R. Dodge (1897)
  2. W. E. Pabor and E. A. Pabor, Pabor Lake Pineapple, February 1897 and August 1897: Sheriff's auction of personal property and land title adjustments (references/pabor-lake-pineapple.md) (1897)
  3. The De Soto County News (Arcadia, Fla.), The De Soto County News, February 1906: Tax deed notices for Avon Park townsite lots (references/de-soto-county-news-avon-park-department.md) (1906)
  4. Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation / National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Avon Park Historic District (ref. 90000486) (1990)
  5. Supreme Court of Florida, Southern Reporter, Volume 71, page 919 (Smith v. Wilson) (1916)
  6. Abandoned Florida, Windsor Hotel, Jacksonville, Florida (2026)

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