|
Biographies for Lee
County, Florida
Edgar A. Watson
written by
Norita Shepherd Moss
Edgar Artemas Watson was the son of Elijah Daniel Watson, who was born Clouds Creek, SC in 1834 died in Columbia
SC in 1895 and Ellen Catherine Addison, born Edgefield Courthouse, SC in 1832 and who died in Fort White, FL 1910.
His name was somehow changed to Edgar Jack Watson. Some believed it was after the so called murder of Belle Starr,
the famous woman outlaw, which a "Jack Watson" was supposed to have shot. Edgar was supposed to be in
that area and during his years back in Florida he never answered those charges. (Genealogy
Trails Note: An individual by the name of Edgar A. Watson who had rented a house in Texas from Belle Starr, was
arrested for her murder, but he was acquitted. At the time he came to Texas, he was wanted by Florida authorities
for murder and Belle Starr had apparently threatened to turn in Edgar Watson to the authorities. She was later
ambushed by an unknown individual(s) and shot more than 60 times. Circumstantial physical evidence against Edgar
Watson included footprints, which were his size, leading from the murder scene to within 100 yards of his home.)
In the years that Edgar Watson lived in Columbia County, Monroe and Lee Counties of Florida, the rumors said he
was responsible for lots of killings. As far as the records show he was supposed to have killed Belle Starr, Quinn
Bass, Sam Tolen (his brother-in-law), Mike Tolen, a man named Tucker and his wife or nephew, Hannah Smith, several
unknown Negroes, Old man Waller, Dutchy Melvin and a Leslie Cox. In 1910 Watson was shot by a crowd of angry neigbors
in Chokoloskee, Florida after a hurricane when stories flared up on some of the killings in the Everglades area
and Ten Thousand Islands of Monroe and Lee County, FL.
Many truths and untruths have been published about Edgar Watson, in all he seems to have been a sucessful farmer
and a betwitching person. He was known to have a quick temper and a reputation for getting even. His features were
red curly hair and very blue eyes. About six foot tall, ruddy complexion and small feet and hands for such a tall
and large man. ( My husbaand and I knew his great-grandson and he had those same "very blue eyes , but dark
curly hair.)
Edgar J. Watson
born 11 Nov 1853 ( or 7 Nov., 1855 ?) at Cloud's Creek, SC
d. 24 Oct 1910 ,at Chokoloskee, FL
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery B6 L8
(Edgar was killed in a shoot out with mob).
1st married Ann Mary Collins
b 1862
died 1879 in Ft. White, FL
--- Their son Robert ( Rob) Watson b. 1879 in Ft. White, Fl died?
He 2nd married Jane S Dyal
b. 8 Oct 1862
d. 24 Apr 1901
buried in Ft. Myers Cemetery Lee County, FL, bur. B6 L8 (His wife)
-- Their Children:
Lucious Hampton Watson
b. 14 Oct 1889
d. 8 Feb 1970, MMI US NRF WW1, Eng 1894
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery B6 L8
Son |
|
|
Edgar Elijah Watson
b. 20 Feb 1887
d. 24 May 1974, 3281
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery B6 L8 |
Neva P. Park
b. 26 Dec 1885
d. 28 Oct 1924
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery B6 L8
(wife of Edgar E.) |
Edgar Watson married Catherine Edna Bethea
b 1889
died unknown
Their children
1. Living Watson
2. Living Watson
3. Living Watson |
Carrie Watson
b. 1885,
d. 17 Mar 1961
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery D-2 |
Walter G Langford
b. 2 Jul 1873,
d. 15 Nov 1920 Eng 5910,
(Husband of Carrie Watson) |
Known Children of Carrie
and Walter Langford
Infant Langford
b. 1907,
dau. Walter G. & Carrie W,
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery E-2
1. Buena Langford
b. 1903
d. 1969
bur. Ft. Myers Cemetery C3
Her husband:
Edwin Frank Flaitz
b. 23 Jun 1899,
d. 3 Mar 1975, CM2, US Army
Buena and Edwin's known children
Living Flaitz
2. Fay Langford - married unknown
Ballard. Their son
1. Walter Langford Ballard
Fay Langford married Robert T. Paul
|
| Sources: Ft. Myers Cemetery Records; Information on family from a trilogy
of books written by Peter Matthiesson the life of E. J. Watson 'KILLING MR. WATSON", 'LOST MAN'S RIVER and
"BONE BY BONE" fiction version of Watson and his family by Peter Matthiesen |
Vital Statistics
|
Watson Family Marriages
|
Name: Kathleen Park
Watson
Marriage Date: 1935
County of Marriage: Lee
Volume: 317
Certificate: 20314
Source: Florida Department of Health |
Name: John Coley Westbrook
Jr
Marriage Date: 1935
County of Marriage: Lee
Volume: 317
Certificate: 20314
Source: Florida Department of Health |
Name: Dorothy Louise Watson
Marriage Date: 1954
County of Marriage: Charlotte
Volume: 1511
Certificate: 23406
Source: Florida Department of Health |
Name: Robert B. Hoar
Marriage Date: 1954
County of Marriage: Charlotte
Volume: 1511
Certificate: 23406
Source: Florida Department of Health |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Watson Family Deaths
|
Name:
John Coley Westbrook Sr.
Death Date: 1951
County of Death: Lee
State of Death: Florida
Race: White
Gender: Male |
Name: Edgar
E Watson
Death Date: 24 May 1974
County of Death: Lee
State of Death: Florida
Age at Death: 87
Race: White
Birth Date: 20 Feb 1887
Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 |
Beuna Langford FLAITZ
W, F, Vol. 3187, Cert. 4175, Jan 1969
Lee County, Florida, Death Index 1969 |
| |
|
|
|
Watson Family Obituaries
|
NewsPress, Ft. Myers, FL printed on 6/10/1999
JOHN LANGFORD FLAITZ 1999-06-10
Pioneers Son Dies at 62
Born Oct. 11, 1936, died June 8, 1999.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; three sons: Brian Flaitz, Allan Flaitz and John Michael Flaitz of Fort Myers;
two daughters: Sherri Caskey of Rockport, TX and Cindy Benoit of Port Lavaca, TX; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren;
two sisters, Caroline Decquers of New Orleans and Edith Anne Miller of Cape Coral. He was the son of Beuna and
Edwin Flaitz and the grandson of Walter and Carrie Langford of Fort Myers and great-grandson of the infamous, Edgar
Watson of Chokoloskee, about whom the trilogy written by Peter Matthessen 'Killing Mr. Watson", 'Lost Mans
River" and 'Bone By Bone" was written. Memorial Services will be held June 19, at 2:00 p.m. at the Alva
Methodist Church.
CARRIE WATSON LANGFORD
Fort Myers News Press
March, , 1961
Langford Rites Are Set Today
Funeral services for Mrs. Carrie W. Langford, widow of the founder of the First National Bank and member of a pioneer
Southwest Florida family, will be held at the Harvey Funeral Home at 11 a.m. today with the Re v. John J. Rooks
of the First Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Fort Myers Cemetery.
Mrs. Langford died Wednesday at her home on Royal Palm Avenue at the age of 76. She had been in poor health for
some time. She was the widow of Walter G. Langford, who organized the First National Bank in 1907 and served as
its president until his death in 1920. Langford, a native of Live Oak, Fla. was an associate of the late John M.
Roach, president of the Chicago Traction Co., in the development of Useppa Island and of citrus groves at Deep
Lake north of Everglades. He played a leading part in bringing the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to Fort Myers and
persuaded many wealthy northerners to buy properties here.
Mrs. Langford, the former Carrie Watson, was born at Lake Helen, Fla ., Jan. 21, 1885, and came to what is now
Collier County as a girl. At the age of 13, she and Langford, then 25, were married at Caxambas. Their home in
Fort Myers was the large house on the southwest corner of First and Fowler Streets. As a widow in the late 1920s
Mrs. Langford operated a restaurant on Broadway where the News-Press office is now.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Edwin Flaitz of Garden Grove, Calif ., and Mrs. Robert T. Paul of Fort Myers;
two brothers, Edgar E. Watson of Fort Myers and Lucius H. Watson of Miami; six grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Joe B. Johnston, James E. Hendry III, Girard Kinzie, Carl R. Roberts, Coley Westbrook and Paul
K. Weatherly. Honorary pallbearers will be Sidney Davis, Dr. H. Quillian Jones, Sam W. Johnston, Charles S. Moore,
Harry C. Stucky, Dr. C. J. Zimmerman and William L. de Bordenave |
Submitted by Norita
Shepherd Moss
mossnb1 at earthlink.net
|
