One of the prominent veterans who attended the reunion was Mr. F. A. Hester, mayor of Williston. Mr. H. is one of the successful farmers and cuke growers of that section. He has been very successful as most of his neighbors have been and it is reported the vaults of the Williston bank are bulging with the long green. Three hundred cars of cukes went out of Williston this season. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 6-3-1909

Gulf Hammock

Tobacco is blooming and plant beds are up nicely. I have about three hundred square yards sowed and will sow some more.  We expect to put in six acres. Our land is ready for the plants and we will commence putting them out in about two weeks. There will be planted about forty acres here in the hammock this year. All we want is the buyers to come and give us a good price for our product, for we can raise as good tobacco here as they can in any part of Florida. Or, if they would put up a tobacco warehouse and let the buyers come here and buy, I think that would be better; or, put up a cigar factory. We can supply enough tobacco to supply the demand and it would encourage others to grow the weed. I wish I could see tobacco planted by every tiller of the soil, for there is money in it. Correspondent for Times-Democrat. Source: Times Democrat: 3-12-1891

Mr. Wellman now has millions of blackberries. The late rain is making them ripe very fast. Source: Times-Democrat: 6-4-1891

Carson Bros. have started to clear a large tract on “Buck’s Island” and select varieties of orange and grapefruit will be planted. This grove will be protected by the deep, warm waters of Lake Clinch and will be an ideal grove in every particular. Source: Ocala Banner: 6-5-1903

G. A. Lennett, an industrious colored citizen  of Williston, was in town today trading and paid his respects to the Star’s subscription list. He raised cotton this season and did well. Off of one acre at Williston he grew 700 pounds and on four acres in Alachua county he raised 1600 pounds, all of which he sold for 7 cents a pound in the seed. He said the cuke growers of Williston are getting busy already, preparing their land for the cuke crop of 1908, for which that section is famous. That lands are also in great demand for watermelon and cantaloupes. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 12-5-1907

Cucumbers Bring Big Sum

Since the cucumber season has started, 246 car loads have been shipped out of Williston. Each car was loaded with 550 hampers and each hamper sold for $1.25, which makes a total of $16,912.50 turned over to Williston farmers. S. Corey of the S. A. L. railway, who has been in Williston and other places in that neighborhood, says that the farmers are having their best year for vegetables. As the cucumbers are beginning to give out watermelons are taking their place. He said today that he has already shipped out 250 car loads of melons from Dunnellon and Inverness. Mr. Corey is commercial agent for the Seaboard in this district. Source: Evening Independent: 5-1-1917

Sheriff Bigham has reclaimed the pond in the rear of his house and barrel factory in town and now has one of the finest garden spots in forty-five states. He has gone to considerable experience draining and filling in, and the adjacent properties of Dr. Jackson, Mrs. Tyre and J. S. Stewart, are all more or less benefited. Sheriff Bigham is a worker. 

Source: Levy Times-Democrat: 11-12-1891

Bronson…John R. Willis has the finest pea patch in town. He has been selling peas for several days and the people come night and day to get them. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 8-22-1906

Bronson…S. L. Bean has sold about three hundred bales of cotton at 25 cents per pound. He has had this cotton for over a year and it cost him on an average of 17 cents per pound. He is therefore making 8 cents per pound or about $28 per pound. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 11-21-1906

And What He Did With An Acre Of Florida Sand

Cukes have been a fine and remunerative crop around Williston and a number of planters made big money, but the most successful lad in the business was Gene Johnson, of Montbrook, who was working for a party at Williston and said party told the boy he could have the land to cultivate, so Johnson concluded to take in as partner another boy and between them they put in an acre, but his partner grew tired and sold out to Johnson for $7. Well, Gene stuck to his job and his cukes. The result was he rounded out of it $400. How is that for an acre of Florida sand? The boy showed his good sense by buying his widowed mother a house and twenty acres of land at Montbrook and proposes to try some more cukes in 1904. That youth has a future. The first check for $60 for cukes was a revelation to him. It put into his mind and head, the sentiments and feelings of a man. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 7-9-1903

Williston Cukes

Robert Taylor, the untiring worker as solicitor of the Plant System, returned Wednesday from Williston, where he had been looking over the shipment of cucumbers over his line.

He reports that Williston this season had the most successful one in its history of growing, shipping and realizing good prices for their cukes, to which the truck growers of that section are partial. More than thirty cars were shipped.

Ex-conductor Williams, who relinquished the bell cord to draw a rope line over a high, strong, Missouri mule, tabled for his labors in a ten acre patch $2500 and has it securely corralled in a bank. He was so highly elated over his success and grew so enthusiastic over his prospects of doubling his pile that he constituted himself a promoter to corner the market and raise the price of cuke salad, not a little, but his more conservative friends who had not shared prosperity to so large a degree in the cuke deal as did the ex-conductor dissuaded him from the scheme and to hold on to the “long green” in hand and drop the “corner” and he was persuaded.

To show the fertility and adaptability of the soil around Williston for cukes, we give Mr. Hawkin’s crop, which was 900 crates off of three acres of land and he then turned the patch over to his son, to ship 60 additional crates, for all of which good returns were netted. When it comes to cukes, Willisto in certainly in it. Source: Ocala Evening Star:6-8-1901

The Bronson Enterprise says that Mr. B. B. Barco of that place has bought the first lot of new cotton brought to market. It was between 50 and 100 pounds. It was raised by Mrs. Hanson and Mr. Garrison. It was a good article and brought 1cnts per pound. Source: Gulf Coaster: 1-26-1883

Gus A. Morton, the successful Williston trucker, spent Saturday here circulating among his host of friends. (Bronson Times-Democrat) Source: Ocala Evening Star: 6-1-1912

A. L. Tillis, a prosperous farmer from the Levyville section was here Saturday transacting business. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 10-10-1906

Mr. Maurice E. Robinson, who goes around a right smart, says the finest field of watermelons he has seen this season is that owned by our former fellow citizen, Mr. E. T. Usher, now at Janney. There are thirty-eight acres, and all are flourishing. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 5-2-1914

Col. W. R. Coulter has 28 stands of Italian bees, from which he has taken this season about 600 pounds of honey, which he readily sold at twelve and a half cents per pound, which gives the nice little sum of $75 with very little time or labor…Enterprise   Source: Gulf Coaster: 1-26-1883

Bronson…J. A. Dean, who has been grinding cane for three weeks, gave his children and the other young folks, a candy pulling last Friday night. He cooked a kettle of juice until it turned to candy, and all had an enjoyable time pulling candy. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 11-7-1906

The Bronson Enterprise says that Mr. B. B. Barco of that place has bought the first lot of new cotton brought to market. It was between 50 and 100 pounds. It was raised by Mrs. Hanson and Mr. Garrison. It was a good article and brought 1 cts. per pound. Source: Gulf Coaster: 1-26-1883

$20,000 For Cukes

 The Star is reliably informed that the section of country contributory to Williston grew 20,000 crates of cucumbers this season, for which the growers received $20,000 net. In consequence the people of that section of Marion county are felicitating themselves on their good fortune. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 6-18-1897

Will Plant Heavily

 Mr. C. H. Mathis, of Blackwell, S. C., is in the city, looking after his interests here. Mr. Mathis is breaking the land to plant 300 acres at Irvine and 300 acres at Williston this season. He will also plant a big acreage at Ocala if the proper arrangements can be made. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 11-8-1906

Dr. Jackson brought us a fine orange from his grove near Williston, for which he has refused $100. Source: Levy Times: 11-12-1891

Bronson…S. L. Bean, one of our prominent merchants, went to Alachua the middle of the week to sell his cotton, for which he has about 15 or 20 bales. Source: Ocala Evening Star: 11-7-1906