Mizell George Platt Sr. and Edna Winifred Roebuck Platt oral history interview transcription, 1960
Item
Title
Mizell George Platt Sr. and Edna Winifred Roebuck Platt oral history interview transcription, 1960
Description
Mizell George Platt Sr. (1894-1973) and Edna Winifred Roebuck Platt (1900-1984) were interviewed on 25 November 1960 by Rush Hughes.
Mr. Platt recounts his family's move from Pine Level in DeSoto County to Indiantown in 1898 in search of open range for cattle ranching. His father, an early settler and rancher, drove approximately 3,000 cattle across the state and became the first white settler in the area, previously inhabited only by Native Americans. Mr. Platt describes their interactions with local Indigenous communities, the establishment of a post office named "Annie," and the development of infrastructure such as the Stuart-Annie Road, later known as Gaines Highway.
Mrs. Platt offers insight into life in Tropical Farms near Stuart, where her family operated a general store and steamboat on the Kissimmee River. She reflects on the self-sufficient lifestyle of the time, including homegrown food, bulk goods ordered from Jacksonville, home remedies, and traditional courtship customs. Transportation was primarily by horse, oxen, and boat.
Mr. Platt recounts his family's move from Pine Level in DeSoto County to Indiantown in 1898 in search of open range for cattle ranching. His father, an early settler and rancher, drove approximately 3,000 cattle across the state and became the first white settler in the area, previously inhabited only by Native Americans. Mr. Platt describes their interactions with local Indigenous communities, the establishment of a post office named "Annie," and the development of infrastructure such as the Stuart-Annie Road, later known as Gaines Highway.
Mrs. Platt offers insight into life in Tropical Farms near Stuart, where her family operated a general store and steamboat on the Kissimmee River. She reflects on the self-sufficient lifestyle of the time, including homegrown food, bulk goods ordered from Jacksonville, home remedies, and traditional courtship customs. Transportation was primarily by horse, oxen, and boat.
Source
Scans gift of Historical Society of Martin County.
Contributor
Rights
No Copyright - In the United States: The Martin County Library System believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. For more information, visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Format
3 page document
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
HSMC-2025-023-RH-Platt_M
2025.023
Coverage
Original Format
Text
Citation
“Mizell George Platt Sr. and Edna Winifred Roebuck Platt oral history interview transcription, 1960,” Martin Digital History, accessed October 5, 2026, https://www.martindigitalhistory.org/items/show/15574.