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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF

JOHN CROMWELL BLOCKER, JR. (1896-1957 CE)

A CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY

by Donald J. Ivey

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Title Page

I. St. Petersburg Pioneer (1896-1917 CE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

II. World War I (1918-1919) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

III. The Wanderer (1919-1925) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

IV. Home at Last: The Young Lawyer (1925-1927) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

V. The Sixth Commissioner (1928-1951) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

VI. County Historian (1951-1957) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

EPILOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

ENDNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

APPENDIX 1: BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

APPENDIX 2: GENEALOGICAL TABLES Table A: The Ancestors of John Cromwell Blocker, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Table B: The Children of John Cromwell Blocker, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Table C: The Family of Nina Mutelle (Hill) Blocker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Table D: The Family of Ruby Ford (Harris) Blocker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

PREFACE

As Curator of Collections at Heritage VillageThe Pinellas County Historical Museum, the question has often been posed to me as to who was our countys first historian. It is not an easy question to answer. There are several candidates for the title: Cabeza de Vaca, whose account of the Narvaez expedition to this region in 1528 remains a classic adventure tale in Western literature; early St. Petersburg pioneer John A. Bethell, whose 1914 book History of Pinellas Peninsula was the first attempt to record a history of the area; former St. Petersburg Times publisher William L. Straub, who led the movement to secede Pinellas from Hillsborough County and who was the author of the 1929 book History of Pinellas County Florida; and longtime Times correspondent Ralph Reed, who served as the first Director of the Pinellas County Historical Museum from 1961 to 1975.

But the first official historian of Pinellas Countydesignated as such by the Board of County Commissioners, no lesswas John C. Blocker, Jr.

Athlete, soldier, writer and distinguished attorney, Blocker was a man of many talents. He led a life far more active and varied than the stereotyped notion of the stodgy old historian that most people imagine. Extremely well educated by the standards of both his day and ours, he traveled widely and spoke several languages. A veteran of World War I, he served his country with honor on the front lines of that terrible conflict. Later, as attorney for the Pinellas County Commission, he won widespread acclaim for his services to the board, which included playing key roles in the development of both the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Fort DeSoto Park. In fact, so powerful and influential was he that he was commonly known as the sixth commissioner. And finally, his passionate love for the county of his birth led him to collect countless interviews, stories and documents which would have resulted in perhaps the definitive history of Pinellas County had not his untimely death at the age of sixty prevented him from completing it.

This biography is presented in the form of an historical time line chronology. By tracing the major developments of Blockers life through time, I hope to present both a concise and readable account of his life based entirely on the facts as we know them. A biographical record on Blocker and genealogical charts on his family are also provided as appendices.

In preparing this paper, I have many people to thank. First and foremost, I would like to express my thanks to Ms. Margaret Blocker, eldest daughter of John Blocker and her sisters Sallie Blocker and Joan Blocker McMullen, who generously gave of their time and lent me many photographs and other materials in preparing this work. The St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg Bar Association and the Florida Supreme Court Library in Tallahassee also provided me with full access to their records, which was sincerely appreciated as well. I would also like to thank Scott Taylor Hartzell of the Times and Jordana Bernstein, Holly McConnell, and Ann Wykoff of the St. Petersburg Museum of History for their unselfish help to me as well. And last, but certainly never least, I would like to thank my lovely wife Mylene for her undying support, patience and love, and my son John, who always inspires me to do my best.

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One final note. Admittedly, this biography only scratches the surface of the life of this fascinating man who was involved in so many key decisions during the early years of our countys modern development. Much more could-and shouldbe written about him. Unfortunately, however, the pressing matters of life and the ugly dictates of time demand that I end my research of Blocker with this work. So in this sense, this biography is not intended as an end-all-be-all treatment of Blocker, but as a starting point for future historians and researchers to explore. And so, that being said, let us begin.

Donald J. Ivey February 27, 2002

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN CROMWELL BLOCKER, JR. (1896-1957 CE)

A CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY

Chapter I: St. Petersburg Pioneer (1896-1917)

1896 December 13 Birth of John Cromwell Blocker, Jr. in the familys four-room cottage on Central Avenue near 6th Street in the town of St. Petersburg, in Hillsborough (now Pinellas) County, State of Florida, the second and youngest child of John Cromwell Blocker, Sr. and his wife Nina Mutelle (Hill) Blocker. (1)

The Blocker family in America is an old one, as its progenitor is believed to have originally come from Germany to Bladen (now Cumberland) County, North Carolina about 1733. (2)

Johns father, John Cromwell Blocker, Sr. was a native of Tarboro, North Carolina. In 1884, he moved with his family to Dade City in Hernando (now Pasco) County and in 1886, joined the Orange Belt Railway which in the following year, became the first railroad line to reach the Pinellas peninsula. Eventually, he became one of the first engineers to work on the Orange Belts run from Sanford in Seminole County to St. Petersburg. (3)

John Jr.s mothers family, the Hills, were originally from South Carolina, but in 1884 they had moved in a covered wagon to the small rural settlement of Chipco near Blanton in what is now Pasco County. John and Marguerites maternal grandfather, Dr, John Ward Hill, was a distinguished pioneer of Pasco County. Writing after his death in 1911, a Dade City newspaper noted that

Dr. Hill came to Pasco County many years ago and for a long time was the leading physician of all this territory and his practice was immense. As he grew older and was unable to get in and out of his buggy, many times those he had served so well and who wanted no one else, would go to his home and assist him to a seat in the buggy and return home with him. Many families in this county owed to the skill of Dr. Hill the life of their loved ones, his name being a Christian word in many families. He was a good man and a Christian gentleman. (4)

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Originally named John Cofield Blocker after his father and a great-uncle, William Coffield (Cofield) Blocker, John was, according to his elder sister Marguerite Blocker Bartlett, . . . called Colie till he was half grown, when he decided he wanted to be John Cromwell [Blocker], Jr. (5)

On his birth, Marguerite also records a letter from her maternal grandmother Sarah Mutelle (Mittie) Whitmire Hill to her husband, Dr. John Ward Hill: Well, Nina has a big boyweighed ten poundsall proud it is a boy. Margie [Marguerite] is so proud of her little buddykisses him four or five times a day. (6)

1897 In the year following Johns birth, John Blocker, Sr. retired from the railroad because of ill health and together with his younger brother Albert (Bert) Blocker, began dairy farming. As his daughter Marguerite recalls in her history Some of the Blockers:

He sold the cottage and moved us a mile out in the country near his dairy to a much larger house with a comfortable porch all the way around it and a breeze-way through the center. He also had a truck garden, an orange grove of sorts, a small farmand he swapped horses when he needed cash! (7)

Their new home was known as the George L. King house on 14th Street South and 1st Avenue in St. Petersburg. In an article which appeared many years later in the St. Petersburg Times, Marguerite fondly reminisced about the years her family lived in this house, recalling that the home

. . . was built by George L. King, owner of the lower peninsulas first sawmill . . . He built his house on the rise above [Brooker] Creek, says Mrs. Bartlett. It had nine rooms, and a hip roof (gables sawed off at the ends). A distinguishing feature of the house was a porch all the way around it, and an open breeze way through the middle.

My brother John and I used to ride our bicycles around that porch, Mrs. Blocker said.

There was the clear, bubbling creek, which formed a community swimming hole, near what is now central avenue. It even had a little beach.

All the neighbors went there, remembers Mrs. Bartlett . . . My brother and I hunted gophers [turtles] and sold them for a nickel apiece to the blacks; there was a black settlement along the railroad tracks, between 9th and 12th Streets. (8)

Years later, John Blocker, Jr. would fondly recall his early years in the Sunshine City. As a member of the St. Petersburg Pioneers Association in the early 1930's, Blocker

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. . . spoke and recalled many amusements of the yesteryear when the Sunshine City folks would go down to the Detroit hotel, then the center of all activity, to watch the bicycle and horse races. He also recalled the picnics, when the residents would kill every chicken they had on their place and, placing everything on tables, would say, Eat. He recalled the Washington birthday celebrations, the flag pole in the center of Fourth and Central, and the exchange of eggs for merchandise.

A favorite greeting in those days he said, was Howdyget down, hitch. Come in. If Id a knowed you were coming I would have baked a cake. (9)

1897-1903 During these early years, Blocker grew up amidst a large and bustling extended family centered around his maternal grandparents, the Hills. Dr. John Ward Hill was a physician who practiced first in the small rural community of Chipco in Pasco County. Later, in January 1901, he moved to Hudson, a small settlement built around the local turpentining and fishing industries about 18 miles north of Tarpon Springs.

Some of the familys adventures during these years were faithfully recorded by Marguerite Blocker Bartlett, who wrote:

Naturally I started going to Chipco as a baby, and continued as a toddler when my brother was a baby . . . He, Mama and I made this seventy-mile trip [from St. Petersburg] to Chipco twice a year. At Christmas we stayed home for Santa Clauss visit and to spend the day with Papa. But we always caught the early morning train the next day, which was Grandpas Birthday . . . A few times we had to go on a freight train. This was an all-day trip and was extremely dirty because of the wood-burning engine. Though it was exciting to ride in a caboose, we disliked the hard wooden benches. We much preferred the red plush seats on the day coach passenger train, with the butcher-boy selling exotic candies, such as slices of orange-flavored gumdrops in a small, round, wooden box. But any train was a shivery thrill.

One summer, when the three of us were making the trip, there was a wreck ahead of us about two miles below Chipco. The passengers walked up and down the road bed or stood off under the pines, complaining of heat and hunger. How long it would take the wrecking crew from Trilby to clear the tracks, no one knew. Suddenly we glimpsed a horse and buggy zigzagging through the trees. There was dear Grandpa,

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guiding Old Charley around pines and stumps, coming to rescue us. He had learned of the wreck when he went to meet us and wanted to save us hours of waiting. How important we felt piling into the buggy with our valises. We had to leave our trunk to be put off at Chipco.

I loved the Home Place at Stake Pond. Though I was used to chickens, farm animals and a simple country life, it was different at Grandmas. I remember insignificant little happenings that endeared everyone to me . . .

But going to a picnic was what I remember most. There were several during the summer, but the one on the Fourth of July was the most exciting. The day beforehand was a busy one. Aunt Pauline and Aunt Pearl got out the baskets and selected their special preserves and pickles from the pantry. They baked pies and grandma made her famous fourteen-egg pound cake by her mothers recipe. Any uncle who was home was kept busy bringing in extra stove wood. By daylight the next morning the aunts were up frying the chicken, making chicken pilau (pronounced purloo), baking biscuits, cooking string beans, deviling eggs and slicing tomatoes. It was catch-as-catch-can for breakfast; I was always too impatient to eat anyway. It took forever for my aunts to bathe, dress and primp for their beaux. Finally, we piled the baskets and ourselves in the wagon and commanded old Charley to git-up . . .

Of course, it nearly always rainedone of those quick summer showers. There was a hasty packing away of the food and a scramble for umbrellas or buggies. Some just endured it. We children crawled under the tables for shelter. I loved the fresh, earthy smell the rain brought. But, it never lasted long. The grown-ups rested and visited, while the younger folks wandered off courting . . .

[But] No matter how hard Grandpa worked on the Home Place, it was a struggle even to pay the taxes. With three sons away all of the time, and with Uncle Holly away part of the time, there was no one to help him but Uncle Oscar, and he had begun teaching school, though only eighteen. Besides, Grandpas practice took a great deal of time. In 1900 an offer came from a turpentine company in Hudson, forty miles away on the Gulf, to practice there and to look after the companys men, with a guaranteed salary of fifty dollars a month. He decided to take it . . .

. . . When the time came for our summer visit with Grandma, we rode up on the short, arriving in Tarpon Springs about ten in the morning. We alighted there

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because Hudson was not on the railroad. Uncle Holly, who had driven Old Charley down with the wagon, met us and took us to buy groceries for Grandma. It was so dark when we got to Hudson that Colie and I couldnt investigate the marshes Uncle Holly told us about till morning. Grandpas big house faced west on the Gulf, but there were great stretches of marsh grass in front of it before open water could be reached. Colie and I spent hours chasing fiddler crabs and building elaborate houses in the wet sand. Thats where we learned about tides. (10)

During this period, John and Marguerite also began attending St. Petersburgs first primary school, known as Central Primary, and later attended two years of high school at St. Petersburg High. Central Primary, located in a two-story brick building at the corner of 5th Street and 2nd Avenue North, first opened in the Fall of 1902. The High School (also at the same location) featured courses in mathematics, science, history, English and Latin which according to one school history was strengthened so that graduates would be admitted into any college. The primary school was eventually closed after the 1947-1948 school year and in 1948through Blockers influence the building was saved and moved west, where it was remodeled into part of the County Health Building. (11)

1900 June 11 United States census returns for Hillsborough County, Florida listed John Blocker, age 3, as residing in Precinct 1 of St. Petersburg town with his father John Blocker, 35; mother Nina, 25; sister Margarett [Marguerite], 5; and maternal grandmother Sallie Hill, 57. The elder Blockers occupation is listed as Dairyman. (12)

1903-1908 Johns grandparents the Hills moved once again, this time to San Antonia (later changed to San Antonio), a rural community about thirty miles from Hudson in Pasco County. Once again, John and his sister Marguerite were frequent visitors to their home. The years at San Antonio were later vividly recalled by Marguerite, who wrote:

[My grandparents] home in San Antonio was very dear to me. I spent every summer there for five years . . .

The house in San Antonio is where we began our family reunions. Everyone arrived for summer vacations. It was a big occasion for two or three weeks. How Grandma slept fifteen or more of us was a wonder, except that he little ones thought it was fun sleeping on pallets.

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Mabel, Georgie and I were reminiscing recently about the crazy happenings at those gatherings. Uncle Joe, the prankster, once hid under Aunt Maidies bed and shook it to scare her when she retired. After that, everybody looked under beds, especially Aunt Pearl, who was naturally scary. Aunt Maidies bed had a mosquito bar over it, which Georgie pulled down one night and got tangled up in it. Mabel and Colie would slip into Grandpas office and steal the sugar sticks he used for coating his pills. These sticks came in round wooden boxes, like crayon boxes, about an inch and a half in diameter. When Grandpa became aware of the theft, he scolded them very gently. They also snitched Grandmas beeswax from her sewing machine in the hall and chewed it for gum. The day before the Fourth of July, they ran away to the woods to get sap from the turpentine cups notched on the pine trees. They planned to dip bull rushes in it to make torches for the Fourth. They were gone so long that a search was organized, beginning in the well, where Aunt Maidie was sure they had fallen. Colie had practiced the sack race at home for days before the picnic. He still lost. Mabel was amused about the time Uncle Holly felt compelled to sit up late, entertaining Aunt Paulines suitor. Every so often, hed excuse himself to wash his face in cold water so he could stay awake to out-sit the beau. Uncle Claude was such a clown that we all remembered his dancing the buzzard hop, a crazy step he originated, and his playing the jews-harp. Uncle Oscar was unable to return for this 1908 reunion, so Grandma wrote to him. Nina and the children will leave tomorrow night. We will be very lonely. Colie has bought him a goat to take home with him. He is going to break him to work to a little wagon (This was the goat Colie took to church one night, without Mamas knowledge, and tied to a tree in the back. The goat complained during the service, to the consternation of the preacher and the delight of the children). Colie is not in as much mischief as he used to be . . . (13)

1906 Meanwhile, John Blocker Sr. sold out his dairy interests and, according to Pinellas historian W.L. Straub, . . . engaged in real estate, in which he continued until shortly before his death. He developed several sub-divisions in the area, among them being J.C. Blockers first and second sub-divisions, and the Cromwell Heights Sub-Division. During this year, he moved his family back to St. Petersburg, where they settled at 700 4th Street North. In town, the elder Blocker established a real estate office while his brother Bert began a livery and transfer business. (14)

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1910 April 25 United States census records for Hillsborough County, Florida listed John C. Blocker, Jr., age 12 [actually, he was 13], as residing in the St. Petersburgs 1st Ward of the 1st Precinct with his father John C. Blocker, 45; mother Nina M., 36; and his elder sister Marguerite, 16. John Sr.s occupation was now listed as Agent largely involved in Real Estate. (15)

1913 September John Blocker, Jr., now age 16, entered the Georgia Military Academy in College Park, Georgia near Atlanta. Founded in 1900, the academy was originally established as a military boarding school for boys that asserts the importance and uniqueness of the individual student. While a student there, Blocker studied engineering, and served as first lieutenant and adjutant of the cadet battalion (In 1967, the school changed its name to Woodward Academy, and, as the Atlanta areas oldest independent school, is now a co-educational institution.) (16)

1915 May 28 Blocker graduated from the Georgia Military Academy with a degree in engineering, which was then the equivalent of a high school diploma. At this time according to later reports, he was planning a career in engineering, although this as subsequent events later proved, would change. (17)

September 15 That Fall, Blocker entered the Academic School of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. At the time he attended, Washington and Lee University was a private mens (today it is co-educational) liberal arts college with schools in law, commerce and journalism. Founded as Augusta Academy in 1749, it became a college in 1813 and a university in 1871. It was named for President George Washington, its first major benefactor, and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who served as its president from 1865 to 1870.

During his first two years at Washington and Lee, Blocker active in a variety of extracurricular activities. In his sophomore year, he served as class president, and also he served as business manager of The Calyx, the school yearbook; Staff member on Ring Tum Phi, the universitys newspaper; secretary-treasurer of the Graham Lee Literary Society; and a member of Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity. (18)

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Chapter II: World War I (1917-1919)

1917 April 2 But as Blocker continued his college studies, the clouds of war rapidly appeared on the horizon. After three years of brutal warfare throughout Europe, the United States was about to be engulfed in what later came to be known as the War to End All Wars, or World War I. Following Germanys threat to wage unrestricted submarine warfare against all ships at sea, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress in a special session to issue a declaration of war. The Senate adopted the resolution by a vote of 82 to 6 on April 4, and the House of Representatives followed that same day, voting 373 for and 50 against. On April 6, the President signed the declaration, and at that moment the United States was officially at war. (19)

December 21 With the war now on, a call for volunteers was made, and Blocker dropped out of Washington and Lee to enlist in the Army.

Unlike many of the young men of his day, his path into the Army was not an easy one. Evidently he was determined to serve his country, as the following article of the period from the St. Petersburg Times illustrates:

To cure a defect that would prevent him entering the United States, army, John C. Blocker, Jr., who is now attending college in Virginia, has submitted to an operation for rupture and expects, when he is able to leave the hospital to stand his examination for the service. Mr. Blocker did not tell his parents, Mr. And Mrs. John C. Blocker, of this city, that he intended to be operated on. He wrote them a letter saying that he would go to the hospital that day, Thursday, and would be operated on at once. The letter was not received until after the operation. A telegram was received from Mr. Blocker this morning saying that the operation was successful and that he was getting along nicely. He was ruptured in a football game several years since and knew that he could not get into the army without an operation. (20)

1918 January 5 John C. Blocker, Jr., now age 21, enlisted in the United States Army at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Shortly thereafter, he was selected for officers training and attended the third Officers Training School (OTS) at Camp Gordon, a grueling three-month preparatory course to train prospective officers for active duty. (21)

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After attending OTS, Blocker was assigned to the 325th Infantry Regiment of the 163rd Infantry Brigade, part of the 82nd Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Eben Swift. Raised at Camp Gordon, the 82nd was formed as part of the massive growth of the U.S. Army towards a goal of one million troops in France by May 1918. Since members of the division came from all forty-eight states in the Union, the unit was given the nickname All American, which was the source of the divisions famed AA shoulder sleeve insignia. (22)

April 25 Their training in the U.S. completed, the 82nd Division left New York for Europe, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). They were only the second National Army division to leave for the war and Blocker was among the first troops of the division to be sent overseas (23)

May 7 Landing at Liverpool, England, the division moved via Southampton for ships destined for the front lines in France. But Blockers regiment, the 325th, was ordered to London, where it was reviewed by the British monarch King George V in the presence of a large London crowd, thereby becoming the first U.S. unit to be seen in the British Capital. According to a contemporary story which appeared on the event in the London Times:

The war has given London many scenes - some gay, some grave - but few have surpassed yesterdays when three thousand soldiers of Republican America marched through the capital to parade before the Sovereign Ruler of the British Empire.

In brilliant sunshine between serried ranks of cheering citizens, these sturdy sons of the New World tramped to the throbbing call of the drums. Very workmanlike they looked carrying their full kit; very happy they looked as they took the salute of their own Ambassador in Grosvenor Square; very proud they were as they marched past the great white statue of Queen Victoria and saw the King of England raise his hand to the Star-spangled Banner that symbolized their homeland.

It was a wonderful sight, that visible union of the two great English-speaking races. The King and his Queen with their Court stood at the Palace Gates; their subjects swarmed on every vantage point and cheered; and the soldiers of England and America marched past, each with their racial characteristics, each united by one common aim, all impelled by the call of the drum.

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From early morning Londoners had waited to pay homage to the men from across the ocean, the Sammies as they familiarly called them - a name, by the way, which, if I remember rightly, was first suggested by Mr. Paul Derrick in The Sunday Times. The first contingent arrived at Waterloo Station shortly before eight oclock, and by half-past nine the York Road approach was dense with a cheering crowd that gave the men their first intimation of the warmth of greeting that awaited them . . .

Tall they were, clean-shaven almost to a man; and their speech betrayed them. Yet even among themselves it was not difficult to pick out the slow Southern drawl from the clipped speech of the Yankee, while the distinctive profile of the North American Indian was the hall-mark of many faces.

Every State in the Union had its representative, for these were not men of the Regular Army, such as had come across twelve months ago with General Pershing: they were the vanguard of the New Army, that almost numberless force which America is raising to crush for ever the evil spirit of Prussian militarism . . .

The steady roll of distant cheering grew louder, and soon the head of the column was seen approaching. The gates of the forecourt were thrown open, and, to the frantic delight of the hundreds of fortunate spectators in the vicinity, the King and Queen and their entourage stepped out into the roadway to greet the American contingent.

With a swing and a clash and a roar of cheering they marched up, steadily tramping onwards, the manhood of the free Republic saluting the ruler of the free Empire and receiving in return the salute of the King and Emperor. Londoners have witnessed many pageants on this historic spot; they have watched the incomings and outgoings of foreign sovereigns, the gorgeous pageants of crownings, and the stately trappings of death; but yesterdays setting was something even greater than these. It was a symbol of unity, of the final healing of an old and well-nigh forgotten wound.

And that instinctive courtesy which is ever present with English Royalty was noticeable as the King beckoned Colonel Whitman,

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commanding the regiment, to break away from the column and take up his position beside him while his men marched past . . .

And so the Americans saw the King. As they marched back to barracks they were full of the glamour of it all. Officers and men alike were delighted with the cordiality of their reception and spoke enthusiastically of the Londoners who had received them so handsomely . . .

Thus England greeted America. And America, realizing more than ever the meaning of cousinship, will send many more such troops as those we saw yesterday, to fight for freedom and justice, and peace - the trinity that holds them fast for evermore. (24)

Following this, the Regiment rejoined the rest of the division in France, where the 82nd went into training immediately with the weapons they would use in combat, a training to which the nearness of battle gave an even greater sense of urgency. By June, a few officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were receiving on the job combat training in the front lines with their British allies.

According to one historian of the 82nd:

Although the rapid growth of the US Army caused grave equipment shortages which forced the 82nd Division initially to train with wooden rifles, the All Americans did receive intensive training in the methods of trench warfare from French and British officers as well as American officers. Shortage of machine guns and grenades also forced the doughboys of the 82nd to spend extra time training with their bayonets, always a good method to build aggressiveness (25)

June 25 In the Lagny Sector of the Woevre front northeast of Paris, units of the 82nd experienced their first taste of combat, and the 82nd suffered its first combat death when Capt. Jewett Williams of the 326th Infantry was killed in action on June 9.

Four battalions of the 82nd, including the 2nd Battalion of the 325th, became the first units of the Division to occupy the front lines when they relieved BY the U.S. 26th Division. According the official history of the 82nd:

During the days and nights of life in the Lagny Sector, the intensive military education of the Division progressed in marked fashion and the men soon accustomed themselves to the details of existence in

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trench warfare. Patrolling from the outset was conducted in an aggressive manner and the Division not only maintained an ownership of No Mans Land, but penetrated deeply into the enemys positions on numerous occasions. Several of these forays without artillery help resulted in collisions, during the course of which numerous casualties were inflicted upon the enemy, and some losses suffered in return. (26)

July 18 Meanwhile, Blocker received a commission in the United States National Army with the rank of second lieutenant and was transferred to the 326th Infantry Regiment, which was also part of the 82nd Division. (27)

August 4 The 82nd carried out its first combat raid at night in France, attacking German positions around Lagny. By August 10, when the division was pulled out of this sector of the fighting for rest, they had suffered staggering losses--a total of 374 casualties. (28)

September 12 U.S. Maj. Gen. John J. Black Jack Pershing, in command of 550,00 men of the U.S. 1st Army, launched the first major American offensive of the war with an attack on German forces on the St. Mihiel salient south of Verdun in Northeast France. Operating on the right flank of the southern portion of the advance, the 82nd was assigned the task of, according to their official history, exerting pressure on, and maintaining contact with, the enemy. All regiments of the division took part in the attack and after considerable action succeeded in driving the Germans from their trenches and dugouts. Combat patrols from Blockers regiment, the 326th, operated in the Bois de la Tete dOr west of the Bois de la Voivrotte. By the end of the offensive on September 21, the St. Mihiel salient was wiped out and more than 15,000 enemy soldiers had been captured, although the division itself suffered a total of 950 killed or wounded.

An incident that occurred to a patrol from Blockers former regiment well illustrates the danger the division faced during this period:

An event took place on August 29, 1918, in the 325th Infantry which remained a mystery until long after the Armistice. Lieutenants Wallace and Williams went out on a daylight reconnaissance with Corporals Slavin and Sullivan of Company L, 325th Infantry. This little patrol left Dombasle Chateau and never returned. When American prisoners were released after the Armistice Corporal Slavin came back to the regiment. The party had pushed across the Sielle River and through No Mans Land to the German wire. On their way

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back they were ambushed and all the party killed except Corporal Slavin. (29)

September 26 Meanwhile, Pershings 1st Army kicked off a second major offensive along 200 miles of the Argonne Forest, just west of the French-Belgian border. Known as the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the push had as its objective to cross the forest and establish bridgeheads across the Meuse River to cut the railroad that carried German supplies to the front. (30)

Prior to this, on September 24-25, the 82nd moved into the Clermont area west of Verdun as a reserve unit for the U.S. 1st Army. In the reserve, the 82nd was not initially committed to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

According to the divisions official history,

When, at 1 hour, September 26, 1918, the bivouacked thousands were awakened by the thunder of massed artillery in a barrage obviously extending from the Meuse River west across the Argonne Forest, along the front of the French Army on our left, we knew that the hour had come . . .

The following three days proved a trying period. Repeated warnings from the higher command kept all units on a continuous alert. In Division Headquarters it was known only that the division could expect two hours to a definite movement . . .

The nights were cold and periods of rain were sufficiently frequent to keep all ranks in an uncomfortable condition. Animal transport and trucks in an uncomfortable condition. Animal transport and trucks mired in the forest mud, and green, drenched wood seriously handicapped the efforts of cooks and kitchen police. Most of the men of the Division had now been in continuous bivouac in rain, and cold weather since September 16, at the end of the St. Mihiel Drive. As a result of this exposure, many men were suffering from diarrhoea, and head colds were general. Notwithstanding this situation, the morale of all units was of the highest type and the attitude of the troops indicated both resolution and an earnest desire to meet the enemy (31)

October 9 That morning, Blockers regiment, the 326th, was thrown into battle when they were sent to relieve the U.S. 28th Division west of Chatel-Chehery. From there, they advanced northwest towards the village of La Besogne to form a line with the battered 328th Infantry Regiment, which had made recent gains in the offensive but had been forced back by enemy counterattacks in heavy fighting.

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A description of the countryside in which Blocker and his unit found themselves is provided in the divisions official history, which states:

This country is a desolate jungle of tangled underbrush and forest, cut by ravines and small watercourses, with here and there a farm-house and an open patch of cultivated ground. Occasionally the ground rises to an eminence of considerable height. Near La Besogne, the rolling land falls away into a sharp valley, at the bottom of which clusters a few buildings, which the map dignifies as La Besogne. (32)

October 10 The 1st and 3rd Battalion of the 326th succeeded in occupying La Besogne, with a platoon from one company in the right becoming the first American soldiers to enter that village.

After more heavy fighting, the 2nd battalion also occupied the town of Marcq, and [a]fter four years of continuous occupation, the enemy had been finally ejected from the Argonne Forest. (33)

October 11 The 2nd Battalion of the 326th made another attack, this time from Marcq in an effort to cross the Aire River, where it bends towards Grand-Pre, just south of St. Juvin. At the same time, the 82nd Divisions 325th and 327th Infantry Regiments attacked the ridge between St. Juvin and Sommerance east of the Aire. As the Divisions history records, The 326th Infantry failed, but with a gallantry which will be a source of boundless pride to this Division. The other two regiments were tried to the utmost, but eventually achieved the ridge. (34)

October 13 Just south of St. Juvin, where the bulk of the 326th now found itself, according to the 82nds official history,

. . . At 16 hours, the enemy laid down a rolling artillery barrage and followed it with an infantry assault . . . The barrage rolled over our front line and covered our men with mud, but caused few casualties. Our artillery, in response to calls from the infantry, laid down an effective counter-barrage which fell with great promptness and accuracy. This timely assistance, coupled with the rapid fire of our infantry and machine gunners, smashed the attack before it got at hands grips with our line. The Germans could be seen running back, and some were observed to throw away their rifles. The enemy suffered many losses in the repulse. (35)

October 14 The following day, the 82nd mounted a counterattack of its own. The Division attacked and passed through part of the German constructed Hindenburg defensive position known as the Kriemhilde Stellung. As the divisions history states,

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This line was a series of natural positions, hills, ridges and woods which gave the enemy unrivaled opportunities for coordinated defense by artillery and cross-fire barrages with machine guns. Some shallow trenches were of course prepared and wire obstacles set up, but neither trench nor wire constituted the barrier which held the American army from the German throat during the critical days from October 11 to November 1, 1918. In front of the 82nd Division, the elements of the Kriemhilde Stellung were, first, a powerful outpost line comprising St. Juvin and Hill 182 immediately north of that town, and the ridge between St. Juvin and Sommerance known as Ridge 85.5. North of this outpost line stand the natural fortresses Champigneulle and St. Georges. The Kriemhilde Stellung was, however, the last partly organized defensive barrier south of the Hirson-Mezieres-Sedan railroad. This railroad was of fundamental importance to the Germans, running from the big center at Metz to Mezieres, parallel to the front of the battle line. Its importance was greatly increased by the fact that north of the railroad lay the Ardennes Forest with few roads and no railroads. Therefore, the retirement of a very large part of the German army must necessarily be effected along this one railroad. It was imperative that the German should hold his last defensive position south of Sedan. In the light of these facts, it is easy to understand why every prisoner captured during the month of October stated that his organization had been ordered to hold its position at all costs The will of the American was equally resolute to break through. (36)

As part of this offensive, the 326th with the 3rd Battalion in the lead, attacked St. Juvin. According to the 82nds divisional history states, they

. . . entered the eastern outskirts of the village, destroyed several machine-gun nests, captured fifteen machine guns, one cannon and about seventy-five prisoners. This successful exploit enabled the Regiment to move forward past St. Juvin to its objective.(37)

October 15 The next day, the Germans counterattacked themselves and

. . . made a very determined infantry counter-attack along our entire Divisional front, proceeding the assault with a particularly vicious barrage of artillery and machine-gun fire.

Visibility was very poor on the morning of the 15th and our men had practically no warning of the approaching enemy infantry. The German barrage held our men on the exposed ridge, flattened in fox holes, and a swarm of the gray-unformed enemy was

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on top of our outposts before the combat groups a little in the rear could grasp the full significance of the peril. A desperate fight of an individual character followed at hand-to-hand range in all three regiments . . .

The spirit of resistance which our men everywhere evinced shattered the enemy assault and inflicted very heavy losses. In about fifteen minutes the German survivors were running back, pursued by American fire. During this encounter both sides lost in captured about an equal number of prisoners-perhaps thirty or forty. (38)

October 16 The 326th attacked once more, and after crossing the Agron River, reached a position at the Rabin aux Pierris. Here, according to the divisional history,

Intense artillery and machine-gun fire and the isolated nature of the positions forced these Companies to withdraw under cover of darkness on the night of October 16. Consequently, night found the front Battalions of the Division on the St. Juvin-St. Georges Road with outposts covering the ridge north of the Road (39)

October 31 Finally, after more than three weeks of intense fighting, the 82nd was relieved by the U.S. 77th and 80th Divisions, which continued the offensive.

During the Meuse-Argonne offensive the 82nd Division had performed impressively, but at a terrible cost: more than 6,000 casualties had been sustained during the fighting, including 902 killed. (40)

November 11 Germany signed an armistice with the Allied powers which finally ended the war. The end of the war found the 82nd Division assigned near Prauthoy in East-Central France, where they had been sent for training exercises following their combat tour in the Argonne.

After less than seven months of service in Europe, the All Americans of the 82nd Division had spent a total of 105 days on the front lines, seeing more continuous action any other American division in the war, with a casualty rate of almost 75%. (41)

1919 February 26 After 3 months of training at Prauthoy, the 82nd began moving to the Bordeaux area, and by April, orders finally came through for the division to sail for home.

Blocker, however, appears to have obtained permission to remain overseas after his regiment departed, for during this period he attended the Universite de Montpellier in Montpellier in the south

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of France, where he took a four-month course and earned a certificate in law. Montpellier is an old and distinguished French university which has offered studies in both law and medicine dating as far back as the 12th Century. By the late 19th Century its Faculty of Law had earned a distinguished reputation, and it was the third largest such school in France. (42)

August 19 Second Lt. John C. Blocker Jr. was honorably discharged from the United States Army at Camp Gordon, Georgia. He was awarded a Victory Medal for his service during the war. (43)

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Chapter III: The Wanderer (1919-1925)

1920 January 9 After leaving the Army, Blocker returned to Washington and Lee University, where he resumed his studies for a degree, having by now decided on a career in either law or business. (44)

January 12 Meanwhile, United States census returns for Pinellas County listed John Blocker Jr. as residing in St. Petersburg with his father John Sr., now 55, and mother Nina Hill Blocker, 45. His fathers occupation was listed as an agent in Real Estate. John Jr.s occupation was listed as none, while he was recorded as having attended school anytime since Sept. 1, 1919. (45)

June 16 In Lexington, John Blocker, now 23, graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts degree (A.B.).

His senior entry in the Universitys yearbook, The Calyx, reads:

Gentlemen and fellow ladies-look who we have here, Allaweela from the Everglades of Florida. Once before has he been upon our lovely campus; never again will you have the opportunity of seeing his manly shape. Every maiden and Jain in dear (dear in price) old Lexington has fallen for him. Dont crowd around the wagon, boys, theres room for everyone inside. Ten cents.

Old Ironsides was a member of the 82nd Division in some capacity or other. The only difference between John and his namesake as military leaders, is that Oliver was a brewer and John aint. But, nevertheless, he tells us he was hero, having fought in the battles of Paris, Nice and Bouze. A hard student (this is hard to gasp), he attended the University of Montpelier to get out of guard duty. The only reason hes back at W. & L. is because he thinks more of a degree than the $8,000 he says he could have made this Spring. No future can be predicted for him as he is planning to get married toot sweet. Aint it funny how they fall? Selah. (46)

Summer After graduation, Blocker took a job as office manager for the Chamber of Commerce in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Why he had chosen not to return to St. Petersburg is unclear, except that possibly he wished to strike out on his own, instead of going to work in one of his fathers various enterprises. He apparently lost interest in this job however, for shortly afterwards he left, and according to one source he traveled on the road, representing Salt Lake City and San Francisco firms in the tea and coffee trade throughout the inter-mountain territory until 1924. (47)

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1921 November 21 In Utah, Blocker, now age 23, married Miss Thelma Louise Tuttle. Little is known about her or their marriage, which apparently ended in divorce prior to September 1926. (48)

1924 By this year, a huge land boom had taken hold in Florida, bringing a large influx of new residents, eager to buy land in the growing state. With this unprecedented growth, scores of new developments were created and communities were founded, and both state and local governments spent large sums to pay for the construction of new roads, bridges, schools, and other public improvements throughout the state.

St. Petersburg benefited greatly from all this activity, and became one of the main centers of activity in what became known as the Florida Land Boom. From a base of 14,237 residents in 1920, the towns population jumped in ten years to 40,425, an increase of almost 200%, which was one of the greatest gains made during that period by any Florida city or town. (49)

Summer Meanwhile, Blocker returned to Florida and entered the University of Florida in Gainesville as a freshman law student. (50)

September 9 Transferring from the University of Florida, Blocker entered the law school of Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. Founded in 1842, the university is (and was in Blockers day as well) a private, co-educational institution. The law school, founded in 1847, boasted a host of distinguished alumni that included thirty-two governors (including four from Florida), two U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. Secretary of State and Nobel Prize winner Cordell Hull, and innumerable judges and congressmen, including two U.S. Senators from Florida.

At the time of Blockers attendance there, Cumberland offered a full course in law in one college year. In its intensive plan of study, there were eighteen weeks in a semester, classes meeting three hours a day, five days a week, for a total of 540 classroom hours. A selection from the Universitys 1930-1931 Bulletin gives an idea of the rigorous nature of study required:

It is only by exercising the energies of his own mind that a student can qualify himself for the bar. Any plan which would propose to make a lawyer of him without his doing the hard work for himself would be idle and visionary. The virtue of any plan of instruction must consist of two things:

1. That it cause the student to work, or, in other words, to study diligently.

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To accomplish this the student is given a portion of the text as a lesson everyday, on which he is examined the next day. He is required to answer in the presence of the whole class, questions upon the lessons thus assigned. If he has any spirit in him, or pride of character, this will insure the closest application of which he is capable.

2. The plan should not only make the student work, but it ought so to guide and direct him as to make him work to the greatest advantage.

A man may work very hard, but still so unwisely that he will accomplish little. It is equally so with the farmer, the mechanic, and the law student. The student ought to have such a course of study assigned to him, and be conducted through it in such a way, that he will understand at the end of his course the greatest amount of pure, living American law, and will know best how to apply it in practice . . .

The law is a vast science, and a very difficult one; and the student needs every possible facility to enable him, by the most arduous labor, to comprehend its leading elementary principles. But this is not all he has to do. He has to learn how to apply these principles in practice. This is the art of his profession, and he can only learn it by practice. It is as necessary a preparation for assuming the responsibilities of a lawyer as the learning of the science. If he learns it at the bar, it is at the expense of his client; if he learns it in the school, it is at his own expense.

The advantage of the Moot Court System is that it not only imbues a student with the elementary principles of law involved in his cases, but also with a knowledge of the law of remedies. It trains him also in the discussion of facts, and to the exercise of that faculty which is so important in real practice.

Practice in Moot Court forms a part of the plan of instruction. Every student is required to bring suits in the forms adapted to all our courts, and to conduct them to final hearing. The students act as attorneys, jurors, clerks and sheriffs. (51)

1925 May 5 In Tallahassee, Blocker was admitted to practice as an Attorney and Counselor at Law by the Florida Bar. (52)

June 3 After only about a year of law school, Blocker, now age 28, graduated from Cumberland University with a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B) degree. (53)

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Chapter IV: Home at Last: The Young Lawyer (1925-1927)

1925 July After graduating from Cumberland, Blocker returned to St. Petersburg and opened law offices in the First National Bank Building at 480 Central Avenue. His legal practice soon became a success, for according to St. Petersburg Times publisher and local historian W.L. Straub, he has had a lucrative business, made possible by the combination of an engaging personality and legal ability of a superior quality. In addition, Straub noted that Blocker has large real estate interests, no doubt passed on to him by his father, who had large real estate holdings in St. Petersburg and on Pass-A-Grille Beach, an area John Jr. would later, according to his daughter Joan Blocker Mc Mullen, became deeply attached to. (54)

1926 c.June 15 Blocker was appointed an assistant attorney to the Board of County Commissioners of Pinellas County in Clearwater. (55)

September 21 In St. Petersburg, John Blocker, now age 29, married Miss Ruby Ford Harris, age 22, of Aberdeen, Mississippi. A native of Aberdeen, Ruby grew up in nearby Wren, where her father (who died when she was 8) owned a cotton gin. After attending the Alabama State Normal and the Travacca College at Nashville, Tennessee, Ruby moved to St. Petersburg in 1925, where she lived with her sister, Mrs. R. H. McKean. According to family lore, Ruby had met Blocker on a blind date while Ruby was visiting her sister.

The marriage, according to one account,

. . . was solemnized at 8 oclock Tuesday evening, September 21, in the parsonage of the Trinity Lutheran Church of St. Petersburg, with the Rev. W. E. Pugh officiating.

After a short wedding trip through Florida, Mr. and Mrs. Blocker are now making their home with Mr. Blockers parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Blocker, at 600 Fourth Street, North, St. Petersburg, awaiting completion of their new home which is now under construction.

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Mrs. Blocker, formerly resided in El Dorado, was and well known for her musical activities, having been on the program for piano numbers at various social and civic affairs, as well as playing the nuptial music at several weddings here. (56)

1927 September 11 A daughter, Margaret Ann Blocker, was born to John and Ruby Maude in St. Petersburg. The couples first child, she graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1945 and later moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina. There, she went into real estate and was also active in the Democratic party, and worked for a time for John F. Kennedys presidential campaign in 1960. She died in Hendersonville on June 17 , 2000, at the age of 72. (57)

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Chapter V:The Sixth Commissioner (1928-1951)

1928 April 3 By Unanimous affirmative vote Blocker was appointed attorney for the Board of County Commissioners of Pinellas County, effective May 1st, at a salary of $2,500.00 a year. He succeeded J. S. Davis, who had resigned.

The county attorney served the Board to represent the county in the prosecution and defense of all legal causes. His term of office concurrent with that of members of the board [and he] attends to all legal matters for the county which come under the powers and duties of the board of county commissioners. (58)

October 14 Johns father , John C. Blocker, Sr. was found dead at his home on 600 4th Street N. in St. Petersburg. According to an article which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times following his death,

A bullet wound in the temple was believed to have been self-inflicted . . .

Mr. Blocker, who had been in ill health for a number of years, had just recently returned from Hendersonville, N. C., where he had a summer home. His long illness had caused him to become depressed and despondent . . .

When Mr. Blocker came to St. Petersburg it was a tiny fishing village. He was an engineer on the old Orange Belt railroad, bring the first trains into the city over that line. He was active in the early life of the city, and aided in construction of the Detroit Hotel and other old landmarks of the day . . .

In a quiet way Mr. Blocker carried on a philanthropic work of which few were aware, being a steady contributor to the finances of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Childrens home in Jacksonville.

He was a man who had won for himself a wide circle of friends among the people with whom he had lived and been so intimately associated for such a long period, and his death comes as a great shock to those who knew him.

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He was 64 years old at the time of his death, and after a funeral conducted at his home, was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Petersburg. (59)

December 23 John and Rubys second daughter, Sallie Mae Blocker, was born in St. Petersburg. In 1949, she married Rutland Rowe, whom she later divorced, and presently, she resides in St. Petersburg. (60)

1930 June 21 The County Commission appointed Blocker as a "Special Collector" to collect all delinquent personal property taxes assessed against Pinellas County residents. Blocker had championed this cause earlier and according to an article which appeared at the time in the St. Petersburg Times,

"In the agreement with the county board it was stipulated that if the amount collected was sufficient to remunerate Blocker on a graduated commission basis, he would in turn relinquish his salary now drawn as attorney to the board of commissioners ...

"The following statement was issued Saturday by Blocker in explanation of his collection campaign:

"'To the Press of Pinellas County:

'This is to advise you that the board of county commissioners of this county have recently appointed the undersigned as special collector to collect all delinquent personal property taxes assessed against the personality of the county. There are many thousands of dollars owed the state and county upon these delinquent personal property taxes and every reasonable means will be first afforded the delinquent tax payer to pay the amount due and avoid unnecessary and expensive litigation, the cost of which would be added to the amount of the tax.

'The people of the county who enjoy the rights and privileges and benefits from the sovereign government should have a deep sense of obligation to first pay their taxes, before paying or incurring other obligations. The payment of the tax is absolutely necessary, in order that government may function for the protection of the citizens in a systematic and orderly manner. Among many duties that the citizen owes the government is the prompt payment of real and personal property taxes when same become due.

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"'The writer will have associated with him Mr. W.A. Bogart, who has been handling the collection of the delinquent personal property tax in the past, and an urgent campaign will be started within a few days to collect these back taxes. It is planned to establish a small office in each of the cities of Pinellas county as the work progresses . . .

"'It is to be remarked that, from time to time there are many drives conducted in Pinellas county for the purpose of raising money to pay off indebtedness on certain charitable institutions, and it is found that upon such occasions many citizens reach down in their pockets and voluntarily contribute large sums of money for such purposes, and the writer would like to see a Tax Paying day drive for the purpose of having the people voluntarily pay that for which they are justly obligated, and ought to pay.

'Bond is now being drafted and actual work will be started towards the collection of the tax within the next few days, and it will be appreciated if you will give all possible publicity to this subject and if possible call upon the citizens to pay their taxes. ' (61)

April 1 In addition to his work with the county commission, Blocker also served as attorney to several other governmental entities within the county-an unusual arrangement by today's standards, but one which was not uncommon at that time. According to an article which appeared in the Times,

"Because of conflict with his work as attorney for the county commission, John C. Blocker yesterday resigned as attorney for the Pinellas county mosquito control board effective at once.

"Action came after the commissioners asked Blocker to help draw up legislation consolidating all health work in the county.

"When the board asked Blocker to approach the mosquito board with suggestion that in $30,000 annual budget be consolidated with the county health work, Blocker told the board members they were putting him on the spot since he was attorney to the mosquito board. He then decided to resign the post." (62)

1932 Spring But Blocker was not content merely to serve as an attorney. He had political ambitions as well. During this period, he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for county judge of Pinellas County. In entering the field he faced a tough six-man race which included

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Clearwater attorneys Lee Baker, E. B. Casler, Jr. and C. E. Ware; Pinellas Juvenile Judge Thomas Hamilton; and St. Petersburg Municipal Judge W. F. Way. In the subsequent campaign, he ran under the slogans Born in Pinellas and He is worthy of your vote. Blocker further elaborated on his platform in newspaper advertisements later in the campaign, which stated:

He will be the kind of Judge that you would like to have for County Judge.

He stands for law and order, uncontrolled by special interests and politicians. He believes that law comes from the experience of the people and should be applied by the Court in a common sense way.

He stands for the sane and sensible economy, believing that efficiency should go hand in hand with economy.

He will guard well the estates of minors-decedents and persons of unsound mind. He is unqualifiedly pledged to this trust.

If you and your attorney want a square deal-vote for Blocker. He is not controlled by any group or individual. His decisions in Court matters will be his own-uncontrolled by privileged pressure.

A fair and impartial administration of the office County Judge is pledged. (63)

May 19 At a meeting of the countys powerful Democratic Jeffersonian Club held at Williams Park in St. Petersburg, Blocker brought forth his platform for office. According to the St. Petersburg Independent, which covered the event,

John C. Blocker said he had no promises to make as to economy, pointing out that he would abide by whatever action the legislature took to reduce the salary of the county judge.

I will not oppose any legislation on reduction, he said.

Blocker promised he would give every case careful and serious consideration and that his decisions would be impartial. (64)

June 7 In the Democratic Primary, Blocker finished first out of six candidates for County Judge, although without achieving a clear majority:

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TABLE 1 UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS COUNTY JUDGE PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA JUNE 7, 1932 (FIRST DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY)

Total Votes Percentage of Candidates Cast Total Votes Cast

John C. Blocker, Jr. 2239 23.7 E.B. Casler, Jr. 1907 20.1 Thomas Hamilton 1620 17.1 W.F. Wray 1475 15.6 C.E. Ware 1227 13.0 Lee L. Baker 993 10.5

With less than 50% of the vote, state law required that a second primary be held with the top two candidatesBlocker and Caslerwhich was scheduled for June 28th. (65)

June 28 In the second Democratic run-off primary, Blocker narrowly defeated Casler to capture the Democratic nomination for County Judge:

TABLE 2 OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS COUNTY JUDGE PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA JUNE 28, 1932 (SECOND DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY)

Total Votes Percentage of Candidates Cast Total Votes Cast

John C. Blocker, Jr. 4704 51.2 E.B. Casler, Jr. 4476 48.8

As the Democratic nominee, Blocker would now face incumbent Republican Judge Harry R. Hewitt in the general election in November. (66)

October 5 John and Rubys third child and their youngest daughter, Joan Cromwell Blocker, was born in St. Petersburg. In 1955, she married 1955 to Bernis N. Collie of Atlanta, Georgia. The couple had two children before divorcing. In 1967, she married Daniel Guy McMullen of Clearwater, and now she presently resides in Pinellas County. (67)

November 5 As the campaign entered its final days, the Democrats ended their campaign with a rally at Williams Park, where, according to an article in the St. Petersburg Times:

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. . . Emphasizing he had no words of condemnation for anyone in the campaign, Charles J. Maurer, speaking for John Blocker, Democratic candidate for county judge, urged voters to give careful study in voting Tuesday. He lauded Blocker for his standing as an attorney and as a man capable of handling a responsible public position, and told of the heavy responsibilities that rest on the shoulders that rest on the shoulders of the judge occupying the county bench. (68)

November 6 The following day, advertisements appeared supporting the candidacy of Blocker and fellow Democrats Ernest G. Cunningham and Henry S. Baynard (candidates for sheriff and prosecuting attorney, respectively) from the Better Citizenship Committee, which asserted that they

. . . Represent ideals for a safer and better community which should appeal to the voter who wishes to enjoy: The liberties and freedom guaranteed by the constitutional provisions of our institutionsour businessand our homes. A freedoma protection from the rackets of the underworldof the confidence man and the kidnapper.

Meanwhile, Blockers opponent, Republican Harry R. Hewitt, shot back in ads of his own, asserting:

Harry R. Hewitt County Judge is not interested in the disqualification of any candidate. He submits his own qualification, and record as County Judge.

It is upon HIS OWN NAME and RECORD that he asks for the support and vote of Pinellas County citizens.

He has made the office self-sustaining and turned over to the taxpayers the first three years $7,457.22. A substantial amount will be returned at the end of the present year.

Harry R. Hewitt voluntarily accepted 20% reduction in salarybesides reducing office force salary.

Your Court has been kept Clean and Free from Political interference of any kind. Cases have been decided FAIRLY and IMPARTIALLY.

A VOTE FOR HARRY R. HEWITT MEANS CONTINUED ECONOMY AND SQUARE DEALING. (69)

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November 7 In response to Hewitt, Blocker ran ads across the county attacking his opponents supporters and urging party unity among Democrats:

The opposition to my election is attempting by last minute propaganda to throw the fear of death into the minds of the Democratic voters-trying to cause a last minute stampede.

To achieve the above purpose the opposition has enlisted the service of a few so-called Democrats. The intelligent and forward thinking voter should be on guard against this last minute propaganda. Beware of the wolf dressed in Lamb Skin. Be loyal to our party.

The principal opposition to my election comes from those who have had and believe in receiving special privilegethe special interest fellows that are firmly convinced that I am opposed to the granting of Special Favor and they well know that when elected your County Judge, all people before my Court, the rich manthe poor manthe business man and the laborer will be treated equally, fairly and impartially. (70)

November 8 In a race that generated, according to one contemporary account, the most attention of any in the county, Blocker narrowly was defeated by his Republican rival in the county judges race, as Pinellas voters solidly supported the Democratic national and state tickets but split on the county ballot, re-electing two of the three Republicans incumbents elected in 1928:

TABLE 3 UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS COUNTY JUDGE PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA NOVEMBER 8, 1932 (GENERAL ELECTION)

Total Votes Percentage of Candidates Cast Total Votes Cast

Harry R. Hewitt 8418 51.0 (Republican) John C. Blocker, Jr. (Democrat) 8099 49.0

Defeated by less than 400 votesor 1.9% of the total votes castit was a heartbreaking loss for Blocker, who henceforth never ran for public office again. (71)

1933 September After his defeat, Blocker resumed his duties as county attorney. But legal matters were not the only thing that occupied his time. According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times on this date:

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"John C. Blocker, attorney for the Board of County Commissioners, has added to his activities the manufacture of pepper sauce.

"Beautifully corrugated red bottles containing a fiery mixture were exhibited at yesterday's meeting of the county board. Research revealed that this tabasco fluid was put up by the Blocker Products Co., St. Petersburg, according to the label.

"No samples of the product were furnished to the newspapermen. The sauce is said to be intended to add a special piquancy and extra kick to beer." (72)

1934 July 10 Meanwhile, Blocker's campaign to collect delinquent taxes to help fund county operations in the midst of the Great Depression got a major boost when the County Commission voted to establish a policy effective September 1st of foreclosing on tax certificates as a means to force delinquent property owners into paying their back taxes.

According to a contemporary report that appeared in the Clearwater Sun,

"It will be the first time the county board has ever exercised the right given by an act of 1929. This law permits individuals and the state to foreclose tax certificates which have been standing for two years or longer.

"When taken by foreclosure proceedings brought by the county and state, delinquent property passes to the control of the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund. It is held by those until sold. Proceeds of the sale are distributed to the county and state in the proportion of their tax levies.

"After foreclosure, the former owner can regain his property only by purchasing it from the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund.

"Under the present policy of the county, delinquent property stands with a tax certificate against it until the owner redeems it or someone else buys the certificate.

"Members of the commission are in the opinion that a number of citizens who are able to pay have been letting their taxes slide because they hold no fear of losing the property. A program of foreclosure will do much to end tax 'dodging,' officials believe.

"Several Pinellas municipalities, including St. Petersburg and Dunedin, recently have adopted a policy of foreclosing their delinquent taxes."

With Pinellas-like the rest of the nation-now deeply mired in the in the Great Depression, the move

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was necessary to save the county from the fate of many counties and municipalities throughout the country who-like the City of Largo-went bankrupt. (73)

1935 May 3 Blocker also was active in community affairs during this period. On this date, he was elected exalted ruler of the local Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) Lodge No. 1224 in St. Petersburg . Other officers elected were St. Petersburg attorney (and later Circuit Judge) Victor O. Wehle, who was elected leading knight; Joe Mc Bath, loyal knight; M. E. North, lecturing knight; Joy Konig, Secretary; Dale C. Beatty, treasurer; D. H. V. Sbordy, Tyler; and J. B. Mc Guinness, trustee. (74)

1936 April 18 Thoughts however, of running again for the county judgeship remained as Hewitts four-year term neared its end. In preparation for a possible bid, Blocker floated a unique idea to decide the contest. According to a story that ran in the St. Petersburg Times:

"John C. Blocker, who lost the county judgeship four years ago by a hair's-breadth, suggested yesterday that he and two other Democratic candidates for the office sit down together and draw straws for the nomination.

"Blocker has not announced for the office. Jack F. White and E. Brannon Casler Jr. are actively in the race. Casler was runner-up in the 1932 primaries.

'With the thought of promoting party harmony and preventing a recurrence of such a situation as developed during the 1932 campaigns, I sometime ago suggested to Mr. White and Mr. Casler, already announced candidates for country judge, that we work out a plan of personal elimination seeking to prevent bitter and expensive primary campaigns for the Democratic nomination,' Blocker said.

I have suggested that the simple and fair plan of drawing straws should be acceptable.'

Blocker said both candidates had rejected his proposal, but insisted the idea was advanced in all seriousness.

"I don't see why it wouldn't work, and I should be entirely willing to abide by the result,' he continued. "If Mr. White or Mr. Casler was picked I should be ready to support him.'

"For some time an announcement from Blocker of his intentions had been sought. He

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concluded his formal statement yesterday by adding:

'With the hope that such a plan may be worked out with these gentlemen, it is my desire to withhold formal announcement for a few more days. ' (75)

April 25 A week later, Blocker announced "that in the interests of party harmony" he would not enter the contest for the Democratic nomination for county judge. In a statement released to the press, he stated:

"The time is opportune for the Democratic party in Pinellas county to solidify itself for the November election.

"In my opinion a spirited and bitter contest among those seeking the Democratic nomination for the office of county judge, such as existed in 1932, will not strengthen the party.

"Irrespective of the fact that I was named the Democratic nominee for that office four years ago and now considered by many the logical one to make the race, I place party success above personal ambition and withdraw from the field."

Democrat Jack. F. White was eventually elected, defeating Hewitt in the general election. Blocker's decision to forgo the race in the interests of party harmony also [created goodwill, eventually making him one of the key power brokers within the county's then-dominant Democratic party organization.) (76)

1937 May 26 Blocker was admitted to practice before the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Florida headquartered in Tampa. (77)

1938 October 9 Throughout these years, Blockers influence continued to be felt within the halls of the County Courthouse. On this date, an action he had long advocated occurred when Pinellas County formally took possession of Mullet Key from the U.S. Government. Mullet Key had been [insert history]. The southern tip containing Fort De Soto was still retained by the War Department, although according to a contemporary article,

"The tract, about a mile long and three-fourths of a mile wide may be developed as a tourist attraction. PWA project applications have been made to construct a causeway south from Maximo Point on Pinellas mainland, and to build an aquarium on the island near the now abandoned quarantine station."

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Another article during the same period recorded a visit by the County Commission to the new acquisition, and noted

"The board members and John Blocker, their attorney, with newspaper men, the county engineer, Dr. Meighen and his men, along with other special guests, lunched at the pilot station on Egmont key at noon yesterday. On the return trip aboard the Branham the 'conquerors of Mullet key' huddled around a radio, listening to the World series finale. The commissioners said they thought the $12,500 spent for the island by the county for the key, obtained from the treasury department, represented a good investment." (78)

1939 May During the state legislative session held during this year, Blocker went to Tallahassee and worked hard to promote another project near and dear to his heart-the construction of an $8,000,000 toll bridge that would span across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg south into Manatee County.

According to a Clearwater Sun article which appeared on May 12th,

"Observers here yesterday believed the bill drawn by John C. Blocker, Pinellas County commission attorney to provide a bridge across Tampa Bay from Pinellas Point to Piney Point in Manatee County was more favored by legislators than the one offered by two St. Petersburg bridge backers.

"The Blocker bill would provide for any kind of transportation method, financed either with government or private funds.

"The bill presented by St. Petersburg councilman George W. Hopkins and Dr. H. Simmons also of that city would provide an over-water span privately financed. "Senator J. Locke Kelly of Clearwater and Senator Dewey Dye of Bradenton said they preferred to study both bills further before deciding which to introduce in the Senate.

"Mr. Hopkins is opposed to the Blocker bill. He has said he did not believe that New York capitalists, to whom he had talked about financing the project, would approve it."

Although the bill failed to pass the Legislature during this session, the project was eventually approved, and in 1954 the "Sunshine Skyway"-the first bridge to connect Pinellas with Manatee County-was officially opened. (79)

May 13 Blocker's clout within the halls of state government was also evident during this period. On this date, Blocker was one of four Pinellas officials named to a State House committee appointed

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". .. to tackle the problem of how to prevent cities and towns from losing much of their taxable property to the state upon expiration of the Murphy Act June 9. Pinellas members of the committee are Ray E. Green of Clearwater, clerk of Circuit Court; Mayor E. B. Casler Jr. of Clearwater; John C. Blocker, attorney for the Pinellas County Commission; and Representative Archie Clement of Tarpon Springs." (80)

April 24 Blocker was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in Washington, and was presented to the Court by his longtime friend, U.S. Rep. J. Hardin Peterson (D-Lakeland). (81)

1941 February 18 At Blocker's urging, still another major project which he had long championed was approved by the County Commission when they unanimously passed a resolution on this date "... That a master, all purpose County Airport be created and established for the use and benefit of all branches of aviation, federal, state, county, public, quasi public, commercial and private."

A total of $492,210 was allocated by the Federal Government to construct the airport. A 710-acre site adjacent to Roosevelt Boulevard was selected as the site for the new airport, and Blocker and County Engineer W. A. McMullen, Jr. were authorized "to enter into full and complete negotiations in order to acquire title to the above property with the various owners thereof and that in the event the aforesaid property, or any parcels thereof, cannot be acquired by purchase, negotiation or gift, the County Attorney is hereby authorized to institute condemnation proceedings in the proper Court in order to acquire the absolute and fee simple title to the lands comprising said site for the above named purposes through the exercise of the right of eminent domain." (82)

1943 July 4 One of the earliest indications of Blockers interest in local history came to light when an article which appeared on this date in the St. Petersburg Times announced that Blocker in his new role of historian is preparing a history of the community. The article went on the explain that Blockers history

. . . will differ from the two generally consulted [John A. Bethells 1914 History of Pinellas Peninsula and W. L. Straubs 1929 History of Pinellas County Florida] in that it will collect hitherto unpublished facts and incidents and bring together all available material regarding the earliest families and their activities, regardless of subsequent prominence.

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Blocker, himself a native of St. Petersburg, became impressed with the fact that elderly residents with first-hand knowledge of the citys small beginnings must soon pass on and their information with them. His collection of material, therefore, has thus far been mainly through interviewing those who remember the real founders both in high place and low.

As token of the interesting material coming to light, take the Central Avenue graveyard. In it, according to his information are buried four members of Lumpkins family, who chose to have their own burial ground on their own land. Their tract was west of Ninth street in the line of Central avenue, which then ceased at what is now one of our busiest intersections. Going west, horse-borne travel turned north at Central and Ninth and used what is now Baum avenue or turned south and went out what is now Fifth Avenue.

In the family graveyard was buried the elder Lumpkins, then his son and his sons wife. When another son died, proposed burial there stirred up much objection, but the little town had no ordinance covering the point and the burial took place.

Subsequently, however, says Blocker, the property passed into the hands of one Buck Hannon, and the grave markers disappeared overnight and all trace of the graves disappeared next day under a plow that broke up a half-acre tract. Not long after, Central avenue was extended beyond Ninth street right over the site of the obliterated graves.

Well, if you want to shiver a bit and watch for ghosts as you bowl along Central avenue late at night, the place to do it is in the beginning of the 1200 block. The tract plowed up by Hannon, says Blocker, extended from what is now Eleventh street to Thirteenth and the burial ground was just about in the center.

Before there was any street railway here recognized as such, relates Blocker, there actually was one that ran from Ninth street to Third street. The purpose of it was to fill in Central avenue, which was nothing but a swill between Third and Second streets and flooded with every rain.

To fill this from the higher land toward Ninth street, Ernest Norwood constructed a horse-drawn dump-cart street railway. It was drawn along the rails with a side hitch and folks got a lot to talk about now an