Draft:John W. Simonton
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John W. Simonton | |
|---|---|
_portrait.jpg) | |
| Born | c. 1789 |
| Died | May 1854 |
| Burial place | Key West Cemetery |
| Spouse | Ann Simonton |
John Watson Simonton (c. 1789 – 1854) was an American businessman and landowner best known as one of the founding figures of Key West, Florida. Simonton purchased the island of Key West in 1821 from Spanish land grantee Juan Pablo Salas. Throughout the 19th century, he played a central role in the island’s early political and commercial development.[1]
Career
[edit]John W. Simonton of New Jersey was a merchant and early land speculator who maintained commercial interests in Mobile, New Orleans, Cuba, and Florida.[2]
Around 1818, anticipating the strategic significance of Key West following the U.S. acquisition of Florida from Spain, he sought to secure title to the island. In December 1821, Simonton met with Juan Pablo Salas, a Spanish army officer who had received the island in a land grant from Governor Juan de Estrada in 1815. Simonton agreed to purchase the island for $2,000, formalizing the sale on January 19, 1822. The deed was recorded in St. Johns County, Florida, on January 23, 1822.[3][2]
Following the acquisition, Simonton parceled quarter shares of the island to John Whitehead, John W.C. Fleming, and Pardon C. Greene. The four proprietors commissioned a survey and established the first permanent settlement. Simonton split his time between Key West and Washington, D.C., using his political connections to secure the establishment of a U.S. naval station, federal court, army barracks, marine hospital, and designation of Key West as a port of entry. Though he later engaged in salt manufacturing on the island, this endeavor proved unsuccessful.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Simonton married Ann Simonton, and together they had a daughter. Ann died at the age of 29 on July 3, 1834.[4]
Simonton died in May 1854 at the age of 63.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Bertelli, Brad (2023-11-20). "KEYS HISTORY: THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF KEY WEST". Florida Keys Weekly Newspapers. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ a b c "John Watson Simonton Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ Bertelli, Brad (2022-01-10). "KEYS HISTORY: LIEUTENANT DECLARES U.S. POSSESSION OF KEY WEST SOME 200 YEARS AGO". Florida Keys Weekly Newspapers. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ a b Scott, Clara (2012). Historic Congressional Cemetery. Arcadia Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 9780738592282. Retrieved 2025-07-10.