Raymond V. Lanier: A Progressive Farmer

Raymond V. Lanier: A Progressive Farmer. . Born in 1873, Raymond Lanier lived in a time of rapid change. This son of a Cracker cowman had diverse jobs that reflected the new opportunities in Osceola County. As a young man, he worked as a cattleman. In the 1880s, Raymond was employed on the dredge boat "Kissimmee," which was used to create canals that drained the swamp lands. By 1899, he owned a large, productive farm and in 1922, he became a County Commissioner. At that point, Raymond married 16-year-old Jessie Lee Bowen.They settled into this home and raised three children: Hilda, Ross, and Doyle., “ Mr. Raymond Lanier, one of our most progressive farmers, brought to this office last Saturday a basket of as fine tomatoes as we have ever seen.” Kissimmee Valley Gazette June 4, 1909, Family Homestead , In 1905, Raymond, a third-generation Lanier living in Osceola County, purchased 160 acres of land including this dog-trot style home. For more than a decade, various members of the extended Lanier family lived in this simple house. Initially, Texas Lanier and her husband, George Strickland, shared the home with his parents. By 1908, the Stricklands moved on, and Raymond shared the house with his brother, Wade, and his sister-in-law Maude., Likely built by its original owner, Jonathan Strickland, this house is a significant late 19th century structure, as it is one of the few surviving examples of frameless box construction in the region. The house is raised off the ground, which was a feature necessary in flood-prone regions. It is made with rough-sawn cypress board-and-batten siding with yellow pine tongue-and-groove floors. The hallway area between the four main rooms is known as a “dog trot." This design promotes airflow throughout the house., A Band of Brothers , Raymond's younger brothers - Daniel, Wade, Kirby, and Earl - likely purchased the furnishings for the home. In the early 1900s, several of the brothers took advantage of the land development rush by purchasing and selling properties. Raymond and his twin brothers, Wade and Daniel, had between 300-500 head of cattle. Unfortunately, the family lost two Lanier brothers tragically. In 1900, Howard died at age 15 of heart trouble, and in 1903, John was killed by lightning. , , (captions) , Raymond V. Lanier circa 1900 , Raymond owned cattle, yet his primary source of income was vegetable farming. He grew potatoes, eggplants, English peas, and broom corn, as well as other produce. Photo Courtesy Osceola County Historical Society, Lanier Family circa 1905 , Members of the family pose with their musical instruments. The extended family has marital connection to prominent pioneer families including Bronson and Strickland. Courtesy Osceola County Historical Society, Kirby Lanier circa 1910 , Like his brothers, Kirby worked in diverse occupations, at one point, he and his brother Wade, worked as fishermen on Lake Okeechobee.