Lanier Legacy

Lanier Legacy. . Like so many others settlers of the time, John Lanier moved to Florida from Georgia in search of new opportunities. He and his family moved through Florida as John established himself as a cattle rancher, eventually settling in "the Point," an area west of Lake Tohopekaliga, in 1871. John grew his herd by collecting wild cattle that were left in the area by the Spanish explorers centuries ago. His sons worked alongside him to create a successful cattle business and family legacy. At the time of his death in 1888, he had over 1000 cattle in his herd., “Ike” Lanier , Isaac "Ike" Mills Lanier was the sixth of eleven children, and after four marriages, he eventually had nine children of his own. The family worked together herding cattle and farming, and by the 1885 census, Isaac owned 75 acres of land. It appears that Isaac had good business sense - he also owned a general store in Campbell, Florida where he sold his own crops. This was a common pattern among settler families: transitioning from farming into other business ventures to diversify income., The Next Generation , The children of Isaac Lanier included Raymond, John L., Texas, Howard, Daniel, Wade, Kirby, Earl, and Pearl. Some carried on the cattle ranching tradition, though their smaller herds were not as wild as their father's. Others focused more on farming, especially after Hamilton Disston drained local swamps and revealed deep, rich muck. Raymond was considered a successful farmer, growing English peas, tomatoes, and potatoes, among other things. At the same time, he owned 20 cattle and one horse - a proud connection to his heritage., (captions) , Isaac Lanier with his fourth wite Lula and an unidentified infant. Courtesy Osceola County Historical Society, Ike Lanier Inspecting his Cattle , Cattle were subject to illnesses caused by ticks. The animals were brought through dipping vats for treatment. Courtesy Osceola County Historical Society