Noted burials

NOTABLE BURIALS FOR THE HISTORIC BAGDAD CEMETERY

Capt. J. H. Harvell, d. 1949 – Born in Pike County, Alabama, moved to Holley on Christmas Day in 1891, and later to Bagdad in 1903 - operated boats along the Blackwater River - represented Santa Rosa County in the Florida Legislature for six terms - served as Sheriff of Santa Rosa County from 1913 to 1921 – died and buried in Bagdad in January 1949.

David Farrar Ragland, d. 1920 - Confederate veteran - came to Bagdad from Virginia in 1868 - next thirty years worked as Simpson & Company’s official “lumber grader.”

John C. Gray, d. November 28, 1914 – soldier in the Civil War - long-time Santa Rosa lumberman - Pensacola agent of the Bagdad Sash Factory - founded the Blackwater Lumber Company in 1905, which was located directly across the Blackwater River from Bagdad - appears to have been out of business by World War I.

Joseph Forsyth, d. March 10, 1855 – founder of Bagdad c. 1840s – came to the area c. 1828 and established Arcadia Mill – moved mill to Bagdad on the shores of the Blackwater River to more easily facilitate the shipping of his lumber by schooner to New Orleans – married Cordelia Creary – represented Santa Rosa County in the Florida Senate from 1852 to 1854 – died in Bagdad in 1855 and is buried next to his young daughter, Elizabeth, who died in 1852.

Elizabeth Forsyth, d. July 16, 1852 – earliest recorded headstone in the cemetery - sixteen months old at the time of her death in 1852 - one of four daughters born to Joseph and Cordelia Forsyth - other three daughters were: Josephine, Mary, and Isabelle - only Josephine and Mary lived to adulthood.

James L. Stuber, d. December 14, 1885 – of New Orleans and Bay Point – son of Otto Stuber, Simpson & Company’s bookkeeper for more than twenty years in the 1880s and 90s.

Our Babe, d. August 14, 1886 – daughter of C. O. Chunn - Calvin O. Chunn was not only a dentist, with an office in Milton’s Waldorf Hotel, but also Bagdad’s Peace Justice in the 1880s and 90s - Mrs. Chunn was a milliner and dressmaker, also had her shop in the Waldorf. The hotel was totally destroyed in the Great Milton Fire of January 31, 1909.

Peter Tomasello – pioneer citizen born in Austria in 1861 – came to the USA in 1882 and soon thereafter to Bay Point – entered lumber business and was superintendent of Bay Point Mill for 18 years – later went into sailing business – he married in 1884 and on the same day announced his intention of becoming a US citizen – served on the Board of Santa Rosa County Commissioners- was noted for his patriotic oratory skills – and often spoke of his zeal for his new country – demanded his four sons enlist in WWI and proudly serve the USA – his only regret was that he could not serve, too.

George Gilmore, d. 1895 – cattle drover from Mulat – worked at Bagdad Sash Factory from 1887 until his death in 1895.

Alexander H. Green, d. April 26, 1914 - one of Bagdad’s most prominent Confederate veterans - was a storekeeper in Bagdad for decades, as well as Bagdad’s Postmaster for the twenty years prior to 1891 - served for several years as Santa Rosa County Tax Assessor - most importantly, it was A. H. Green as postmaster, who single-mindedly preserved the name of the village of Bagdad - despite the efforts of Simpson & Company partner, Edward H. Roberts, to have the name changed to Blackwater at Washington, D.C.

William Whitmire, d. 1921 - “Billie” was a Confederate veteran who returned to Santa Rosa County following the Civil War - spent the next fifty years logging and farming from his homestead on the Yellow River - during the later years of his life he served his district as County Commissioner.

James “Jake” Foxworth, d. 1944 - killed in action in the Southwest Pacific on June 19, 1944 - a radio operator and gunner of a Flying Fortress - participated in raids on Rabaul in the Pacific - member of a torpedo bomber which, unaided, sank a large Japanese transport - awarded numerous medals for activities in the Pacific war theater - awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles F. M. Guernsey, d. 1914 - served in the 72nd Ohio Infantry, Company E, during the Civil War - fought at Shiloh and Vicksburg - while guarding the railroads for the Union, he was captured at the battle of Brices Cross Roads, Mississippi and spent 10 months and 10 days as a POW - most of that time was spent in the Andersonville prison camp in Georgia - as many other Union Army soldiers did in the late 1800s, he moved to the south because he liked the weather - purchased 620 acres known as Kelker’s Field - a Spanish Land Grant located between Floridatown and Mulat - lived by the water and owned three-mast schooner - transported farm produce, lumber, and firewood from Kelker’s Field, Floridatown and Mulat to Milton, the Port of Pensacola, and the Naval Air Station - would also race the steam ship City of Tampa up Blackwater Bay and River to Milton.

David T. Watson, d. August 12, 1886 – clerk in Alexander H. Green’s Bagdad store – by 1885 had a small mercantile business of his own – at the time of his death from bilious fever - he wasn’t even 30 years old.

Rev. James N. Lewis, d. January 23, 1887 – born in Pennsylvania, spent most of his adult life in the South, coming to Bagdad in 1886 – built Presbyterian churches in Bagdad and Milton – served as school master for the mill.

Charles H. Walker, d. January 1, 1889 – Simpson & Company’s long-serving Island Mill sawyer. It was said: “He knows just what his logs will make, and the way he gets lumber out of a log is a caution!”

George W. Adams, d. March 13, 1887 – brother of Andrew J. Adams, long-time partner in Simpson & Company – George was a sea captain, who from 1875 to 1879 worked with

James B. Eads, in the construction of the Mississippi River jetties on the South Pass, one of the greatest engineering achievements of the age.

William Mallory Sweat, d. November 30, 1946 – superintendent of the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company at the time of its closing in 1939 – also director at the First National Bank in Milton.

George Haskell, d. November 25, 1889 – a shipwright from the State of Maine – one of Santa Rosa County’s most prominent Republicans in the years following Reconstruction - once headed the Republican ticket as a candidate for the Florida legislature.

Emma Bayne, d. December 12, 1893 – partner in the McArthur & Bayne millinery shop with Miss Julia McArthur – they trimmed hats and bonnets, for most probably, every woman in Bagdad - Miss Emma died suddenly in 1893.

Martin F. Bruce, d. February 20, 1894 – From 1858 until his death in 1894, he was a partner with William M. Ollinger in the Bagdad shipbuilding firm of Ollinger & Bruce – during Civil War the firm was contracted to build a 110 foot gunboat for the Confederate States Navy – unfortunately, the vessel never saw service – it was destroyed during the Confederate retrenchment through Bagdad, on March 11, 1862.

Mary Jane Moyer, d. November 16, 1894 – wife of John Moyer, a master ship carpenter in the Bagdad shipbuilding firm of Ollinger & Bruce.

David Allen, d. November 9, 1895 – in his day he was known as the Boss Sawyer of Bagdad, being Simpson & Company’s Gang Mill sawyer for decades.

Jane C. Thomas, d. August 9, 1896 – second wife of Seth Thomas - native of Wales and partner in the Bagdad Sash Factory from 1871 until shortly before his death in 1886.

Henry W. Sindorf, d. January 22, 1897 – native of Pennsylvania, partner in the Bagdad Sash Factory from 1871 until his death.

Donald McLellan, d. October 26, 1901 – originally migrated to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland, before coming to Bagdad from Wellington County, Ontario in 1871 – for thirty years worked as Simpson & Company’s Island Mill engineer.

David Herbert Allen, d. January 9, 1914 – universally known during his lifetime as “Hub” Allen – first editor of The Milton Gazette, producing its first issue in August 1910 – previously edited The Santa Rosa Star, at Milton – before its office and publishing plant were destroyed in the Great Milton Fire of January 31, 1909.

Captain John Rourke, d. July 30, 1915 – one of the most prestigious Confederate veterans ever interred in the Bagdad cemetery – fought under Robert E. Lee in the “Army of Northern Virginia” – came to Bagdad in 1866 – worked for Simpson & Company – married Mary Adline Thompson, daughter of Simpson & Company partner, Benjamin Thompson – after a

career as both businessman and State legislator, he returned to Bagdad in 1893 and operated a grocery store until his death.

Ole Andreas Olsen, d. May 5, 1926 – “Andrew” was a native of Norway – came to Bagdad in 1880s – worked forty-two years as a machinist for Simpson & Company and its successors, Stearns & Culver, and the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company.

George Bruce, d. March 15, 1926 – son of Martin F. Bruce, partner in the drydock and shipbuilding company of Ollinger & Bruce – took over his father’s half of the partnership when his father died – by 1910 the Bagdad docks were doing very little business and permanently closed in 1917.

James Edwin Creary, d. August 1, 1924 – served as general manager of Simpson & Company until its sale to Stearns & Culver in 1903 – later moved to Mississippi and engaged in the lumber business again – retired to Pensacola about 1910 – first wife was Mary, daughter of Rev. James N. Lewis – she died in 1879 – married second wife, Ella, daughter of Benjamin Thompson in 1883.

James Edgar Keen, d. September 30, 1927 – born in Mississippi in 1878 – came to Bagdad in 1893 – hired as a 15 year old hand on the Gang Mill log carriage – a decade later became sawyer at Stearns & Culver- by 1925 he was Chairman of Santa Rosa County’s Board of Commissioners and Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce – died at age 49.

William Henry Thompson, d. February 10, 1928 – In 1865, he was the only surviving son of Simpson & Company partner Benjamin Thompson – two older brothers had died in the Civil War – his father died in 1876 – William Henry became partner in the Bagdad Sash Factory and served as firm’s general manager until 1897 – married Marianna Walker of Montgomery – five children – served two terms as Clerk of the Circuit Court for Santa Rosa County – member of School Board – Justice of the Peace for District One.

Emma Julia McArthur, d. November 26, 1942 – partner in the Bagdad millinery shop of McArthur & Bayne in the 1880s – kept the business running many years following Emma Bayne’s untimely death – shop was located on Thompson Street – “Miss Julia” spend her life in the McArthur family home on the corner of Forsyth and Thompson streets – died at the age of eighty-six.

Henry G. Pooley, d. August 2, 1938 – a lifelong citizen of Bagdad, born on Marquis Basin in 1857 – father was A. K. Pooley, a native of Nova Scotia – uncle, Gaskin Pooley, received medical training in Philadelphia and operated an antebellum hospital on Marquis Basin – Because A. K. Pooley was a British subject, he remained with his family, as “caretaker” of the Criglar home, Cedar Grove plantation, across the Blackwater from Bagdad, throughout the Civil War – during the last decade of Henry’s life, he operated the Bagdad Golf Course for the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company.

Bunk Greenwood, d. March 30, 1942 – longtime Bagdad grocer – store located on Thompson Street – died at age 75 in Miami – body brought back to Bagdad for burial.

John F. Trice, d. September 9, 1942 – mill worker and foreman for more than fifty years – Fraternally, he was Bagdad’s longest-serving Mason – he served Santa Rosa Lodge No. 16 F.&A.M. for forty-two years.

Daniel L. Burgess, d. June 1, 1916 – a saw filer for most of the sawmills along the Blackwater River – in 1910 he became proprietor of the Robinson Point Pavilion – a pleasure resort at Robinson Point that featured dance bands and provided local venue for the era’s greatest musical craze: Ragtime!

Ellis Clyde Work, d. January 14, 1944 – came to Bagdad in 1911 - comptroller for the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company – transferred to the Company’s Chicago sales office in 1915 – returned to Bagdad in 1920 – continued to work for the mill until 1938 – afterwards was accountant in his own firm in Pensacola.

Joseph St. Mary, d. January 14, 1918 – a Portuguese immigrant to Bagdad following the Civil War – originally a fisherman who sold fresh Gulf seafood off his own boat – later worked for Simpson & Company and the Bagdad Sash Factory as a mill worker and night watchman.