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Edith Daly Papers of Eugene Elliott, bulk 1849-1980

 

Summary

Creator:
Daly, Edith (1937-)
Abstract:
Family papers of Eugene (Gene) M. Elliott, a historical figure in St. Petersburg known for raising money for the Gandy Bridge and attempting to create a subdivision on Weedon Island.
Extent:
9 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Edith Daly Papers of Eugene Elliott, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection has series of Elliot family papers, correspondence, publications, and photographs. Material include Eugene Elliott family records, letters and correspondence, photographs, and papers from 1849 through the 1980s.

Biographical / historical:

Eugene M. Elliott (Gene) was born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1882. He worked in the White House under President Theodore Roosevelt and served in other government positions during World War I. After directing the election campaigns of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he arrived in St. Petersburg in 1922 and began raising money for the Gandy Bridge which opened in 1924. Elliott's Boulevard and Bay Land Development Company bought land near the Gandy Bridge (including Weedon Island) with the goal of creating the Florida Riviera subdivision. Elliott invited J. Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institution to conduct archaeological exploration of a mound on Weedon Island, resulting in the discovery of a major Pre-Columbian archaeological site. Elliott's real estate endeavors eventually failed and he went bankrupt during Florida's real estate bust in 1926. Elliott's wife of 21 years filed for divorce in 1926 and died of suspicious circumstances at their Beach Drive home shortly after. Elliott was initially charged with murder, but the charges were eventually dropped in 1927 after the disappearance of Elliott's maid and key witness Annie Gadsen. Elliott sold his St. Petersburg properties to the Gandy estate and left for California, eventually returning to St. Petersburg in the 1940s until his death in 1945.

Arrangement:

The folders in the Elliott Family Papers (Series 1) were arranged chronologically upon initial receipt of the collection. These folders sometimes commingle material types and creators. Series 2-4 were arranged in 2026 and were arranged into series based on material type and further arranged into folders based on creators or themes.

Access and use

Restrictions:

None

Terms of access:

None. The contents of the collection may be subject to copyright. Visit the United States Copyright Office's website at http://www.copyright.gov/ for more information.

Preferred citation:

Edith Daly Papers of Eugene Elliott, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL.

Location of this collection:
140 7th Avenue South
St. Petersburg
FL
33701
USA