The William Alden and Ruth James House History
The Fellsmere Farms Company was incorporated in Florida on May 23, 1910.1 After completion of the Fellsmere Railroad, the company’s priority was to construct the drainage system and develop the Town of Fellsmere.2 To oversee the drainage work and development of Fellsmere, the Fellsmere Farms Company hired Irwin S. Lhoyd as Chief Engineer.3 Later, William Alden James was hired and became the Assistant Engineer to Lhoyd.4 James was only a few months older than Irwin S. Lhoyd, both having been born in 1868.5
William Alden James was born on April 4, 1868, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He was born to William Henry James who was a Captain in the Engineer Corps of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. William Henry James was married to Laura Ingraham on December 20, 1858, in Pensacola while he was in the Navy. They moved to Anson County, North Carolina, where their children were born. In 1870, they lived in Wilmington, New Hanover, North Carolina. Laura died on Sept. 29, 1877, and is buried in East View Cemetery in Wadesboro, North Carolina.6
William Alden James, at age 20, came to Georgetown in November 1888 with Reid Whitford, who was in charge of the U.S. Engineering office. W. A. James was the Chief Clerk and gained valuable experience under Assistant Engineer Reid Whitford while extensive river and harbor work was undertaken and accomplished.7 Whitford later became the Chief Surveyor for the Fellsmere Farms Company.8
On January 23, 1907, William married Ruth A. Hazzard, a nurse, age 34.9 Ruth was hailed as one of the most prominent and gifted young ladies of Georgetown, South Carolina. Ruth was born on August 18, 1872. She was educated in the old Winyah Indigo Society School and graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She served as organist of Prince George Church for some years prior to moving to Florida with her husband, William Alden James.10 Besides playing the organ, Ruth also played the piano and sang alto. During their marriage, Ruth and William never had any children.
In 1910, after William was hired by the Fellsmere Farms Company, they moved to Fellsmere.11 He was a civil engineer and a leveler on Reid Whitford’s survey party.12 William also worked as a draftsman drawing the plats for Fellsmere, Deepland (later renamed Broadmoor), and Grassland.13 Later he became the Assistant Engineer to Irwin S. Lhoyd, Chief Engineer for the Fellsmere Farms Company.14
In 1912, William and Ruth bought Lots 10 and 11, Block 117 (128 North Cypress St.) in the Town of Fellsmere on the west side of North Cypress Street. Their property adjoined the property of Chief Engineer Irwin S. Lhoyd and his wife, Clara, on the north side.15 Both homes are still in existence today (128 and 108 North Cypress Street respectively) but they are not open to the public as they are private residences.
The Fellsmere Farmer newspaper reported in October 1912, that “The lots recently acquired by William Alden James on North Cypress Street have been cleared and Mr. James has let a contract to Victor Hadin for the erection of a 5 room bungalow. The building will cover an area of 44 x 40 feet and will have a spacious veranda. The bungalow will be painted colonial yellow and will prove a handsome architectural addition to the neighborhood.”16 The foundation was being laid by Hadin’s crew by the end of November, 1912.17 While the house was under construction, William and Ruth stayed at the Fellsmere Inn.18
After coming to Fellsmere, Ruth James became a member of the Marian Fell Library Association, member of the Music Club, Choral Society, and member of the County Federation of Women’s Clubs.19 She and her neighbor, Clara Lhoyd, did much entertaining together in both of their homes.20
The March 6, 1913, edition of the Fellsmere Farmer reported that Mrs. Stanyarne Wilson and daughters, Misses Hattie and Muriel, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, were guests at the William Alden James residence. Mrs. Wilson, who was visiting her sister, Mrs. (Ruth) James, expressed surprise and pleasure at the wonderful development of Fellsmere since her relatives came here as pioneers in 1911, only a couple of years prior. On the afternoon of March 4, 1913, Mrs. James gave a tea at her bungalow home in honor of her sister and entertained a large number of Fellsmere people. Prior to that, on the evening of March 1, Mrs. Irwin S. Lhoyd, Mrs. James neighbor, gave an enjoyable reception for her friends to meet Mrs. Wilson.21
After the Fellsmere Athletic Club was organized on April 8, 1913, on April 15, 1915, committees were established. William Alden James was one of five members appointed to the Executive Committee.22
In May of 1913. William Alden James was appointed as the local weatherman to provide the weather statistics to the weather bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.23 In August of 1913, he joined the Fellsmere Board of Trade and was appointed to the membership committee.24
In 1915, William Alden James was appointed as the new chief engineer of the Fellsmere Railroad. He ran surveys and oversaw the construction of the extension of the railroad to Broadmoor to milepost 16.17.25 Broadmoor was a Fellsmere Farms Company town five miles west of Fellsmere which was vacated by the Indian River Board of County Commissioners on December 2, 2008, and no longer exists.26
After a petition was presented in February 1917 to the town commissioners nominating William Alden James for the office of Vice Commissioner to succeed R. L. James (no relation), the Fellsmere Tribune complimented civil engineer James by stating that he was “A gentleman well liked for his dignified, kindly personality and the town (of Fellsmere) is fortunate in securing his services in the office, especially as we are about to enter upon a period of municipal improvement which will be under his department’s jurisdiction.“27
On February 7, 1917, William Alden James was elected as Vice Commissioner of the Town of Fellsmere, and was sworn in on February 13, 1917. In March 1917, James became active as a member of the newly established Commercial Club. He served on a committee to investigate the abrupt shutdown of the Fellsmere Electric Light and Ice Company on March 14, 1917.28 Also, in March 1917, he and fellow commissioners King and Dole signed a $100,000 paving contract to have the J. B. McCrary Company pave several Fellsmere city streets with concrete beginning in April 1917.29 It was the largest contract ever signed after Fellsmere became a town on May 12, 1915.30
On March 27, 1917, William Alden James along with Chief Commissioner George King and Secretary Commissioner F.W. Dole passed Ordinance No. 56 for “acquiring, establishing, maintaining, and operating for municipal purposes for the Town of Fellsmere of an electric lighting, ice and power plant, authorizing the Commission of the town of Fellsmere to take action in relation thereto; and providing for an election to ratify this ordinance and for other purposes.”31
On May 12, 1917, Ordinance No. 57 was adopted by Commissioners James, King, and Dole for the purpose of issuing bonds in the amount of $20,000 to finance the Town’s electric light, power, and ice plant.32
On May 15, 1917, Fellsmere decided to organize a Red Cross Auxiliary, after the United States had declared war on Germany in April 1917.33 William Alden and Ruth James both joined the Red Cross Auxiliary and William was elected as its Chairman on May 25, 1917.34 Five days later, on June 6, 1917, he resigned as Vice Commissioner for personal reasons, having served only 114 days in office since February 13, 1917.35 Both William and Ruth continued to remain in the Red Cross Auxiliary for an entire year.
James continued to work in the engineering department of the Fellsmere Farms Company despite the company filing for bankruptcy and entering into receivership in 1917.36 In January 1918, the First Mortgage Bondholders secured possession of the property.37 Steps had already been taken to organize a company which would take up the development and operation of the Fellsmere tract.38 On, March 26, 1918, the Fellsmere Company took possession of the assets of the Fellsmere Farms Company. W. H. Tallis was the president and Frank Heiser was the Assistant Secretary.39
Just before June 1, 1918, Frank Heiser was appointed as Assistant Manager and William Alden was elected as the Assistant Secretary of the Fellsmere Company.40 In 1920, W. A. James became a Notary Public.41
In 1923, William’s health started to decline. In May of that year, William and Ruth journeyed to Richmond, Virginia, for him to seek treatment at St. Luke’s Hospital. On June 5, 1923, William had an operation for a duodenal ulcer and appendicitis. Unfortunately, he never recovered from the operation and died four days later at age 55 while still in the hospital. William Alden James is buried in Prince George Winyah Cemetery in Georgetown, South Carolina.42
Six years after his death, on August 30, 1929, his wife Ruth sold the house in Fellsmere, to Richard E. Mudge, who had been one of the Superintendents of the Fellsmere Railroad in 1918.43 Assistant Manager for the Fellsmere Farms Sales Company, Dominique Dominici, and his family also lived in the James house for some time.44 From December 14, 1956 to March 15, 1986, the James’ house served as a parsonage for the Fellsmere Community Church for 29 years.45
Ruth James moved to Washington, D.C. following her husband’s death. She never re-married and lived to the age of 87. She died on December 6, 1959, in a Washington hospital after an extended illness and was buried in Prince George Winyah Cemetery in Georgetown, South Carolina, next to her husband, William Alden James.46
Although the William Alden and Ruth James house is still in existence to this day, it is a private residence and is not open to the public.