Alverdo A. Geitgey

After moving to Baker County, Alvarado A. Geitgey became a legendary, self-made and shrewd businessman who bought large tracts of land and established pecan groves, grape orchards, citrus groves, and a dairy farm. When his father died, he was 14 years old, and with the $127 he received from the estate he bought a team and a small stock of goods to equip a wagon, pursuing many ventures before turning to the oil and gas business. His fortune began in Lodi, Ohio, where in 1901 he became the first operator in the gas fields of the eastern part of Knox County, and his interests eventually spread throughout the country. The major portion of his capital was invested in Florida land, where he eventually owned 12,700 acres, most of it in Baker County. He and his wife Lucy moved to Glen St. Mary into what became known as the Geitgey House. Three years before his death, he laid out the Town of Glen St. Mary in blocks and squares, certifying that he owned most of the township, and a document declared that Lucy Geitgey joined him in certifying that the streets, avenues, and alleys shown on the plat were dedicated for the use and convenience of the public. His family was struck by tragedy when he lost his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929. He died of a heart attack, and Lucy did not have the money to pay the one-dollar-an-acre tax on the land. The Geitgey House was condemned and destroyed in 2001, and Celebration Park now stands in its place, honoring a philanthropic man whose talents and generous contributions to the citizens of Glen St. Mary live on.

Macclenny, Florida · United States