810 S Ingraham Avenue - Built 1923

Uncovering Lakeland's Hidden Histories: The Pioneering Spirit of S. Ingraham Avenue!

Did you know some of Lakeland's most iconic homes hold fascinating stories within their walls? We love digging into the past, and today we're thrilled to share the intertwined histories of several century-old homes on South Ingraham Avenue – specifically 802, 810, 816, and 822 S. Ingraham. While 810 S. Ingraham has already received its 100-year marker, the stories of 802 and 816 are just as rich, and their origins are deeply connected! Sadly, 822 S. Ingraham was later replaced by a mid-century duplex and no longer qualifies for a marker.

What links these addresses is a compelling tale of entrepreneurship, mentorship, and the very rapid development of Lakeland's historic College Park Addition and surrounding areas.

From Apprentices to Entrepreneurs: The Story of Calvin & Overstreet

The narrative behind these homes is centered on two remarkable individuals: Gertrude Overstreet and Paul Calvin. Their partnership in the Calvin & Overstreet company was instrumental in platting and developing the Calvin & Overstreet College Park Addition, which encompasses all the homes on the north side of Lexington Avenue, including 816 and 822 S. Ingraham Avenue. Their plat was officially filed in September 1923, a significant moment that set the stage for these homes to rise. Even homes like 802 S. Ingraham, though part of a different subdivision (Avon Court, platted in January 1924), show connections to Calvin & Overstreet, as a salesman for their company, a Mr. Raines, resided there.

Before forming their influential partnership, both Gertrude and Paul honed their skills under the tutelage of prominent Lakeland businessmen – true pioneers who shaped much of the city's early landscape.

Gertrude Overstreet's Path: Born in October 1890 to H. H. Overstreet and Miriam Lowe, Gertrude hailed from a large family in Georgia. By 1915, at about 24 years old, she had relocated to Lakeland, Florida, and began her career working directly for John A. Melton, a prominent figure in Lakeland's real estate and banking sectors. Her roles evolved within Melton's various enterprises, including Melton-Lawson Co. and J.A. Melton & Co., from 1917 to 1920. By 1922, Gertrude was already operating independently as a "Real Estate" professional, showcasing her growing expertise and ambition. Records show that her widowed mother, Miriam. (a remarkable woman who had raised nine children!), and her youngest sister Mattie were living with Gertrude for multiple years.

Paul Calvin's Diverse Experience: Paul Calvin's journey also reflects early mentorship. He started as a clerk at First State Bank in 1915, gaining foundational financial knowledge. Crucially, by 1917, he transitioned into real estate, working with Clayton & Co. This direct connection to Clanton Clayton, another city pioneer successful in both banking and real estate (and a past business partner of John Melton), provided Paul with invaluable experience. By 1920, like Gertrude, Paul was listed as an independent "Real Estate" professional.

It's clear that both John Melton and Clanton Clayton, successful businessmen who rose from entry-level bank positions to leadership in real estate, served as vital mentors. Gertrude and Paul, working for these "smart folks" and learning their craft for several years, gained the necessary skills and vision to strike out on their own. The formation of Calvin & Overstreet was a natural derivative of their combined experience and readiness to shape Lakeland's future.

Homes on the Rise: S. Ingraham Avenue Comes to Life

With the Calvin & Overstreet College Park Addition plat filed in September 1923 (surveyed, like many others during this booming period, by the active civil engineers G.D. & H.D. Mendenhall), development was swift. The data confirms that 802, 810, 816, and 822 S. Ingraham Avenue all appeared for the very first time in the 1924 city directory. This rapid appearance strongly indicates they were new constructions built in late 1923 or very early 1924 – a testament to the speed of development during Lakeland's boom era.

Interestingly, Gertrude Overstreet herself made 816 S. Ingraham Avenue her home initially, a clear personal investment in the very neighborhood she helped create. Later, she moved next door to 810 S. Ingraham Avenue, further solidifying her personal connection to these historic properties. A snippet from the 1929 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map provides a glimpse into how these homes originally looked.

The story of these Ingraham Avenue homes is more than just about individual houses; it's about the vision and hard work of pioneers like Gertrude Overstreet and Paul Calvin, who, guided by the experience of mentors like John Melton and Clanton Clayton, laid the groundwork for entire neighborhoods that still thrive today. Gertrude's presence in Lakeland appears to diminish after 1928 in local records, leaving a bit of a mystery about her later years after her significant impact on this part of the city.

Digging deeper in the history of 810 S Ingraham Avenue

We previously noted that the Raines family lived here in 1924, moving next door to 802 by 1925. We also noted that Gertrude Overstreet was living at 816 in 1924, then moving into Raines' 810 home by 1925. These are the first two residents. After that, we have a brief list of turnover occupants as is common during the land bust and subsequent depression.

1928 - Hammond W & Laura Jones. Hammond ran Chevrolet Automobiles, Sales and Service. The company survived for at least a decade, becoming the Hammond Jones Co by 1938, with the neighbor at the then existing 822 home being one of his salesmen.

1931 - Charles F & Winnie R Chastain. Charles was the secretary and treasurer for the Radio Electric Service Corporation.

1934 - Guy & Ethel Stotts. Guy worked as a sign painter.

But then in 1936 (or the prior year) the next family would occupy the home for over forty-four years - William & Doris (nee Mason) Venable.

William Howell Venable was noticeable at nearly 6’-3” tall and at 210 pounds. He has blue eyes and brown hair with light complexion. When he and Doris came to town, the set up Venerable’s Market, a grocery store, at 231-33 N Tennessee Avenue (about where Trader’s Alley is today) which he operated for nearly a decade. Around 1942 he shifted into wholesale seafood that operated out of 221 N Massachusetts Avenue (about where the Police Department Headquarters are today). That was the Wm H Venable Company. After nearly fifteen years of doing that, he moved his operation to 415 E Pine, about mid-way between N Kentucky and N Massachusetts Avenues, still the Wm H Venable Company but now his shop sold seafood as retail to the public. All told, he worked in grocery and seafood retail and wholesale for about twenty-five years before starting the next chapter in his career.

It wasn’t just time for a change for William, but Doris was ready to get out and about. She began a decade-long position with the First Presbyterian Church as their Education Director. At the same time, William became the manager of the C R Management Co. and within two years, settled in as the manager of the Arcade Building [A review of the 1960 city directory shows that the “Arcade Building” is in fact at the same location as the “Marble Arcade Building” that we discussed last week.] At the age of nearly sixty-five, around 1967, he left property management and took a position as a deliveryman for the Tampa Tribune, a job he held until his passing in 1973 at nearly seventy. Doris remained in the house for another six years before her own passing in 1978. Both are buried in Lakeland Memorial Gardens.

For many years, prior to 1930 and right through 1950, Doris’ mother lived with them as their daughter, then son was born and grew up. Doris Virginia “Virginia” Venable was born in 1928 followed by William Jr in 1934. By 1940 they had a family of five living in the home with one of them being a six-year-old boy! What I find amazing is that a businessman, owning his own retail/wholesale operation, paid rent. They rented their home in 1930 (at 509 Riggins) and are noted as still renting in 1940 (at 810 S Ingraham). In both locations, they are noted as paying $30 per month for rent. I would assume at some point that after 1940 they purchased the home, however the 1950 census doesn’t help us with that detail. William was no slouch either. The 1940 census notes that he worked an average of seventy hours per week the prior year, with the 1950 census noting sixty hours per week for the prior year. Honestly though, for running his own company, I would have expected it to be more like eighty-plus hours per week. At age sixteen, his son even became a part-time delivery diver for his father.

This leads me to their legacy, their children. Though their parents never attended college, living their lives with high school education, their children (likely with a lot of help from their parents as well as encouragement to do better) excelled with successful careers and lives. Their daughter Doris Virginia Venable, who went by Virginia, lived to be eighty-eight years old, living most of her last years as a resident of Florida Presbyterian Homes. She taught mathematics for many years, with two grandsons surviving her. Meanwhile, William Jr became a physicist, obtaining his first degree from the University of Florida and later his PhD at the University of Alabama. In between the degrees he served as a lieutenant in the Air Force and then went on to teach at George Washington University, worked as a research physicist at the National Bureau of Standards, and even published a book in 2002 in retirement. He has a son and a daughter living outside the state. No doubt he got his drive and passion for hard work from his parents. I will note those that our next post will be on the 816 home next door and foreshadow that the Keye’s (802), Venables (810) and Bly’s (816) all lived in their homes for decades as neighbors with Mr. Bly as a college professor at Florida Southern College, his own son nearly the same age as William Jr and both students in school so there could be some neighbor influence as well.

After nearly five decades of single-family ownership, the next three decades saw at least nine families come and go before today’s present-day owner. The history on this house is full of stories, from the matronly Gertrude Overstreet taking in various relatives, to the Hammond Jone Chevrolet dealership to Venerable’s Market. This one-block long strip of homes on S. Ingraham has a special intertwined history.