William Iredell Turner

William Iredell Turner (June 7, 1812 – October 28, 1881), also occasionally and erroneously referred to as William J. Turner, was a Florida pioneer and a soldier who helped establish Bradenton, Florida and Parrish, Florida.[1][2]

William Iredell Turner
BornJune 7, 1812
DiedOctober 28, 1881
Known forHelping to found Bradenton and Parrish.
SpouseIsabell
Military career
Allegiance United States
 Confederate States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Confederate States Army
Years of service1828-1837
1860-1865
RankColonel

Turner was born in Virginia on June 7, 1812. When he was about sixteen years old, he enlisted in the military.[3] He fought during the Second Seminole War, during which time he was injured in the neck.[4] He was discharged from the military in August 1837 but returned to the military to fight during the American Civil War, where he served as a Colonel for the Florida State Militia and commanded Fort Brooke in 1861.[5] Prior to the Civil War Turner owned and ran Oak Hill,[6] the largest plantation in Alachua County, Florida.

Turner was a proponent of secession and had unsuccessfully run for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives.[4] However, he is known to have been elected to the Florida Senate in 1865.[7]

Turner died on October 28, 1881, and is buried alongside his wife Isabella at the Parrish Cemetery.[8]

Referenced

  1. Gibson, Pamela N. (1983). Major William Iredell Turner: Town Founder Extraordinaire. Bradenton, Florida.
  2. Favorite, Merab-Michal (2013). Bradenton. Arcadia Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 9780738590783.
  3. Waters, Zack C. (2018). "Tampa's Forgotten Defenders: The Confederate Commanders of Forte Brooke". Sunland Tribune. 17 (3).
  4. Taylor, Paul (2001). Discovering the Civil War in Florida: A Reader and Guide. Pineapple Press Inc. pp. 168–169. ISBN 9781561642359.
  5. Taylor, Paul (16 December 2018). Discovering the Civil War in Florida: A Reader and Guide. Pineapple Press Inc. ISBN 9781561642359 via Google Books.
  6. O'DONNELL, CHRISTOPHER. "Old Florida in Parrish". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  7. Turner, William (October 15, 1975). "Speech by Mrs. William S. Turner, Jr. "Major William I. Turner"". Manatee County Public Library System: Digital Collection. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  8. "Bradenton makes American Style Magazine's Top 25 Cities list". bradenton.
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