Everglades Biographies
William Sherman Jennings, 1863-1920
William Sherman Jennings was born March 24, 1863 near Walnut Hill,
Illinois. He was a first cousin to William Jennings Bryan, congressman and
three-time Democratic presidential nominee. Jennings attended the public
schools in Marion County and graduated from Normal University in 1883. He
studied law at the Union College of Law in Chicago and completed his law
studies under the tutelage of his brother, Charles E. Jennings, who was
the state attorney for Marion County. Jennings moved to Florida in 1885
and began a law practice in Brooksville, becoming the judge of Hernando
County in 1888. In 1893, Jennings accepted an election to the state
legislature and became speaker of the house in 1895. During the next few
years, he served as a colonel in the Florida militia, president of the
Brooksville town council and chairman of the Democratic committee. In
1900, Jennings was elected governor of Florida for the term from 1901 to
1905. While governor, Jennings is credited with coming up with the idea of
draining the Everglades by cutting the natural rock dams in the rivers and
allowing the water to run out. He was succeeded in the governorship of
Florida by Napoleon
Bonaparte Broward. After his term in office, Jennings practiced law in
Brooksville and Jacksonville. He died on February 28, 1920.
Biography prepared by Ruthanne Vogel, University of Miami
Excerpt from "Message
of Gov. W.S. Jennings to the Legislature of Florida Relative to
Reclamation of Everglades, 1903", In Everglades of Florida : acts, reports, and other papers, state and national, relating to the
Everglades of the state of Florida and their reclamation. Government
Printing Office, 1911.
"..it will appear that the
drainage of the Everglades is entirely feasible and practicable, thus
reclaiming 3,760,000 acres, a large percentage of which would be
available, and the most valuable agricultural land in the Southern
States."
Portrait of Governor William Sherman
Jennings
Photo courtesy of Florida
Bureau of Archives & Records Management, Florida Photographic
Collection
