Everglades Biographies
Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan
Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan was born in White Springs, Florida on
February 24, 1881. She moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1899 to become the
town's first school teacher. She married Frank Stranahan in 1900 and lived
at the Indian trading post founded by her husband. Stranahan taught school
in Fort Lauderdale for 17 years. She also informally taught Seminole
Indian children for over 15 years. Stranahan was active in social affairs,
including women's suffrage, the Audubon Society, and the establishment of
the Everglades National Park. Her most noted accomplishment was the
foundation of the "Friends of the Seminoles" and her role in persuading
some of the Seminoles to move to the newly created reservation at Dania.
Stranahan died in Fort Lauderdale on August 30, 1971.
Biography prepared by Ruthanne Vogel, University of
Miami
Excerpt from 'Statement
of Mrs. Frank Stranahan of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.',
Conditions of the
Florida Seminoles: hearings before the Committee on Investigation of
the Indian Service, House of Representatives, 1917.
"I might say that three years
ago the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs took this work up and
appointed me as chairman, and during those three years I have been working
endeavoring to work with the Government representatives here, assisting
them in every way possible
...
It seems to me, though, that the
State of Florida, having had these Indians in their possession or on these
lands, that have been given them by the United States--if they have not
done anything for them for this number of years and have simply left them
to go as they are, it is time that the Government was at least seeing that
they fulfilled their obligation to these people that were on this land
when they acquired it from the Government..."
Photograph of Ivy Stranahan, 18--.
Photo courtesy of Florida State Archives, Florida Photographic Collection
