John K. Cheyney
John King Cheyney (April 1, 1858 – March 19, 1939) was a Sponge Company & Sponge Exchange founder, a local politician and a sponge industry promoter in Tarpon Springs, Florida.[1][2][3] A memorial on Dodecanese Boulevard commemorates his life.[4] He is listed as a Great Floridian.
Biography[]
He was born in Philadelphia. He died in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Legacy[]
The (1890) at 30 West Tarpon was home for the Philadelphia banker who financed establishment of the sponge industry in Tarpon Springs, bringing Greeks from the Dodecanese Islands.[5] His efforts as a land developer seeking establish Tarpon as a sponging center failed for nine years until the Spanish–American War caused boats from Key West to shelter in the area.[1] In 1896 the first Greek, John Cocoris, arrived and he brought his brothers in 1901.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c [1]
- ^ Burnett, Gene M. (May 24, 1986). Florida's Past: People and Events That Shaped the State. Pineapple Press Inc. ISBN 9781561641154 – via Google Books.
- ^ "History of Tarpon Springs, Florida". www.fivay.org.
- ^ "John K Cheyney - Tarpon Springs, FL - Signs of History on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
- ^ "2020 Walking Tour of Tarpon Springs and the Sponge Docks". floridahistory.org.
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- 1858 births
- 1939 deaths
- Sponge diving
- American company founders
- Businesspeople from Philadelphia
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- Tarpon Springs, Florida
- Businesspeople from Florida
- American business biography, 1850s birth stubs