By Allison Morgan
Greater than a century in the past, earlier than there have been roads and again when only a handful of households lived within the Keys, William Allen Parrish Sr. made his first of what could be many journeys from Dania Seashore to Marathon on the Florida East Coast Railway. It was 1912, the identical 12 months Henry Flagler rode the practice on its maiden voyage to Key West.
On the time, a lot of the Keys was wooded and desolate, however Parrish, who had desires of opening a fish home, noticed potential in paradise. He made frequent visits to Marathon earlier than completely transferring his household right down to Marathon in 1927. Within the years that adopted, his spouse and 6 youngsters had front-row seats to look at Parrish’s influence on the world unfold. Now, almost 100 years later, his great-granddaughter Tracy Collins Myers is making certain his legacy is remembered.
“He had a imaginative and prescient to actually develop Marathon,” mentioned Myers, who was born within the coronary heart of the Keys and is a Marathon Excessive Faculty graduate. “After establishing Parrish Fish Firm, the primary business fish packing plant within the Florida Keys, his curiosity turned to actual property. He shared his imaginative and prescient of rising Marathon by providing nice offers on property to folks that he thought would contribute to the city. One instance, which is typical of his kindness, is that he offered 100 toes of freeway frontage extending to the Florida Bay for $300, which was a superb worth for that a lot land in these days.”
These round Parrish seemed as much as him for the large contributions he made locally, in each enterprise and civic actions, in addition to actual property growth. Parrish paved the way in which in property growth and management roles. He constructed the primary basic retailer, was the primary deputy sheriff, and was acknowledged as the primary actual property developer and dealer in Marathon. He was the founder and first president of the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, and led numerous different neighborhood boards and commissions.
Regardless of being a pioneer and among the many likes of Flagler, Stanley Switlik and Phil Sadowski, Myers mentioned, Parrish’s identify and legacy has much less familiarity; she has been on the forefront to vary this. With the assistance of native actual property agent Sam Williams, whose daughter Mia is Parrish’s great-great-granddaughter, Myers has succeeded in putting plaques and portraits round city in Parrish’s honor. Williams leveraged his neighborhood connections to assist Myers provoke conversations.
“Tracy and I first began speaking about bringing extra public consciousness to him just some years in the past, and it has actually changed into one thing,” Williams mentioned. “His identify wasn’t actually anyplace, apart from within the e-book ‘Marathon 1906-1960’ by Dan Gallagher. Being a Realtor myself and concerned with the Marathon Rotary Membership, I admire the historical past and the aim intertwined into giving again. It’s necessary that he’s remembered – he had lots to do with a lot of the land that our iconic stuff sits on.”
Myers obtained approval to position plaques and portraits at a number of areas round city, together with the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Crane Level Hammock Museum, the previous Parrish household dwelling at Faro Blanco Resort, Financial institution of America (previously the Marathon State Financial institution, the place he was elected the primary chairman of the board) and the St. Paul A.M.E. Church, the place he donated land.
Myers mentioned she is grateful for the assist of Williams, her husband Derrick Myers and Brennan Bye, one other of Parrish’s great-great-granddaughters. She additionally credit her good friend and native historian Bettye Chaplin, who has been instrumental in serving to her convey consciousness to the influence Parrish had on Marathon. Bye was current when a bronze signal highlighting Parrish’s extraordinary life was positioned on a coral rock monument in entrance of the Crane Level Museum and Nature Middle practice a few 12 months in the past.
“His laborious work, dedication and dedication to determine Marathon had been actually wonderful,” mentioned Bye, who additionally attended Marathon Excessive Faculty and lives in Marathon. “His achievements and contributions he made had been to assist create a thriving neighborhood in Marathon, whereas additionally serving to these in want. I’m so grateful to name this beautiful island my hometown.”
One thing Myers is particularly enthusiastic about is the latest launch of the William A. Parrish Scholarship, which was established in October 2024 to offer monetary help to college students acquiring a level or apprenticeship on the Faculty of the Florida Keys. In response to Myers, in 1928, Parrish was the primary particular person to provoke a faculty by offering a constructing in cooperation with the Monroe County faculty board.
The scholarship, which will be discovered on keysschools.com, additionally performs an important position in highlighting Parrish’s native contributions and the influence he had on Marathon. So as to apply for the scholarship, college students should create a video showcasing the influence Parrish had on the expansion of Marathon and embrace one location that has a plaque or portrait of him.
Myers hopes to position extra monuments in his honor this 12 months. Within the works are a portrait within the American Legion Publish 154, which sits on land donated by Parrish; a portrait for the Marathon Neighborhood Church, the place he donated his time and expertise whereas a member of the monetary committee; and a coral rock with a bronze signal on the entrance of Outdated Seven Mile Bridge, as he was the primary particular person to drive a automobile throughout it.
“He was an actual humble man that wished to see Marathon develop; he died not having some huge cash, as he gave all of it away,” Myers mentioned. “Often known as the ‘Father of Marathon,’ he ensured the prosperity of Marathon and a possibility for all. I’ll proceed to verify all that he has performed will not be forgotten.”