by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2024

UPDATED September 16, 2025

John Leon HAMILTON was born on December 13, 1885, in Florida to Richard HAMILTON (1840-1944) and Mary Appolonia WEEKS (1859-1917).

SIBLINGS

  • Walter Joseph Valentine was born on October 31, 1880 in Pine Level, Florida.
  • Eugene Joseph was born on October 9, 1883, in Monroe, Florida.
  • Nina was born in March 1885 in Monroe, Florida.*
  • Mary Elizabeth was born on October 15, 1888.
  • Ann Elizabeth was born on August 15, 1893.
  • Mary Agnes was born on November 2, 1895.

*It is unclear if Nina was Richard’s child or the child of Mary’s first husband, George CHRISTIAN.

MARRIAGE

Leon married Sarah Elizabeth JOHNSON on September 26, 1905, in Key West, Florida.

Sarah JOHNSON Hamilton with her sister, Rebecca JOHNSON Hamilton

CHILDREN

Leon and Sarah had eight children in 26 years: Mary Frances, Eva Margaret, Robert Joseph, Adeline Agnes, Henry Gilbert, Elizabeth Ann “Lizzie”, Raymond, and Bryan. At least one of Leon’s children, Eva Margaret was delivered by Leon’s father, Richard HAMILTON, who is listed as MIDWIFE on Eva’s birth certificate.

In 1900, he lived with his parents and siblings in Chokoloskee, Florida. 

1900 US Census
John Leon Hamilton

In 1910, he lived with his wife, Sarah and their daughters, Mary and Eva on Wood Key in the Florida Everglades. Leon was a fisherman. Leon’s father, Richard, his brother, Gene, and his father-in-law, Gilbert JOHNSON lived on the same Key. Nearby, at Chatham Bend, lived the family of E.J. WATSON.

1910 US Census

The true story of the Hamilton family in Peter Matthiessen’s book, Killing Mr. Watson

Eva, Leon, Sarah near their home on Lostmans River.

In September 1918, Leon registered with the draft.

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Leon was baptized at St Mary Star of the Sea in Key West, Florida on August 8, 1921.

1926 Great Miami Hurricane

In 1926, the Great Miami Hurricane hit and Leon and his brother, Gene, were marooned on Wood Key for five days with their wives, their nine children, and 23 other men, women, and children.

From Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades, 

“After being rescued by the Coast Guard five days after the storm, they reported that they had lost their houses, their animals, their household goods, and all of their larger boats and had been sleeping on the beach and in a few small boats. By the time help arrived, they had resorted to chewing sugar cane and occasionally catching one of the few fish around for sustenance. The Coast Guard put up ten tents as temporary shelter for the families and left them with a supply of water and food to sustain them until more help could be sent.”

In 1930, Leon and his family lived on Lostmans River. The families of Salvador Gomes, Wallace REWIS, Horace MURRAY lived nearby.

1930 United States Federal Census

From Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades, 

“Like his brothers, Leon was a fisherman. The Hamilton boys stayed close to Lostmans River: Wood Key, Mormon Key, Turkey Key, Hog Key, Chatham Bend. They made occasional trips to Chokoloskee or Key West to buy and sell goods. He became known to the younger generation as ‘Uncle Non.’

Leon had sandy blonde hair, made even blonder by the sun. He was a handsome man, as were all of the Hamilton boys. He had a medium build but was stout. Unlike his brothers, he had gray eyes rather than brown. Later in life, he was disfigured when he was attacked by an unknown assailant wielding a hatchet.”

Paul Gomes recalls, “In the end, Papa Gene (Leon’s older brother) and Uncle Non didn’t talk. They all lived on Wood Key. And then the fight started and Uncle Non and Aunt Sarah and Grandpa Richard moved to South Lostmans. And for years and years they didn’t talk. I don’t think we did any visiting to speak of. In my time, we’d run into ‘em every once in a while, somewhere, at the fishhouse or something like that. Every once in a while, we’d all go to Bonita Springs, that’s where Papa moved after the park took over the land, and we’d have a big cookout and all of ‘em played music. That was our immediate family, but Papa and Uncle Non never really got together, not while I was alive. The only time I know that they got together when I was alive was when Grandpa Richard died.”

The family was still living at Lostmans River in 1940. Ralph KNOWLES, Salvador GOMES, Henry HAMILTON, and Walter HAMILTON lived nearby. All were fisherman.

Leon with his father, Richard Hamilton

National Park Service

From Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades, 

In 1950, the NPS (National Park Service) listed the people still living at Lostmans River and called them “squatters.” NPS officials stated that, “None of the fishermen who lived in houses or houseboats near the mouth of Lostmans River owned any property there.”  Leon Hamilton, “℅ Riggs Fish Company in Everglades” was listed among hundreds of others on the Legal Notices page of the Key West Citizen calling for the condemnation of their homes.

“You are hereby notified that a Petition for Condemnation…has been heretofore filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, whereby the United States of America seeks to acquire by condemnation under judicial process….the fee simple title to the following described lands situate, lying and being in the counties of Monroe and Dade, State of Florida, to-wit: Lands in Dade and Monroe Counties, Florida, to be acquired for the Everglades National Park…”

Leon’s place on Lostmans River

As the deadline for final eviction loomed, the residents of Flamingo sent a letter to Superintendent Beard of the NPS asking for help.

Everglades National Park Service –

“We the fishermen of Flamingo have no place to go or any place to stay. Our fish haulers have refused to bring us any groceries – gas or any other supplies. We have no other way of making a living.

We the fishermen of Flamingo will be up with our families at the office of the Everglades National Park office [sic] at 10-o’clock Saturday – June 2, 1951 for information as to where we are to go and what to do and how to take care of our families.

We feel that if the Park Service is taking our homes and our way of making a living, we think they should give us our places here to stay as this is the only place we know how to make a living.”

DEATH

Leon died on January 24, 1964, in Naples, Florida, at the age of 78, and was buried in Fort Myers, Florida.

SOURCES

Ancestry.com, United States Federal Census Records, Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades, Personal interview with Paul Gomes; World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

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