by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2025

Eugene Mervin Hamilton was born on May 4, 1923, in Key West, Florida, to Eugene Joseph ‘King Gene’ HAMILTON (1883-1966) and Rebecca Elizabeth JOHNSON (1887-1947). 

Additional information/corrections and photos welcomed! Thank you.

SIBLINGS

In April 1930, Eugene lived with his parents and siblings at 1415 Pearl St in Key West, Florida. His cousin, Robert Hamilton lived with them.

1930 April 23rd United States Federal Census

In June 1930, Eugene lived with his parents and siblings at Poinciana Point in the Everglades.

1930 June 26th United States Federal Census

In 1935, Eugene lived with his parents and siblings.

1935 United States Federal Census

In May 1940, Eugene lived with his parents, his brother Roy, and Roy’s wife Lorina on Lostmans River. Eugene worked as a fisherman.

1940 United States Federal Census

Eugene enrolled with the draft in 1942. (Click on photo for full view)

SPOUSE

Eugene Mervin Hamilton married Sylvia Constance McCormick in Lee, Florida, on June 12, 1943, when he was 20 years old.

CHILDREN

  • Ronald was born in 1945.
  • Sandra was born in 1947.
News Press April 18, 1948

In April 1950, Eugene lived with his wife, Sylvia and their children, Ronald and Sandra in Bonita Springs, Florida. Eugene worked as a fisherman.

1950 United States Federal Census
Fort Lauderdale News. May 25, 1957. (Not sure if the Eugene Hamilton referenced in the article is Eugene Mervin or his father, Eugene Joseph.)

In 1960, Eugene lived with his wife at 430 New York Ave, Fort Myers, Florida and worked as a salesman at Al’s Supermarket.

U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 Fort Myers, Florida 1960
‘Little’ Gene Hamilton with cousins, Bill ‘Boats’ Hamilton, Ernest Eugene Hamilton, and Iris PARKER Williams

From a transcription of an audio recording we found in my father’s things. The speaker is Eugene Mervin Hamilton, son of King Gene & Rebecca Hamilton. In our family, we called him Uncle Genie.

excerpt from Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades

“I’m Eugene Mervin Hamilton, the son of Rebecca and Eugene Joseph Hamilton. I was born 1923, May the 4th in Key West, Florida on Catherine Street. My mother said I was born about 8:20 in the morning. And mean as you know what. But anyhow, as I grew up in Key West as a young boy, I saw the changes made and as my father worked…my family…we went from Key West to Everglades City and a place called Lostmans River where my dad had the fish camp and where they were building this road, I believe I said earlier from Poinciana to Ochopee.

My dad had a place, at that time he owned it and as I said…had about 100 to 150 blacks cutting the mango trees down. But I lived there and every season I went back to Key West to go to school. Well, I went from there to the grammar school, the St. Joseph’s school on Simonton St. in Key West.

I was born and raised a Catholic and my family’s all Catholic. I was raised there, and I went to school there. And it’s going there I became confirmed, and baptized at the age of 12, in the Catholic church there on Division St., in Key West, Florida. From there I studied to be an altar boy at the age of 12. I was an altar boy under the priest, which is Father Daughtry and Father Moory (spelling?), for four and a half years. That was a hard study, but good. I went on to finish 11th grade in the Catholic school in Key West on Simonton St.

From there, as a young man, I worked. I grew up in the grocery store business with my father. I worked in the there, and I got my own fish market at the age of 16 in Key West, Florida. I also worked in a pineapple factory for Lamar Thompson in Key West. I saved all the pits and bits whatever that you can get and I sold them. I even made pineapple wine and gave it away.

I had fun back those days as a young boy growing up. I used to ride into Garrison Bight where my dad kept his boat up there. If you ever go to Key West, you’ll find that Garrison Bight has an overpass now that goes from Truman Blvd to downtown Key West. There, as I grew up as a boy, I used to go out at nighttime and catch crawfish and sell ‘em. Sold ‘em for 10 cents apiece. And then was glad to get my money from people. Cuz they didn’t have any money back in those days.

As I grew up in Key West, we had cigar factories, we had pineapple factories, we had turtle kraals, we had just about anything a young man wanted back those days. We didn’t have pot. We didn’t have marijuana, or rock or whatever back those days. We’d just drink my pineapple wine and had a good time. That’s about the way it stood me, and I’m proud of my family.

My people farmed. They grew cane. They grew corn. They grew potatoes. And they cut cordwood, black button wood or cordwood to survive in those days. And they traded with old man Ted Smallwood of Chokoloskee Island, several other guys in Everglades City. Plus, the Indians. My dad and my grandfather had traded with the Indians for years.

As my daddy grew older and moved from Mormon Key and married my mother, he moved to Lostmans River, which he owned, Lostmans River and Wood Key also.

And then my dad opened a grocery store as a young man at Lostmans River and then he started trading with the Indians, I said before. And the Indian trade…I had seen the Indian tribe come to our place at Lostmans River and looking back over the years, they would bring their families down, after they got to know my daddy.
He was a Deputy Sheriff at Monroe County at that time. I used to wrastle with the boys, used to play with the girls. Out open, just have a good time.

This is the way I grew up at Lostmans River with my dad and my family. My dad was a wonderful person. He knew everybody. He could speak the Indian language. And everyone respected him…”

More stories from Eugene can be found in Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades. (Rubbing Down with Sausage Oil, Wrestling Lucy Tiger, Arresting E.J. Watson)

DEATH

Eugene Mervin Hamilton died on June 1, 2013, when he was 90 years old.

OBITUARY

June 1st 2013

Eugene Hamilton (Captain Gene) was 90 years old when he passed away Saturday, June 1st 2013. He was born and raised in Key West, Florida on May 4th 1923 to an old Florida family. At the age 70 he was working at Semmer Electric and finally retired at the age of 83.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 70 years Sylvia McCormick Hamilton, his three children Ronald Hamilton, (Linda) , Sandra Cronin, Richard Hamilton, his grandchildren Thomas Cronin, Martine Cronin, Leigh Hamilton, Kelly D’Acunto, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at The Church of Resurrection Saturday, June 22nd at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers please make contributions to Hope Hospice 9470 Health Park Circle, Fort Myers, Florida 33908.

Published in The News-Press from June 17, 2013

SOURCES

1930 United States Federal Census; 1935 United States Federal Census; 1940 United States Federal Census; 1950 United States Federal Census; Florida Marriage Collection 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 Certificate 26017 Volume 817 Florida Department of Health; Florida, County Marriage Records, 1823-1982; U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 Fort Myers, Florida 1960; audio transcript of Eugene Mervin Hamilton, Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades.

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