The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-31

| Almost at the very end Of the Unit
ed States, in that unique region o.
South Florida, which is the only trop
les Of the country, the small town o
Larkin has done what has never beer
done in the whole state before. Oh
Home Demonstration Week it showed
to the whole district what an idea
home could be in the tropics. I
twas thorough demonstration. /
began with the actual house itsel
and continued the demonstration il
such a way that the whole life of the
lcommupity of Larllin was unified anC
enriched by it. In other words it no
}only demonstrated what an idea
home in the tropics might be, but
gave startlingly clear example Of
what the relation of that home should
be to the community in which it ex-
lists, and what the relation of the
| community should be to the home. Sc
| that before the day for which all
| Larkin had been working for month
had come, they found they We're dem
IOnstrating better community, a bet
ter regional development, as well as
the home with which it began. And
the affect which that demonstration
| has upon all of South Florida would
! be difficult to calculate, because it is
still going on.
Let us first get some idea Of the
nature of the region. Larkin Is sit
uated some eight or nine miles south
west of Miami. It's growth has been
during the last ten years. It's two
or three stores, packing houses, gar
ages and small hotel are scattered in
4 rather heller SHELTER way about the
railway station and for a few miles
around about it extends in scattered
homes and orange and grape fruit
groves. II has a woman's club, an
excellent school house under the
county system, and miles of we'll
kept roads,
There are five Aundred people in
Larkin. They range in character and
condition anywhere from the original
cracker families who live in a few
implanted, silver grey shacks in a
thoroughly slipshod manner, with the
usual complement OF dogs, mosquitoes
and dirty -faced children, and women
who look old and wrinkled at forty,
to cultured and intelligent college
graduates from Chicago, New York
and Boston. living in simple but well
planned homes in which books, music
and pictures have their proper part.
garages and two packing houses, the
chief industry of Larkin is agricult-
ural. Grapefruit, oranges, mangoes,
and ayocadocs are it's grove products,
and large areas of tomatoes, peppers,
beans, etc, are grown in winter.
There are no factories, mills or similar
industries.
With this background and made up
Of re-
people, then, the people of Larkin had
practically no community life at ali,
beyond the Woman'S Club. 1t was
not, as much as the actual idea OF
a home, which the home demonstra-
ton had to accomplish.
Today, even so soon after the dem
onstration week, Larllin is a real
community. All five hundred of it's
people have been welded together
with a common interest. They woke
up and found themselves famous all
over South Florida, because they had
done the thing in a community way.
Already they are going to strengthen
and make sure that solidarity Of
spirit.
The house that was chosen for the
home, was that of
Harold Dorm, about mile and a half
from Larkin'S center. The road
which reaches it goes straight be-
tween groves and stretches OF pine
land and open swales of saw grass,
with the wider reaches Of the Ever
glades in the distance. Only occa-
sionaI houses are to be seen on each
side. The Dorm home sets back one
hundred and forty feet from the road
way, surrounded by avocado and
orange groves. 1t is a most typical
country home.
Work on the demonstration week
was begun about five weeks before
the date set, with the exception of
the plant exchange, which had begun
asst spring, so that the people could
start their slips and cuttings. About
two months would be about the !
amount of time required to develop |
the idea in detail the slip exchange, |
however would require at least five
1r six months to make any sort OF a ,
showing.
The home demonstration idea was
introduced by the Woman's Club of
L.arkin, but it was Immediately car
led out into the community, because |
hey saw that unless 1t were to be a !
affair, it would lose the |
greater part Of its value. Men as
veil as women shared in the plan !
hing as well as the responsibility and
t was the splendid CO. cooperation OF
both which made it a success. !
In addition to the work of the Lar !
kin people with the Woman's Club. |
he LarIlin band cooperated enthus- |
asticaIly. The officers OF the Miami ]
Community Council of Civic Clubs !,
recognizing the great value OF the /
work. in stimulating community feel |
ng. not only in Miami, but all over !
South Florida, furnished four speak |
RS for the program and made Valu- |
lble suggestions. The support OF |
he Miami Community Council was |
he strongest, because through that !
he work at I.arkin was broadcasted |
o all the civic clubs and the 1arkin |
,eople in return received support and i
Encouragement.
There We're twenty chairmen OF |
he yaricas departments demonstrat- |
d in tho house and grounds. both men !
md women. Mrs. Harold ". Dorm, |
General chairman, directed the work |
+ all and it was carefully unified and !
pecialized.
No federal. state or county agents
lclped the I.arkIn people except the |
Iiarnl Community Council. No |
hrrches actively assisted.
EditoriaI comment. as We'll as news |
tories kept IT, before the minds Of the |
,sople all over the state.
Lectures were given in the Larliln |
chool and every effort was made to |
interest the children in the idea SD
hat it might be carried home to the
arents. Another year the posters