Francis A . Hendry Francis Asbury Hendry ( November 19 , 1833 – February 12 , 1917 ) was a Florida cattle rancher , politician , and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War . Early life . Asbury was born near Thomasville , Georgia , a son of James Edward Hendry and Lydia Carlton . He was known by the nickname " Berry . " In 1851 , his father took the family to Hillsborough County , Florida , settling on the Alafia River about twenty - two miles east of Tampa . His father then returned to Georgia to settle his affairs , and died suddenly on January 3 , 1852 . Nineteen - year - old Berry , his mother , and his siblings decided to remain in Florida . On March 25 , 1852 , Berry married Ardeline Ross Lanier ( May 10 , 1835 – September 6 , 1917 ) , a native of Bulloch County , Georgia . Soon thereafter , they moved to Fort Meade , Florida , where they started a cattle ranch . They marked their cattle with a crop and split in one ear and an upper square in the other . They also branded them with a large " A , " Berry ' s middle initial , as well as his wife ' s first initial . The Hendrys lived with the garrison at Fort Meade for a time before building their first home about two miles ( 3 km ) north on a branch of the Peace River . It is now known as the Berry Hendry Branch . Military career . During the Third Seminole War , Berry served with both Capt . William B . Hooker and Capt . Leroy G . Lesley in their independent companies of mounted volunteers . Muster rolls describe him as standing six feet and one inch in height , with grey eyes , and dark hair and complexion . Fortunately , Berry survived the war having seen little or no action . On October 27 , 1857 , he was elected to a two - year term on the Hillsborough County Commission . In 1860 , on the eve of the Civil War , Berry Hendry was a prosperous cattle rancher with eight slaves . He opposed secession after the election of Abraham Lincoln , but loyally supported his adopted state after it passed a secession ordinance . On February 1 , 1861 , before the war really began in earnest , Hendry led efforts to create Polk County , Florida , and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners . Hendry spent the first three years of the war supplying cattle to the Confederate Commissary Department . But , his work was made difficult by a Federal garrison that occupied old Fort Meade . So , in 1863 , he organized his own cavalry company to keep the enemy isolated behind the walls of the fortress . He was given the rank of captain and attached to Colonel Charles Munnerlyn ' s Battalion . Political career and later life . After Florida surrendered to Federal occupation in the spring of 1865 , Hendry represented Polk County at the Second Constitutional Convention in Tallahassee . He was also elected to the state senate , representing Polk and Brevard Counties , until 1866 . After the Reconstruction government was installed in Tallahassee in 1868 , former Confederate officers were not welcome to hold elective office on the state level . So , Berry Hendry returned to Polk County , and was appointed to serve on the Board of Public Instruction . During the Reconstruction Era , Hendry continued to build and improve his cattle empire . He made his new headquarters in the abandoned officers ' barracks at Fort Myers , and made contact with buyers from Cuba . He was among the first Florida ranchers to ship cattle to that country through the port of Punta Rassa . By 1876 , he had fenced - in some of range land and owned about 50 , 000 head of cattle . On August 12 , 1885 , Hendry chaired a public meeting held at the schoolhouse in Fort Myers , at the corner of Second and Lee Streets . There , the electors voted to incorporate the town , and Hendry became one of its first councilmen . As such , in 1887 , he led efforts to create Lee County , Florida , and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners . By 1888 , Hendry had moved his ranching headquarters to the vicinity of Fort Thompson . He also began to dispose of much of his range cattle in favor of Jersey and other breeds in an effort to improve the quality of his stock . He also acquired large tracts of marshland along the Caloosahatchee River for grazing . In 1893 , Major Hendry was elected to represent Lee County in the state legislature , and served for more than a decade . In 1895 , he platted the town of LaBelle , Florida , which he named for his daughters Laura and Belle Hendry . During his last years , Major Hendry retired to Fort Myers for better access to medical care . He suffered from chronic nephritis , a kidney disease . And , the state awarded him a monthly pension of twenty dollars . Death and legacy . Hendry died at Fort Myers . On May 11 , 1923 , the state legislature honored him with the creation of Hendry County , Florida , designating LaBelle as its seat of government .