HENRY SNELL OPENS WINTER HAVEN’S FIRST BANK
In 1892 a man named Henry W. Snell left his home in Georgia and relocated to the Polk County area. He opened a mercantile in Bartow followed by stores in Mulberry, Ft. Meade, Chicora and then Winter Haven. That store was located on what was then called West Park Street. We know it as Fifth Street, SW and it is now the site of the downtown Bank of America location.
Snell eventually got into the banking business as there was no bank closer than Bartow. His mercantile had a safe and some local residents brought their money to him for “safe keeping.” He would eventually begin lending money to people who traded at his store to help them out. In 1906, he had the opportunity to sell all four of his mercantile stores for a profit. The following year, he served Polk County in the lower house of the legislature.
In 1909 he organized the private bank known as H.W. Snell & Company with capital stock of $7,500. Two years later he reorganized it into the Snell National Bank. He served as President and Dr. J. H. Ross was Vice President.
In 1911 Snell constructed a two-story bank building on Central Avenue at Fourth Street, NW. A third story was added several years later. We know the bank’s original site as Arabella’s Ristorante. In 1930 the Snell National Bank became the Exchange National Bank and relocated to Magnolia Avenue in 1955. After the bank left the Central Avenue location a contest was held to rename the building. Local resident Steve Griffith submitted the winning “Times Square” name.
The Times Square building is home to one of Winter Haven’s most iconic landmarks, the four-faced McClintock Clock. The late Charles Hetzer, a longtime banker, recalled that the clock was installed in 1925 “and never did keep good time.” The clock, which originally was controlled by an indoor mechanism, was converted to electric operation through a fundraising project of Main Street Winter Haven. It is dedicated to the memory of Marlene Duffy Young, a beloved community activist, City Commissioner, Mayor, and County Commissioner.
Henry Snell and his wife eventually retired to a home on Lake Lowry.
Ironically, through mergers and acquisitions, any remaining assets of the Snell National Bank are now in the Bank of America which resides on the site of Snell’s original store.
HENRY TANDY COMES TO WINTER HAVEN
In the mid-1890s a man named Henry Tandy moved to the village. Early recollections of Mr. Tandy describe him as interesting and very colorful. His parents had come to Winter Haven and thought the town beautiful, but following the disastrous freezes of 1894-95, they returned to Kentucky. Henry stayed and opened a large mercantile store on the corner of Fourth Street and Central Avenue where Crews Bank is today. The store carried a variety of merchandise including hardware, grove machinery, saddles, and clothing. Groceries and feed were also available. To the rear of his store (later to become a post office and now the Tropical Smoothie Restaurant) he operated a livery stable.
The disastrous freeze that forced Tandy’s parents’ relocation led to such poor business at his store that he resorted to closing the store to work in the tomato fields. Citrus had suffered a serious setback, and area growers had turned to truck farming as an alternative. At the turn of the 20th Century, some referred to Winter Haven as the “tomato shipping capital of the world.”
Tandy’s son Oscar would relate the following story years later in “The History of Winter Haven” by Josephine Burr. “One sizable item of trade from 1895 to 1905 was alligator hides. These were sold to dealers and curio manufacturers in Jacksonville. The hides were cured and polished and made into belts, handbags, and shoes. As a very small child, I can remember seeing several dozen barrels of salted gator hides on the porch of our store awaiting shipment to Jacksonville. Our home was on the second floor over the main store and in summer the gator hide odor was overpowering.”
Burr wrote in her book of one particular story about Tandy that surfaced so frequently she felt compelled to include it. She wrote, “It seems that Mr. Tandy liked his liquor as did many other citizens of those days and on Saturday nights the Tandy Store was a gathering place for friends who enjoyed a drink with Henry. One Saturday night, after the crowds had left, Tandy said to his bookkeeper, ‘I know that I sold two saddles tonight (some say it was hams) but I just cannot recall to whom.’ After much thought they decided to bill several likely customers for the purchases, being sure that whoever did not buy the merchandise would complain at once. To their amazement, of about ten bills sent out, seven paid.” Those familiar with Grove Roots Brewing may have enjoyed a glass of “Seven Saddles” beer… named for Mr. Tandy’s good fortune.
The store originally used the entire block facing Central Avenue but as automobiles became more common, the livery stable was closed. The store eventually specialized in dry goods and notions. In 1913 he disposed of his interest and it became the Winter Haven Mercantile Company.
