Submitted by Descendant: Charlotte Maddox PIERCE
Fred Maddox was born 7 February 1889 in Apalachicola, Franklin County, Florida to John Wesley Maddox of Apalachicola and Charlotte Wall Maddox of Cheltenham, England.
In 1905 Fred, his brother Roy, and their father, John Wesley Maddox was hired to “sound” along St. Joseph Bay to determine the best location for a dock that would extend 2,500 feet into the bay. Fred and his father later became pilots and handled the ships that called at the port.
During World War I Fred joined the Army and served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Upon his return from the war he married Zola McFarland on 18 December 1920 in Marianna, Jackson County, Florida. Their son, David Benjamin Maddox, was born 12 September 1921 in Apalachicola, Franklin County, Florida.
In 1915 Captain Fred began leasing his home site; a 3.2 acre parcel of waterfront property situated on the shores of St. Joseph Bay and known as shipyard Cove during Old St. Joseph. On 28 February 1925 he entered into an agreement to purchase the property. Today the site is known as Maddox Park.
Always involved in his community, Captain Fred was instrumental in the forming of Gulf County from Calhoun County. He carried petitions gathering signatures for the creation of the new county and on 6 June 1925 the Florida Legislature officially created Gulf County.
Captain Fred died 12 March 1977 in Port St. Joe, Florida and is buried in Holly Hill Cemetery there.
Fred Maddox was first established as a Florida Pioneer in 2005