FRED W. BROWN, builder and proprietor of the Fredora Apartments at Miami, one of the finest apartment houses in Florida, came to this state after a long and successful business career in Indiana. His career has been a notable progress from the humblest position to ever increasing responsibilities and demonstrates what a virile and enterprising American can do in the absence of opportunities beyond those of his own contriving.

Mr. Brown was born in 1862 at Clayton in Hendricks County, Indiana. His father represented an old family of Rochester, New York, and was an early settler in Hendricks County. Fred W. Brown had only the advantages of the public schools for a few years during his youth, and at the age of fourteen he began working as a roustabout in the country store of Clark & Harrison at Clayton. His wages were $2.00 a week. During the seven years he remained with that firm he made himself useful in a succession of capacities, including bookkeeper, buyer and head salesman, and finally he bought a half interest, one of the partners, Mr. Clark, retiring. Thereafter the firm was Harrison & Brown until Mr. Brown sold his interest to Mr. Harrison. He then bought out the business of a competitor, Johnson Brothers, on the opposite corner, and for a number of years was individual proprietor of a prosperous establishment conducted under the name of Fred W. Brown. Altogether his experience in the general merchandise business at Clayton covered a period of about a quarter of a century.

About 1901 Mr. Brown transferred his home and interests to the City of Indianapolis. For about twelve years he was in the hotel business in that city. Then, in 1914, he removed to Miami, where he has used his capital and experience largely in the ownership and management of apartment houses of the highest class. He at one time leased and operated the Biscayne Hotel, and until quite recently was owner of the Principia Apartments on Southeast First Street. In the spring of 1922 he began the construction of the Fredora Apartments, the name of this beautiful building being a combination of his own and his wife's Christian names. Fredora is located on the South Bay Shore in a locality of fine homes and apartments. The architects are Hampton and Reimert and the building comprises twenty-five large furnished apartments, built with every convenience and facility required by the fastidious and wealthy patrons of this locality.

Mr. Brown is a member of the Miami Chamber of Commerce, and is a York and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner. He married Miss Dora D. Hussey, of Hendricks County, Indiana. Her father was a prominent and substantial farmer and stockman of that rich section of Indiana The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Brown are: Arthur H., Maurice, Mrs. Fern Louise Frost and Walter.

CHARLES B. MCKINNON, M. D. Among the more distinguished physicians and surgeons of Walton County, who have established a reputa

tion for ability and integrity, none are more worthy of attention than Dr. Charles B. McKinnon, of DeFuniak Springs. He has not only achieved honorable success in his profession, but has gained distinction in public and military affairs, and his progressive spirit is evident in many ways.

Doctor McKinnon was born in Walton County, Florida, a son of Neil J. and Belle Ann (McKinnon) McKinnon, natives of South Carolina and Florida, respectively, who, although having the same name, were of different families, and are both now deceased. The McKinnon family originated in the Isle of Skye, Scotland, whence the early members of the families bearing this name immigrated to America, settling in the Carolinas for the most part and then moving on to the old Scotch settlement in Walton County, so frequently referred to in the history of the early days of West Florida, particularly in McKinnon's History, written by a member of this family, which contains much interesting matter pertaining to the part taken by the early Scots in the settlement of the state and in the Indian, Civil and other wars. The paternal grandfather of Doctor McKinnon was Charles McKinnon, who was born in Scotland and immigrated to North Carolina. He married Mary Johnson. His maternal grandparents were John and Catherine (Douglass) McKinnon, of Scotland. The former was Col. John L. McKinnon, who served during the War between the States, commanding a regiment of Florida troops in the Confederate Army.

Neil J. McKinnon was born in South Carolina, and about 1850 came to Florida, settling in the old Scotch settlement in Walton County. He was engaged in agricultural pursuits for some years, and when the War between the States came on joined the Confederate Army, enlisting in a Florida Volunteer Company, in which he rose to the rank of first lieutenant. He fought all through the great struggle, at the close of which he became a merchant at Freeport, and later at Eucheeanna, and also became a leader in all matters of public interest in the county. He was a member of the State Legislature three times, and served on the county school board and as county surveyor and a member of the Board of County Commissioners.

After attending the public schools of Walton County, Charles B. McKinnon entered the State University, at Lake City, Florida, where he pursued an academic and literary course and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Following this he taught school for a short time. and then, taking up the study of medicine, went to Tulane University of Medicine, at New Orleans. from which he was graduated in 1902 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Doctor McKinnon began the practice of his profession at Pensacola, Escambia County, but after a short time joined the United States Army Hospital at Fort Monroe, Florida, and continued as a member of its staff for five years, during which time his experiences were varied, instructive and interesting. After five years his health failed and he was obliged to resign from the service and go to Hot Springs, Arkansas, for treatment, then returning to DeFuniak Springs, where he has since been engaged in the general practice of his calling. Ever since he entered practice, Doctor McKinnon has engaged in post-graduate work every two or three years, having attended lectures and clinics at such well-known institutions as Rush Medical College, Chicago, and the New

York Post-Graduate Hospital, as well as others. He keeps fully abreast with the advancements constantly being made in his calling, in which he has attained a deservedly high reputation, and is a valued member of the various organizations of his calling. Doctor McKinnon is a Knights Templar Mason, and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian Church.

On January 7, 1903, at DeFuniak Springs, Doctor McKinnon was united in marriage with Miss Carrie Campbell, daughter of Daniel and Emma (Bowers) Campbell, natives of Florida, the former deceased. Mr. Campbell was a member of the State Legislature three terms, and served as county judge and county commissioner for several years. He was also a Confederate veteran of the War between the States and a prominent lawyer. Doctor and Mrs. McKinnon have had five children: Charles B., Jr., Emma Belle, Carolyn, deceased, Edith Gwendolyn and Gerald Campbell.

WILLIAM R. ROBBINS in early life took up the building business both as a trade and profession, and has been engaged in some form of that constructive activity ever since. He has been a prominent business man of Miami since 1910.

He was born at Rainsburg, Pennsylvania, and after acquiring a public school education he learned a branch of the building trade. For a number of years he was in business at Eaton, Colorado, and from that city came to Miami in 1910. Since then he has specialized in the roofing business, and since 1921 his industry has been carried on under the name of the Robbins Roofing Works, of which he is sole proprietor.

Mr. Robbins does a wholesale and retail business in the handling of standard roofing material, and is a contractor in the construction of roofs for all classes of structures, residence, commercial and industrial. He has built up a large and practical business on the principles of strictest honor and integrity, and the practice of these principles has given his business a character worth more than money. Mr. Robbins has made a long and patient study of the peculiar requirements of roofing materials in a climate that is almost tropical, and after numerous experiments he devised a system of attaching asphalt roofing without the use of nails, thus practically solving the problem of warping and the loosening of nails. He handles only the most approved brands of asphalt roofing and shingles, the leading line being the Ford products. The Tee-Lok shingle he uses in roof construction is pronounced by experts to be the most perfect shingle contrived by inventive skill.

Mr. Robbins' business has kept pace with the general building record in Miami. He has handled the contracts for roofing on many of the largest and most prominent buildings. Some of these may properly be mentioned. The Fairfax Theatre, the Buena Vista Postoffice, J. K. Dorn's Garage, the Cadillac Building, Bradford Hotel, Republic Building, Anderson & Chaille Building, various buildings at Coral Gables, including, in 1922, a contract for forty buildings for that company, and the buildings of the Hollywood Land Company at Hollywood.

ERNEST M. MAGAHA, County judge of Santa Rosa County, had achieved distinct prestige as one of the successful and representative members of the bar of his native county prior to his election to the bench of the County Court, and had been engaged in the general practice of law at

Milton, the county seat, from 1913 until 1916, in the autumn of which latter year he was elected county judge, his re-election in 1920 showing the high popular estimate placed upon his administration on the bench and his status as a loyal and public-spirited citizen.

The judge was born in Santa Rosa County on the 26th of October, 1884, and was reared in the home of one of his maternal uncles, his early education having been received in the public schools and his professional course having been taken in the law department of the University of Florida, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1913 and with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Thereafter he was engaged in the successful practice of his profession at Milton, as a member of the law firm of Clark & Magaha, until his election to the bench of the County Court, in 1916, as already noted in this context. His present term as county judge will expire in January, 1925. He was recently a candidate for the office of judge of the Circuit Court, and as such made a very close race in the primaries. Judge Magaha is a vigorous supporter of the principles and policies of the democratic party, he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist Church. He is a Knight Templar Mason, and is affiliated also with the Woodmen of the World.

The Magaha family was founded in Virginia in the colonial period of our national history, and Isaac Magaha, ancestor of Judge Magaha on the maternal side, came to Florida and served as a soldier in the Seminole Indian war, in recognition of which he was given a tract of land in this state, where he settled and where he passed the remainder of his life.

June 9, 1907, recorded the marriage of Judge Magaha to Miss Hettie Nowling, daughter of J. T. and Mary (Merryweather) Nowling, who still reside in Santa Rosa County, where the father is a prosperous merchant and where he formerly served as county commissioner, both he and his wife being natives of Florida. Judge and Mrs. Magaha have four children: J. T., Carl H., Ernest M., Jr., and Madaline Belle.

BERT G. CHEEK, a resident of Miami, has been the moving spirit in one of the largest development enterprises undertaken in South Florida in recent years. This enterprise is now incorporated as the Okeelanta Food Products Corporation, which Mr. Cheek organized and of which he is president. The scene of the corporation's property and development projects are the famous Upper Glades, near Lake Okeechobee.

Mr. Cheek is a man of wide experience in financial affairs. He was born on a farm in Missouri, and for twenty years was in the banking business, beginning his career with the National Bank of Commerce in Kansas City. For some years he was in financial circles in Chicago and New York, and in 1916 came to South Florida.

Soon afterward he began active operations in the development of the Upper Glades section, lying south and southeast of Lake Okeechobee. He organized the Okeelanta Stock Farms for the purpose of developing a beef cattle industry, and demonstrated that the best beef cattle could be produced here. At the same time he conducted extensive agricultural operations on a highly scientific as well as practical basis. These operations involve the expenditure of a large amount of capital.