Museum Seeking Pioneer Families

LaBelle Heritage Museum is researching available records and archives for names of families who have been in the LaBelle area for at least 50 years and even earlier who have never been honored as the LaBelle Swamp Cabbage Festival Pioneer or Pioneer Family since Corrine Poole Forrey was chosen as the 1969 Festival’s Pioneer and the Alvah Burke Family was honored as the Pioneer Family.

After that first year, an area family whose LaBelle roots were planted in earlier days has been honored annually as Swamp Cabbage Festival Pioneer Family. It seemed over the years that those early families had all been honored. However, there are a number of our early families who still have strong connections with LaBelle that have never been honored by name include the Jack Ridgdill Family, the Carley Barnes Family, the King Curry Family, the Judge John Caldwell Family, the Robert V. Hedges Family, the Clarence and Daisy Dozier Family, the George E. Curtis Family, the Paul and Susie Martinez Family, and the J. O. Davidson Family; although, some individual family members may have been honored by virtue of being descendants of other named Pioneer Families.

If you are a member of a LaBelle area family who has never been honored or know of a family you believe should be recognized, please contact LaBelle Heritage Museum either by calling (863)674-0034 and leaving a message or by email to labelleheritagemuseum@comcast.net. Joe Thomas and the LHM officers and volunteers will be glad to help you in putting together information to submit to the Swamp Cabbage Festival Committee for selection as the 2019 Swamp Cabbage Festival Pioneer Family.