Pre Snell Isle 1856 – 1883

On June 16, 1900 H. H. Kinyon and his wife, sold the 40 acres to Alice L. Barnard for $200. We can find no record of Kinyon or the Barnard family in any St. Petersburg histories. In my interview with Jay Starkey, he told me the Barnard family owned many acres of land around what is now Snell Isle. They were a wealthy Chicago family and had a cattle ranch on their property here. In 1912, as a boy, Mr. Starkey would get his horse, kept at about 30th Avenue and 9th St. North, and herd the cattle that were loose on the island back to the Barnard ranch. Alice Barnard died in 1908.

Perry Snell bought the 40 acres from her estate for $2,000 on April 4, 1911. On February 12, 1912 an undivided one-half interest was transferred to J.C. Hamlet for $500. consideration. On January 16, 1914 Perry Snell and his Partner, J. C. Hamlett, bought the remaining Barnard property with a mortgage on it for $67,500 containing 400 acres, more or less. The mortgage was satisfied and filed April 29, 1922. On March 6, 1919, J. C. Hamlett deeded back the one-half interest to Perry Snell For $10. consideration.