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The Tatum Brothers — 11 Comments

  1. Here are all 7 Tatum children by order of birth Bunyan G. Tatum (1857 in Gilmer, Missouri-1876 in Gilmer, Missouri), Judson H. Tatum (1859 in Ga.-1923 in Miami), Villa Virginia Tatum-Mosteller (1861 in Ga- 1926 in Ga.? is buried in Orange Fla.), Bethel Blanton “B. B.” Tatum (1864 in Ga.-1943 in Ga.), Johnson Reed “J.R.”– 1866 in Ga.-1938 in Miami), Webb K. Tatum (1868 in Ga.- 1901 in Ga.), Smiley Mostelles Tatum (1870 in Ga. – 1935 in Miami) **Note Aarons middle name Sherriff comes from his mother’s maiden name “Sheriff”

  2. Good morning. Great article and very informative. I have a question: did you find out why they went by their mother’s last name?

    • I’m not sure what you are asking. Johnson Reed Tatum had his mother’s maiden name (Johnson) as his first name. I don’t know why Judson Hugo, Bethel Blanton or Smiley were named as they were. Smiley’s middle name, Mosteller, was the surname of a family in Bartow County, Georgia. I’ve not discovered any links between the Mostellers and the Tatums, though.

  3. I think this may reference the top of the article where you mention they were the children of Aaron Sherriff and Jane Tatum. As in Sherriff being a middle name or his surname? Did any of the Tatum brothers actually live in the Homestead/Florida City area or were their interest financial only? If so, do you have where they lived in our area? More great research and presentation. Thanks Jeff.

    • Sherriff was Aaron’s middle name. If you click on the links associated with each name, you will be able to read the information on the FindAGrave memorials for both. No, the Tatum brothers lived in Miami, not in Homestead or Florida City. But they made frequent trips to the area. J. H. Tatum’s name is on Tatum’s Colored Town Addition to Homestead and B. B.’s name is on Tatum’s 2nd Addition to Homestead. In addition (and I have yet to write the article), Russell F. Tatum, Homestead’s first mayor, was a fourth cousin of the four Tatum brothers. Their interest in this area, like so many others, was strictly financial.

  4. So interesting to read about the early entrepreneurs and what it took to develop the beginnings of south Florida. Thanks Jeff for all the research and great writing. You mention their enterprises owed $3 million in income taxes in 1930. Wonder what their income would have been to owe that amount. Tax structure was different back then but what a hefty amount. Interesting that their name isn’t better known… is there even an avenue named Tatum?

    • I’ve long been puzzled about why the Tatums, who were the biggest real estate promoters in Dade County until Realty Securities Corporation eclipsed them in the mid-teens, are so little-known. I’d bet that only 50 people in all of Miami-Dade County are familiar with the name. I’ve found very little written about them but perhaps I’m not looking in the right place. I suspect that this IRS lien may have been what caused this lack of articles written about them. I would imagine that such a hefty lien would have bankrupted them. There are no institutions or roadways named after the Tatums in Miami-Dade County that I am aware of. I hope, by publishing this, that others who may have more information will read it and contact me.

  5. I always wondered who started the Miami Land & Development Company. The vastness of the plat and subsequent financial tragedy of ownership makes for quite a Homestead/Florida City history lesson. Good job and thank you for the excellent detail!

  6. It was a pleasure reading more about the Tatum brothers. It’s unfortunate there’s not much written about them.

    • Thank you for your comment. I wrote about the Tatum Bros. because there was nothing readily available about them. That is unfortunately true about much of the history of this area.

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