Charles H. Stewart
Charles Hutchins Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Joliet, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | 18 June 1936 (aged 68) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1890–1936 |
| Known for | Mayor of Melbourne, Florida; founder of Fee & Stewart Hardware Co. and Melbourne State Bank |
Charles Hutchins Stewart (born September 22, 1867 – died June 18, 1936) held the office of mayor of Melbourne, Florida for four terms spanning the years 1890–1891 and 1902–1905.
Early life and family
Stewart entered the world in Joliet, Illinois, as the son of William F. Stewart from Ohio and Julia Ann Hutchins, originally from Kentucky.
On May 24, 1888, he wed Annie Mabel Nash in Titusville. Annie hailed from an affluent lineage with origins in Norwalk, Connecticut and maintained a home in Daytona.
The newlyweds moved to Melbourne later that same year. Both possessed strong educational backgrounds and embraced the role of early settlers seeking prospects in the emerging community.
Career
At just 23 years old, Stewart was elected mayor in 1890.
Together with his business partner Frank Fee—who also served as mayor—they established Fee & Stewart Hardware Co. and Fee Mortuary Company along New Haven Avenue. Their enterprise grew to include farm equipment, furniture sales, banking services, and funeral directing. The banking operations supported hardware sales by offering credit options to clients. On April 3, 1893, they launched Melbourne State Bank to address a local need for financial services; however, it ultimately ceased operations during the Great Depression.
In 1902, Fee divested his Melbourne ventures to Stewart and relocated to Fort Pierce, where he reopened a banking institution named Bank of Fort Pierce.
Stewart participated as a Republican presidential elector in 1908.
Documents from 1898 indicate his business was situated at 1002 E New Haven Avenue in Melbourne.
Following the devastating "Great Fire" of 1919 that destroyed Stewart’s store on Front Street along with much of downtown Melbourne, the business moved westward beyond U.S. 1 to New Haven Avenue—likely occupying the address at 1002 E New Haven Avenue prior to the fire.
In 1920, he played a foundational role in establishing the Melbourne Golf and Country Club.
Death
Charles Hutchins Stewart passed away in Melbourne on June 18, 1936, and his final resting place is in Daytona Beach.