The original owners were James L. and Mary Lula Seward Sandlin. James was a member of the first City Council and also mayor of the new city. Of their six children born in the new city a baby boy lived only 3 days and their second child, Felix, died at 12 years old in 1902. James Sandlin was an orphan who came to the area with the Morgan family prior to the town of Trabue platting and first settled on Alligator Creek. He was here to see the first train arrive and soon was engaged in real estate, mercantile, citrus and coastal shipping businesses. The "widow's walk" on the home enabled Sandlin to check ships at the nearby dock. He died in 1903. The house was purchased by Daniel Frank Smoak and also a mayor of Punta Gorda. Judee Vee Smoak Moore is his daughter and her son Ricky Moore has contributed to this information.
