John H. Harvell

Term of Office, 1913-1921

 John H. Harvell was born in Alabama in 1866. The Harvell family relocated to the Florida Panhandle area of Holley in 1871. As a young man, the well-educated Harvell endeavored into the logging and water transportation business where he earned steamboat fame in county waterways and the coastal areas. In 1899, “Captain” Harvell was elected and served ten years as the Santa Rosa County representative in the Florida Legislature.

 In 1912, Harvell was elected sheriff, a capacity in which he served for eight years. As sheriff, Harvell and his family resided in the local jail where they fed and cared for prisoners. In the early years of his office, Sheriff Harvell bore the burden of dealing with a major gun battle, which left two prominent citizens of Santa Rosa dead and three or more wounded. The gunfight was fought in the Munson area early in December 1916. The skirmish was believed to have been due to an old feud that had existed among parties in the local area for years with the catalyst being an argument over the sale of whiskey. This was during a time when Santa Rosa County witnessed great unrest due to the new prohibition law. Enforcement of this law presented a tremendous challenge to law enforcement officers and the office of the sheriff. In the end, Harvell quelled the disturbance and the local community mourned the great loss of two of its citizens. This time of unrest was unequaled only to the national unrest predicated by WWI.   

One of Harvell’s greatest achievements, while in office, was the solving of the Wyman murder case. This case widely affected the southern portion of the county. During his years of public service, Sheriff Harvell received numerous accolades from constituents and colleagues alike. Following his 2nd term in office, Harvell returned to work in the Florida House of Representatives and later served as Mayor of Milton. Harvell died in 1949 and is buried in the Bagdad Cemetery.