Political Career and Later Life
After Florida surrendered to Federal occupation in the spring of 1865, Hendry represented Polk County at the Second Constitutional Convention in Tallahassee. He was also elected to the state senate, representing Polk and Brevard Counties, until 1866.
After the Reconstruction government was installed in Tallahassee in 1868, former Confederate officers were not welcome to hold elective office on the state level. So, Berry Hendry returned to Polk County, and was appointed to serve on the Board of Public Instruction.
During the Reconstruction Era, Hendry continued to build and improve his cattle empire. He made his new headquarters in the abandoned officers' barracks at Fort Myers, and made contact with buyers from Cuba. He was among the first Florida ranchers to ship cattle to that country through the port of Punta Rassa. By 1876, he had fenced-in some 25,000 acres (101 km2) of range land and owned about 50,000 head of cattle.
On August 12, 1885, Hendry chaired a public meeting held at the schoolhouse in Fort Myers, at the corner of Second and Lee Streets. There, the electors voted to incorporate the town, and Hendry became one of its first councilmen. As such, in 1887, he led efforts to create Lee County, Florida, and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners.
By 1888, Hendry had moved his ranching headquarters to the vicinity of Fort Thompson. He also began to dispose of much of his range cattle in favor of Jersey and other breeds in an effort to improve the quality of his stock. He also acquired large tracts of marshland along the Caloosahatchee River for grazing. In 1893, Major Hendry was elected to represent Lee County in the state legislature, and served for more than a decade. In 1895, he platted the town of LaBelle, Florida, which he named for his daughters Laura and Belle Hendry.
During his last years, Major Hendry retired to Fort Myers for better access to medical care. He suffered from chronic nephritis, a kidney disease. And, the state awarded him a monthly pension of twenty dollars.
Read more about this topic: Francis A. Hendry
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