Duncan Gillis McQuagge was born November 25, 1888 in Chipley, Florida in the area known as Orange Hill. He died November 1, 1952 in Panama City, Florida. Duncan married Lulia Dart Barrett on January 17, 1915 in Marianna, Florida. Lulia was the daughter of Manley Barrett and Sarah Myers Barrett. They had three children Inez, Houston Savely, and James Gillis McQuagge.
He was appointed the first Agricultural County Agent of Washington County, Florida in 1915-1916.
My father, H. Savely McQuagge, wrote that at the time of his birth in 1917, "my daddy was employed by the Bureau of Extension Work of the South, and when I was but a small boy of three months we got a raise to come to Bay County. We lived at the hotel and at that age I amused myself by sitting in the lap of young girls and kidding traveling men. After a year and a half we were successful in fooling the people and got a substantial raise from the County. It kinda went to our heads. We thought we were really of some service so my daddy resigned in good standing with the Department, and we moved to Pensacola to engage in the Tractor and Truck business (I.C.H. Line). I would have had a profitable and extensive time at Pensacola had it not been for the enfluenza--we both arrived at the same time. The whole family nearly failed to survive as there was not a physician or nurse to be had, even if you promised to pay. So in that case we turned to the Good Lord. He sent an old Catholic Sister to our house where we were all fit to die. By providence administered by the old Sister, whom I will always love and respect, we all pulled through. What tickled and surprised daddy was that she would not accept any pay for her services....We were then offered a position on a large plantation in South Georgia. As we were broke, as daddy didn't like his work, and as mother and I insisted, we move to Georgia. I'll never forget this event in my whole useful life. It seemed as if there were a hundred mules on that farm, which I later found out by research to be only forty eight.....From Georgia we were lured by the Florida boom, and being natural Florida crackers, we thought it was ours to enjoy. If a fight, it was still our native state, so no quicker than I suggested it to daddy than here we came back to the land of flowers, sunshine, health, happiness, inflation and flirtation."
Duncan moved to Georgia and farmed near Albany, Georgia in the early 1920's. He came back to Florida and Panama City during the Florida Land Boom in the late 1920's to sell real estate.
In 1932 Duncan ran his first campaign for Tax Assessor of Bay County, Florida. "His campaign expenses consisted of the cost of twelve cards that were printed plus five dollars worth of gasoline. He would hand a voter the card to read and then ask for it back saying he was running a 'depression campaign'. The voters were told he would save them their tax money just as he had saved his campaign expenses. Duncan was well known for his style of telling stories. He had a special talent for story telling. He never made serious promises during his campaigns but people knew he was honest and he could tell a good story. The people of Bay County must have loved his stories and the man because he was elected for five consecutive terms."1
One of Duncan's most famous stories was about being depressed during an election campaign while sitting out on the porch listening to the crickets saying…wayne, wayne, wayne……(His opponent was Wayne Lee). Then he heard a bull frog deep in the swamp bellow….dunk, dunk, dunk. After that he said he knew everything would be alright.
His political philosophy was: "If somebody accuses you of something, admit it. If you don't, they'll prove it on you." He started every new campaign by picking a public argument with the local slum lord and the bolita kingpen so everybody would know that they were not on his side.
"For twenty years our Courthouse has been known as the 'Smiling Courthouse.' Visitors to Panama City marveled at the perfectly outlined 'Smile' that everyone could plainly see on the face of the building. Usually dull and dreary, brisk and businesslike; Courthouses in general are far too serious. But not the Bay County Courthouse for the past two decades.
That was because Dunc McQuagge put laughter into the heart of our Courthouse and the 'Smile' on its face. Where the big hallways cross on the main floor of our Courthouse, right next to the Coca-Cola machine, that was Dunc's Court. When Dunc went into session, a crowd would gather. Wit and wisdom were dispensed by King Dunc. No matter how blue you felt, no matter how high your troubles had piled, King Dunc would lighten your load. The Courthouse is just another courthouse now. The big 'smile' is gone from its face, the laughter has left its heart. Where the big hallways cross is nothing but a blank space now. It will never be the same again."2
He was the Tax Assessor of Bay County from 1932 to 1952.
Written by his grandson William Duncan McQuagge
Sources:
Family information
1. "Steel Tanks and Tank Builders" by E. W. Brown, Sr. (husband of his niece Gertrude Blue Brown)
2. November 1952 Editiorial in the Bay County Citizen newspaper.
He was appointed the first Agricultural County Agent of Washington County, Florida in 1915-1916.
My father, H. Savely McQuagge, wrote that at the time of his birth in 1917, "my daddy was employed by the Bureau of Extension Work of the South, and when I was but a small boy of three months we got a raise to come to Bay County. We lived at the hotel and at that age I amused myself by sitting in the lap of young girls and kidding traveling men. After a year and a half we were successful in fooling the people and got a substantial raise from the County. It kinda went to our heads. We thought we were really of some service so my daddy resigned in good standing with the Department, and we moved to Pensacola to engage in the Tractor and Truck business (I.C.H. Line). I would have had a profitable and extensive time at Pensacola had it not been for the enfluenza--we both arrived at the same time. The whole family nearly failed to survive as there was not a physician or nurse to be had, even if you promised to pay. So in that case we turned to the Good Lord. He sent an old Catholic Sister to our house where we were all fit to die. By providence administered by the old Sister, whom I will always love and respect, we all pulled through. What tickled and surprised daddy was that she would not accept any pay for her services....We were then offered a position on a large plantation in South Georgia. As we were broke, as daddy didn't like his work, and as mother and I insisted, we move to Georgia. I'll never forget this event in my whole useful life. It seemed as if there were a hundred mules on that farm, which I later found out by research to be only forty eight.....From Georgia we were lured by the Florida boom, and being natural Florida crackers, we thought it was ours to enjoy. If a fight, it was still our native state, so no quicker than I suggested it to daddy than here we came back to the land of flowers, sunshine, health, happiness, inflation and flirtation."
Duncan moved to Georgia and farmed near Albany, Georgia in the early 1920's. He came back to Florida and Panama City during the Florida Land Boom in the late 1920's to sell real estate.
In 1932 Duncan ran his first campaign for Tax Assessor of Bay County, Florida. "His campaign expenses consisted of the cost of twelve cards that were printed plus five dollars worth of gasoline. He would hand a voter the card to read and then ask for it back saying he was running a 'depression campaign'. The voters were told he would save them their tax money just as he had saved his campaign expenses. Duncan was well known for his style of telling stories. He had a special talent for story telling. He never made serious promises during his campaigns but people knew he was honest and he could tell a good story. The people of Bay County must have loved his stories and the man because he was elected for five consecutive terms."1
One of Duncan's most famous stories was about being depressed during an election campaign while sitting out on the porch listening to the crickets saying…wayne, wayne, wayne……(His opponent was Wayne Lee). Then he heard a bull frog deep in the swamp bellow….dunk, dunk, dunk. After that he said he knew everything would be alright.
His political philosophy was: "If somebody accuses you of something, admit it. If you don't, they'll prove it on you." He started every new campaign by picking a public argument with the local slum lord and the bolita kingpen so everybody would know that they were not on his side.
"For twenty years our Courthouse has been known as the 'Smiling Courthouse.' Visitors to Panama City marveled at the perfectly outlined 'Smile' that everyone could plainly see on the face of the building. Usually dull and dreary, brisk and businesslike; Courthouses in general are far too serious. But not the Bay County Courthouse for the past two decades.
That was because Dunc McQuagge put laughter into the heart of our Courthouse and the 'Smile' on its face. Where the big hallways cross on the main floor of our Courthouse, right next to the Coca-Cola machine, that was Dunc's Court. When Dunc went into session, a crowd would gather. Wit and wisdom were dispensed by King Dunc. No matter how blue you felt, no matter how high your troubles had piled, King Dunc would lighten your load. The Courthouse is just another courthouse now. The big 'smile' is gone from its face, the laughter has left its heart. Where the big hallways cross is nothing but a blank space now. It will never be the same again."2
He was the Tax Assessor of Bay County from 1932 to 1952.
Written by his grandson William Duncan McQuagge
Sources:
Family information
1. "Steel Tanks and Tank Builders" by E. W. Brown, Sr. (husband of his niece Gertrude Blue Brown)
2. November 1952 Editiorial in the Bay County Citizen newspaper.
Duncan Gillis McQuagge was born November 25, 1888 in Chipley, Florida in the area known as Orange Hill. He died November 1, 1952 in Panama City, Florida. Duncan married Lulia Dart Barrett on January 17, 1915 in Marianna, Florida. Lulia was the daughter of Manley Barrett and Sarah Myers Barrett. They had three children Inez, Houston Savely, and James Gillis McQuagge.
He was appointed the first Agricultural County Agent of Washington County, Florida in 1915-1916.
My father, H. Savely McQuagge, wrote that at the time of his birth in 1917, "my daddy was employed by the Bureau of Extension Work of the South, and when I was but a small boy of three months we got a raise to come to Bay County. We lived at the hotel and at that age I amused myself by sitting in the lap of young girls and kidding traveling men. After a year and a half we were successful in fooling the people and got a substantial raise from the County. It kinda went to our heads. We thought we were really of some service so my daddy resigned in good standing with the Department, and we moved to Pensacola to engage in the Tractor and Truck business (I.C.H. Line). I would have had a profitable and extensive time at Pensacola had it not been for the enfluenza--we both arrived at the same time. The whole family nearly failed to survive as there was not a physician or nurse to be had, even if you promised to pay. So in that case we turned to the Good Lord. He sent an old Catholic Sister to our house where we were all fit to die. By providence administered by the old Sister, whom I will always love and respect, we all pulled through. What tickled and surprised daddy was that she would not accept any pay for her services....We were then offered a position on a large plantation in South Georgia. As we were broke, as daddy didn't like his work, and as mother and I insisted, we move to Georgia. I'll never forget this event in my whole useful life. It seemed as if there were a hundred mules on that farm, which I later found out by research to be only forty eight.....From Georgia we were lured by the Florida boom, and being natural Florida crackers, we thought it was ours to enjoy. If a fight, it was still our native state, so no quicker than I suggested it to daddy than here we came back to the land of flowers, sunshine, health, happiness, inflation and flirtation."
Duncan moved to Georgia and farmed near Albany, Georgia in the early 1920's. He came back to Florida and Panama City during the Florida Land Boom in the late 1920's to sell real estate.
In 1932 Duncan ran his first campaign for Tax Assessor of Bay County, Florida. "His campaign expenses consisted of the cost of twelve cards that were printed plus five dollars worth of gasoline. He would hand a voter the card to read and then ask for it back saying he was running a 'depression campaign'. The voters were told he would save them their tax money just as he had saved his campaign expenses. Duncan was well known for his style of telling stories. He had a special talent for story telling. He never made serious promises during his campaigns but people knew he was honest and he could tell a good story. The people of Bay County must have loved his stories and the man because he was elected for five consecutive terms."1
One of Duncan's most famous stories was about being depressed during an election campaign while sitting out on the porch listening to the crickets saying…wayne, wayne, wayne……(His opponent was Wayne Lee). Then he heard a bull frog deep in the swamp bellow….dunk, dunk, dunk. After that he said he knew everything would be alright.
His political philosophy was: "If somebody accuses you of something, admit it. If you don't, they'll prove it on you." He started every new campaign by picking a public argument with the local slum lord and the bolita kingpen so everybody would know that they were not on his side.
"For twenty years our Courthouse has been known as the 'Smiling Courthouse.' Visitors to Panama City marveled at the perfectly outlined 'Smile' that everyone could plainly see on the face of the building. Usually dull and dreary, brisk and businesslike; Courthouses in general are far too serious. But not the Bay County Courthouse for the past two decades.
That was because Dunc McQuagge put laughter into the heart of our Courthouse and the 'Smile' on its face. Where the big hallways cross on the main floor of our Courthouse, right next to the Coca-Cola machine, that was Dunc's Court. When Dunc went into session, a crowd would gather. Wit and wisdom were dispensed by King Dunc. No matter how blue you felt, no matter how high your troubles had piled, King Dunc would lighten your load. The Courthouse is just another courthouse now. The big 'smile' is gone from its face, the laughter has left its heart. Where the big hallways cross is nothing but a blank space now. It will never be the same again."2
He was the Tax Assessor of Bay County from 1932 to 1952.
Written by his grandson William Duncan McQuagge
Sources:
Family information
1. "Steel Tanks and Tank Builders" by E. W. Brown, Sr. (husband of his niece Gertrude Blue Brown)
2. November 1952 Editiorial in the Bay County Citizen newspaper.
He was appointed the first Agricultural County Agent of Washington County, Florida in 1915-1916.
My father, H. Savely McQuagge, wrote that at the time of his birth in 1917, "my daddy was employed by the Bureau of Extension Work of the South, and when I was but a small boy of three months we got a raise to come to Bay County. We lived at the hotel and at that age I amused myself by sitting in the lap of young girls and kidding traveling men. After a year and a half we were successful in fooling the people and got a substantial raise from the County. It kinda went to our heads. We thought we were really of some service so my daddy resigned in good standing with the Department, and we moved to Pensacola to engage in the Tractor and Truck business (I.C.H. Line). I would have had a profitable and extensive time at Pensacola had it not been for the enfluenza--we both arrived at the same time. The whole family nearly failed to survive as there was not a physician or nurse to be had, even if you promised to pay. So in that case we turned to the Good Lord. He sent an old Catholic Sister to our house where we were all fit to die. By providence administered by the old Sister, whom I will always love and respect, we all pulled through. What tickled and surprised daddy was that she would not accept any pay for her services....We were then offered a position on a large plantation in South Georgia. As we were broke, as daddy didn't like his work, and as mother and I insisted, we move to Georgia. I'll never forget this event in my whole useful life. It seemed as if there were a hundred mules on that farm, which I later found out by research to be only forty eight.....From Georgia we were lured by the Florida boom, and being natural Florida crackers, we thought it was ours to enjoy. If a fight, it was still our native state, so no quicker than I suggested it to daddy than here we came back to the land of flowers, sunshine, health, happiness, inflation and flirtation."
Duncan moved to Georgia and farmed near Albany, Georgia in the early 1920's. He came back to Florida and Panama City during the Florida Land Boom in the late 1920's to sell real estate.
In 1932 Duncan ran his first campaign for Tax Assessor of Bay County, Florida. "His campaign expenses consisted of the cost of twelve cards that were printed plus five dollars worth of gasoline. He would hand a voter the card to read and then ask for it back saying he was running a 'depression campaign'. The voters were told he would save them their tax money just as he had saved his campaign expenses. Duncan was well known for his style of telling stories. He had a special talent for story telling. He never made serious promises during his campaigns but people knew he was honest and he could tell a good story. The people of Bay County must have loved his stories and the man because he was elected for five consecutive terms."1
One of Duncan's most famous stories was about being depressed during an election campaign while sitting out on the porch listening to the crickets saying…wayne, wayne, wayne……(His opponent was Wayne Lee). Then he heard a bull frog deep in the swamp bellow….dunk, dunk, dunk. After that he said he knew everything would be alright.
His political philosophy was: "If somebody accuses you of something, admit it. If you don't, they'll prove it on you." He started every new campaign by picking a public argument with the local slum lord and the bolita kingpen so everybody would know that they were not on his side.
"For twenty years our Courthouse has been known as the 'Smiling Courthouse.' Visitors to Panama City marveled at the perfectly outlined 'Smile' that everyone could plainly see on the face of the building. Usually dull and dreary, brisk and businesslike; Courthouses in general are far too serious. But not the Bay County Courthouse for the past two decades.
That was because Dunc McQuagge put laughter into the heart of our Courthouse and the 'Smile' on its face. Where the big hallways cross on the main floor of our Courthouse, right next to the Coca-Cola machine, that was Dunc's Court. When Dunc went into session, a crowd would gather. Wit and wisdom were dispensed by King Dunc. No matter how blue you felt, no matter how high your troubles had piled, King Dunc would lighten your load. The Courthouse is just another courthouse now. The big 'smile' is gone from its face, the laughter has left its heart. Where the big hallways cross is nothing but a blank space now. It will never be the same again."2
He was the Tax Assessor of Bay County from 1932 to 1952.
Written by his grandson William Duncan McQuagge
Sources:
Family information
1. "Steel Tanks and Tank Builders" by E. W. Brown, Sr. (husband of his niece Gertrude Blue Brown)
2. November 1952 Editiorial in the Bay County Citizen newspaper.
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