babette boulevard

We heard again from Travis Puterbaugh, researcher for the Tampa Bay History Center. As is often the case, Travis was recently asked about the name of a few streets, and after digging up the answers, he forwarded the interesting stuff on to us.

George H. Packwood, a successful military man, bought the first deed in Maitland, FL in 1873. After a freeze ruined his orange groves, the Packwood family packed up for Tampa in the 1880’s.

George brought his entire family to the west coast: Wife Lahvesia, Son George H. Jr, and daughters, Mary, Eunice, Lahvesia, and one they all called “Babette.” They settled in Hyde Park, just west of downtown.

Within the Packwood Subdivision, there were a number of streets named after the family. Packwood St. was named after George Sr. The kids each got a street based on their names, too. Unfortunately, Lahvesia, Mary and Eunice streets have since disappeared. But I’m sure you’ve driven down the road named after George Horatio Packwood, Jr., as well as the one for Babette’s real name, Azeele. See the map.

And you were googling Babette Avenue.

As you might imagine, there are similarly named roads in Maitland. Incidentally, Maitland is named after William Seton Maitland, who was never in that area, but died during the Seminole Wars in a battle near Tampa.

Travis found the info in the November 1988 edition of The Sunland Tribune in an article written by Ernest Packwood McBryde (pdf), Packwood’s grandson.

Thanks a bunch to USF Libraries Special Collections and, of course, Travis at the Tampa Bay History Center.