Ethel Carrington Spires – Hernando’s Ace Reporter
By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
Forget about drones, cameras and phone taps. Who needs the CIA? For over 40 years, Ethel Carrington Spires (aka “Mrs. R.M. Spires”) kept a watchful eye on everyday events in Hernando – and reported almost everything she saw to readers of the Citrus County Chronicle.
Ethel Carrington was born in Marion County on March 12, 1884. She displayed a flair for writing stories from a very young age. Her parents hired a private tutor to instruct the family’s children, but the experience ended in failure when it was discovered that the tutor detested small children. Her father led the drive to erect a small one-room schoolhouse in Kendrick, FL. She recalled that the school could hold a maximum of twenty-four students. Rather than paper, each pupil had a slate tablet and they used chalk to complete their assignments. She continued her education in the Ocala schools and graduated with excellent grades. After receiving her 8th-grade certificate, Ethel passed the county teacher’s exam at the age of 17 and began her educational career.
At that time many teachers possessed a third-grade certificate and were about 16 years old. Salaries averaged about $25 per month and $10 was deducted for board and laundry. The wearing of imitation jewelry was forbidden. A teacher’s social life was restricted to the weekends and she was not allowed to have dates on the weekday evenings. Classes were held five days per week for six months of the year and meetings with parents were held on Saturdays, if needed. For most ladies, teaching was a profession that provided an independent living until they decided to get married.
A Young Bride
Richard M. Spires was a successful merchant in Hernando FL. He built a homestead on what is now Route 41 and added an adjacent store. He had married Leonorah Clark in 1886. As was the custom of the time, their family quickly grew, but not without a great deal of heartbreak. Many of the children, including a pair of twins, never made it to adulthood. His wife Leonorah passed away in 1898, leaving the widower with four children to raise on his own. A popular young teacher from nearby Marion county, Ethel Carrington, caught his eye. After taking Miss Carrington for long carriage rides in the countryside, he proposed marriage. She accepted and moved to the rough-and-tumble town of Hernando in October 1904. They were married in January 1905. She later wrote that the area was in the midst of the phosphate boom and the miners could be a rowdy lot. She wryly remarked that no respectable woman would be seen on the streets of Hernando after sunset. On the other hand, the workers required goods that her new husband gladly supplied and his store prospered during that time.
In addition to serving as step-mother to Spires four children, Ethel Spires bore twelve more offspring – six sons and six daughters – during their marriage.
Newspaper Correspondent
Ethel Spires had a long career as a local news correspondent for the Citrus County Chronicle. As part of her duties, she made herself aware of practically everything that happened in her corner of the world. She contacted all of the local fish camps to see who had checked in and whether or not they were catching anything in the lake. Visitors from out of town were duly noted for everyone to see. Children’s birthday parties received extensive coverage: the names of the children attending, the games that they played, some of the gifts that were received and a description of the cake. Residents who were ill were published along with a note whether they were in the hospital or not and (in some cases) the nature of the malady that befell the hapless resident. People were encouraged to call Mrs. Spires and “drop a dime” on anything their neighbors were doing that may be of interest.
Reading through some of the Hernando updates today seem somewhat intrusive in light of the contemporary privacy laws. However, no one seemed to complain when their names appeared in one of Mrs. Spires updates. Even during those times when Ethel Spires was confined to her home, she managed to keep her finger on the pulse of the community.
Eleanor Roosevelt Visits Hernando
Eleanor Roosevelt was a personal heroine for Ethel Spires. She was strong, articular and spoke her mind. Her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, used his wife as an advisor and surrogate at public events. Mrs. Roosevelt frequently traveled across the country on behalf of the President. She liked to mingle with ordinary people to measure the pulse of the county. The popular First Lady authored a daily journal of her beliefs and activities (“My Day”) that was nationally syndicated and eagerly read by legions of women.
While some of today’s news reporters relentlessly follow public figures to get their big “scoop” (even to the point of tracking them down while they camp on vacation in the woods), there was different protocol during the mid-1900’s. Leaders could let reporters know that they would be on vacation and ask the journalists to respect their privacy during personal time.
Ethel Spires observed this unwritten rule when a woman with a familiar face sat down for lunch at the Seminole Station café in Hernando. As it turns out, Mrs. Roosevelt was traveling by car from Jacksonville to visit relatives in Sarasota. While she tried to remain inconspicuous at the cafe, she was so well-known that Mrs. Spires and proprietor Mrs. Robert Mullis immediately suspected the identity of their guest. Respecting her desire for privacy, Ethel Spires resisted the urge to immediately report the event in the newspaper and waited until Mrs. Roosevelt arrived at her destination before filing her report with the Citrus County Chronicle. Mrs. Spires remarked “Quite a thrill was felt through the town when it was reported that the country’s First Lady with three companions stopped at the Seminole Lunch Room for lunch Monday. The party was traveling incognito…Mrs. Roosevelt radiated personality and we were all thrilled to see her”.
Hernando Civic Leader
In addition to her newspaper correspondent role, Mrs. Spires was a leader in her community. She helped found the Hernando Civic Club, which joined in association with other organizations to form the Citizen’s Council for Citrus County. She was a member of the Inverness Women’s Club and served as an officer in the local Rebekah Lodge (a branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternal organization). She was deeply involved in the county Demonstration Club, which was a type of home economics group offered to local women. The federal government provided funding for local clubs through the County Extension office. The groups were presented with better techniques for growing vegetables, cooking and preserving food through canning. She was the chairperson of the County Library Board.
Religious life was very important for Mrs. Spires. She was a pillar of the local Methodist Church and strongly advocated for family prayer. When the church discontinued Wednesday night services, she organized her own prayer group for like-minded ladies in Hernando.
Hernando Political Leader
While she didn’t run for elected office, Ethel Spires made her views on society and politics known through the newspapers. She was a frequent contributor to the “Letters to The Editor” of the Tampa newspapers and sometimes engaged in feisty discussions with other readers. When one man complained about the bad luck in his life, Mrs. Spires told him that “if he doesn’t want to be walked on, then he needs to stop acting like a doormat”.
Ethel Spires was intensely patriotic and decried the decline of interest in American History by younger generations. She wrote several long articles on the Pioneer Days in Hernando so later students would have a first-hand account of her experiences. Her handwritten transcripts are available in the archives of the Citrus County Historical Society.
Epilogue
Ethel Carrington Spires led a long and fulfilling life. Even after being confined to wheelchair for two years as a result of an automobile accident, she continued to write articles and author more stories on local history. She attributed her longevity to leading a religious, steadfast and clean life. Her personal scrapbook contains inspirational stories and quotations from various bible verses. Her approach is graphically depicted in “The House of Life”, below.
She passed away at the age of 80 on August 19, 1964.
