James B. PARRAMORE
Mayor of Orlando 1897-1902

James B. “Buck” PARRAMORE served a record six terms as mayor of Orlando. E. H. GORE, in his History of Orlando, said of Mayor PARRAMORE, “Many perplexing problems in regard to city welfare came up during his administration, but he never became excited, and solved them in his calm and dignified manner. He was held in high esteem by the citizens of the city” Buck PARRAMORE was born in Thomasville, GA on January 20, 1840, but had moved to Madison County, FL by 1845. He was the son of Redden W. and Mary Ann (TOOKE) PARRAMORE. He then moved with his family to Orlando about 1881. He married before 1870 to Agnes F. [possibly FINEGAN] and was widowed before 1880. He remarried Dec 20, 1883 in Hall Co, GA to Leila LONG, born July 1858. He and Leila had two sons, Henry L., born January 1885, and James B., born October 1887. Buck PARRAMORE died in office in 6 Feb 1902. The town minutes recorded, “The city has lost a mayor who in his official capacity truly represented the honor and dignity and integrity of the office vested in him.” By 1910, Leila is living in Jacksonville with her two sons. James, 23, is a physician and surgeon; Henry, 25, is a traveling salesman for a drug company. By 1930, Leila PARRAMORE, aged 72, is living with her son, Henry, and his wife, Alice. Henry is proprietor of a surgical supply company. James is married to Ellen and working as a general physician. Leila PARRAMORE died in Jacksonville in 1946. BuckPARRAMORE’S younger sister Mollie married Major Mathew MARKS, who was mayor of Orlando 1889- 1890 and the subject of an article in the Summer 2007 issue of Buried Treasures. During Mayor PARRAMORE’s terms as mayor, Orlando changed from a village to a city. Among the problems he coped with during that time were the fire department, sanitation, cesspools, street lighting, arch lamps, paving, parks, and the jail. During his term, the privately owned Orlando Water and Light Company was organized; in 1898 the peninsular Electric Light and Power Company was granted the franchise to install arc lights in Orlando at $5.00 each. William R. O’NEAL, in his Memoirs of a Pioneer, said of Buck PARRAMORE “if you can vision a tall, dignified, courtly man, soft-spoken, never in a hurry, wearing a white string tie, always using an ebony cane with gold head, you will know Capt. Buck PARRAMORE”. James PARRAMORE served in the Confederate Army, enlisting at the age of 21 on 12 Aug 1861 in Madison, Florida His military records state: “Transferred out of Company C, 4th Infantry Regiment Florida; Commission in Company C, 4th Infantry Regiment Florida on 12 Aug 1861; promoted to Full 1st Lieutenant on 12 May 1862; promoted to Full Captain on 14 Apr 1863". He was discharged on April 26, 1865. His wife, Leila, applied for a widow’s pension in August 1931. She received a pension of $480 per year [application #23849, Florida Pension Records] In his application for membership to the United Confederate Veterans in 1891, Buck PARRAMORE stated “I entered the Infantry Service of the Confederate States of America on or about the 15th day of June, 1861, as Private in Company C, 4th Florida Regiment, at Madison, F. At the reorganization of the regiment in 1862, I was elected Captain of Co, C. Went with the Company and Regiment to Army of Tennessee soon after. Was engaged in the battle about Murfresboro, Lookout Mountain, Reseca, etc. In 1864, was transferred to VA as Capt., and Asst Inspector Genl. for Genl. Jos FINEGAN. Served with Genl. FINEGAN till end of war. I surrendered at Madison, FL about __ day of April 1865”.