Francis Henry Fee

Francis "Frank" Henry Fee (1850 – 1930) was the seventh and ninth mayor of Melbourne, Florida serving from 1896 to 1899 and 1899 to 1901. He also served as the fourth mayor of Fort Pierce, Florida from 1905 to 1907. He was born in Niles, Ohio, the son of Dr. William Miller Fee. In 1872, he married Margaret Irwin while living in Franklin, Pennsylvania. They had two sons, William and Fred. Fred would also serve as mayor of Fort Pierce like his father. His father, Dr. William Fee moved to Melbourne in 1884, and Frank Fee moved to Melbourne from Franklin, in 1887. He opened a hardware store and mortuary named Fee & Stewart Hardware Co. and Fee Mortuary Company with his partner, Charles H. Stewart, who had also served as mayor. Fee was in the hardware business in Pennsylvania. The business expanded to include farm supplies, furniture, a bank and an undertaking parlor. In those days, banking was a natural extension of the hardware business, because they very often had to extend credit to their customers. Fee founded the Melbourne State Bank on April 3, 1893. At that time, it the nearest bank was in St. Augustine. The bank closed during the Depression. In 1902, Fee sold his interests in Melbourne to Stewart and moved to Fort Pierce where he reopened the bank, renaming it the Bank of Fort Pierce. He served as city alderman in Fort Pierce from 1904 to 1905, and as mayor from 1905 to 1907. Fee apparently had advanced views for his times. He opposed the death penalty and he supported compulsory education.

Legacy

• Fee Avenue in downtown Melbourne is named for him.