Tag Archives: Fred Kummer

Mosquito switches of note

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This authentic pioneer mosquito switch appears on page 24 of Sewall’s Point The History of a Peninsular Community on Florida’s Treasure Coast published in 1992. It was barrowed from Garnett Rushing Early to be photographed.

Towns in southeast Florida could not grow because of pesky mosquitoes. Talking about and demonstrating the use of mosquito switches is an effective way of sharing regional history.

When Garnett Early was selling her antiques in 1992 I purchased the same mosquito switch I had photographed for my Sewall’s Point book. The mosquito switch had hung by the door in Garnett’s grandmother, ‘s house on Detroit Street in Stuart near the Martin County Courthouse for as long as Garnett could remember. It has been made by her grandmother’s husband, Fred Kummer. Since Garnett was 69 at time, the mosquito switch was many years old.

The girl with the bow is Garnett’s mother, Clara White. Her grandmother, who later became Elizabeth Kummer, stands in the middle. This photograph was obtained from a glass negative supplied by Stephen Dutcher who was Garnett’s realtor when her house was sold.

http://Historical Society of Martin County

Garnett’s mosquito was donated to the Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island.

This photograph shows the interior of the Capt. Henry Sewall House in Indian RiverSide Park. One of my replica mosquito switches has been hanging by the door since I gave history talks on Wednesdays. Bruce and Barbara Osborn have been hosting visitors on certain Wednesdays since I “retired.”.

Pioneers not only walked around swinging mosquito switches, switches were hung outside doors so the pests could be swished off as a person quickly entered a screen door and closed it. After photographing the mosquito switch in the Capt. Henry Sewall House I went to the Stuart Heritage Museum on Flagler Avenue in Historic Downtown Stuart to photograph their mosquito switches.

The mosquito switches hanging the the Stuart Heritage Museum are both authentic pioneer examples and replicas made by members of Stuart Heritage in the 1990s.

Lauri Bradfield was President of Stuart Heritage, Inc. in 1992. She became an enthusiastic supporter of using mosquito switches to tell about pioneer days. She learned to make them and even made tiny switches to sell for Christmas tree ornaments.http://Stuart Heritage Museum