Jennings resort, inc

ABOUT US

The Jennings Timeline:

May 11, 1885 - Burr Thomas "Pet" Jennings was born in Sumter County, Georgia
May 4, 1893 -  Mellie Mae Wise was born in Webster County, Georgia
1908 -1911 - Pet moved to Florida and worked at Kissinger Springs Phosphate Co. in bartow
1912 - Pet returns to Georgia marry Mellie Mae
September 29, 1913 - George Douglas Jennings was born in Plains, Georgia
1915 - Pet, Mae and Douglas moved to Winter Haven in a horse drawn buggy and soon after moved to Haines City.
1916 - Pet discovers Lake Pierce.  He begins commercial fishing using nets, traveling on log roads (5day round trip).  Fish were packed in dry ice for shipping by railroad to the North.
August 1, 1917 - Pet talks Mae into moving to Lake Pierce in a make shift accommodation at Hickory Hammock.                                                                                                                                                                            
April 16, 1920 - Charles Raymond is born in Haines City, Florida.
1924 - Commercial fishing was outlawed.  Pet sold his nets and used proceeds to buy a Model T Ford truck to haul citrus.
March 5, 1925 - Mary Frances was born in Haines City, Florida.
November 10, 1925 - Pet files homestead for property consisting of a 2 room house, a well, a car shed and three acres of cleared land.  They had a garden and chickens which they hauled produce to town to sell and the boys harvested and sold Alligator eggs.
1930's - The car shed was turned into a store and storeroom.
August 14, 1934 - Pet dies from a heart attack after swimming out to help a boater on the lake.
March 25, 1937 - Douglas marries high school sweetheart, Robbye Louise Spears.
June 22, 1938 - Thomas Ellis Jennings was born.
May 29, 1940 - Margaret Louise Jennings was born.
November 11, 1942 - George Douglas Jennings, Jr. was born
February 7, 1948 - Mae "Elizabeth" Jennings was born and same yearHickory Hammock received electricity!!
1950 - Robbye's father E.W. Spears began 20 years of work at the camp.
1952 - Cottages 1 and 2 and restrooms were built.
1953 - Original Store was built.
1954 - Cottages 7 and 8 were built.
1956 - Cottages 9 and 10 were built and telephone service began.
1959 - Home for Grandma Jennings, Mae, was built on site of the original family home later to become cottage 14.
1964 - Cottages 11 and 12 were built.
1969 - Canal was dug to add Marina and Mobile Home Park on previous garden area.  We began renting mobile home lots and expanding.
1973 - Sewer Disposal Plant was built.
1975 - Name changed to Jennings Resort, Inc.
1983 - Rec Hall was built.
May 17, 1989 - Douglas Jennings died.  Robbye and children continued to manage the business.
June 6, 1990 - Grandma Jennings (Mae) dies.
1990's - all cottages are renovated.
1992 - New store was built.
May 17, 2000 - Robbye marries John Major.
2002 - New restrooms, laundry facility and shop built on site of cottage 15.
2003 - Swimming pool built on site of cottage 14.
January 24, 2004 - Jennings Resort celebrated 75 years.
2005 - Charley, Frances and Jean and WE SURVIVED THEM ALL.
February 7, 2009 - We celebrated our 80th anniversary.
March 10, 2009 - We lost Robbye Jennings Major and we (her family) will continue on and hope we make her proud!