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Name and location of repository
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Name of creator
Biographical history
A.B. Hurst operated a coontie starch mill near Little River from around 1908. Some time in 1919 or 1920 the business moved to the "Kendal" area in southwest Dade County (near present-day U.S. 1 and S.W. 104 Street), closer to unharvested fields of the coontie plant (Zamia Floridiana). World War I increased demand for the starch, which was found to be easily digested by soldiers who had been gassed. In 1921 Hurst began the process of incorporating the family business; by 1925 the demand for the starch had declined, and the company ceased operations in 1926.
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Scope and content
[i]Corporation records for the A. B. Hurst Company includes minutes and warranty deeds for properties including two from the Perrine Land Grant Company. Records document the founding and operation of the company's coontie starch mill.[/i]