Laura Upthegrove

Biography

Laura Upthegrove was born in 1896 in the Florida wilderness and came of age as the state shifted from frontier settlement to the Prohibition era. She carved out a life alongside family and neighbors in the Everglades, navigating often harsh conditions while striving to protect those around her; her name later became associated with the Ashley gang of the early 1920s, a reflection of the desperate times and the fierce loyalty she felt for her loved ones.

Her story has become interwoven with the history of the region, remembered for the fierce loyalty she showed her community and the complex choices forced upon her by a changing world; she now rests at Woodlawn Cemetery as part of that enduring legacy.