Some people live lives that go completely undocumented, and some of those people still end up a part of history. AJ Larkin of Palm Beach lived a long and fulfilling life that leaves traces of influence over American history. He was a countryman and a family man who worked hard as a farmer and blacksmith, served his country overseas and then came home to claim new territory in an undeveloped part of the nation. His story is unique and interesting, and most of it was undocumented at the time. He left a crumb trail however with the people that he met and had influence on, who all gave testament to this incredible man’s history.

It all started where he grew up, in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a gardener by hobby. He learned to grow strawberries from his mom, and one day tilled an acre of their land and started a strawberry farm from there. He made good money selling the fruit at his roadside stand in the summertime. In the meantime, his dad had also fixed some of his farming tools through his welding and blacksmith abilities, which intrigued Andrew to follow his father’s teachings.

Despite his talent in both of these fields, he had a spontaneous interest in dentistry that he decided to pursue when he had graduated from high school. His endeavor was sidetracked however when his then-girlfriend announced that he was going to be a father. He immediately left school and put his farming and blacksmith skills to use so he could afford to raise a family. Five more children later, and he had managed to raise them all well with his two sources of income.

After his sixth son was old enough to care for his mother if need be, AJ Larkin decided to take up something he had thought about for a long time. He had always wanted to serve his country, so he joined the military. It was at an appropriate time, as the Philippine-American War was starting to brew up with the rise of rebel forces in the country. So for the entire duration of the war, Andrew fought for his country for a little more than three years before coming home and retiring. He and his family lived in Palm Beach until he passed away in 1930.