Rick Modine Oral History Collection

The Richard R. "Rick" Modine Jr. Oral History Collection chronicles more than a century of ranching life in St. Lucie County, Florida, through the memories and storytelling of one of the region’s longtime cattle families. Richard “Rick” Modine Jr. reflects on his upbringing on a seven-thousand-acre family ranch near Fort Pierce and shares stories passed down through eight generations of Florida cattlemen. Speaking both in his own voice and in that of his great-grandfather, W. W. Carlton (1874-1964), Modine brings to life the evolution of Florida’s cattle industry, from the open-range era to the rise of fencing laws, disease control efforts, and modern water management.

Through rich descriptions of ranching practices, family heritage, and environmental change, this collection preserves the legacy of the Carlton-Modine family and the broader “Cracker” cattle culture that helped shape the social and agricultural landscape of South Florida.