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Earl's Hideaway founder moved to Florida with life partner, not family

By Cheryl Smith, Treasure Coast Newspapers USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
1940 engagement announcement for Evelyn Theresa Roberts (1917-95), the first of three children born to Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Earl was 19 when she was born Jan. 4 in Stratford, Connecticut, where he and wife Beatrice lived, and he worked for U.S. Housing Corp. They eventually moved back to their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Evelyn became a nurse, married Charles White, had at least two sons, and was 78 when she died June 4, 1995. She's buried with family in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield. In 1916, Earl was 18, two days shy of his birthday, when he married Beatrice Henrietta LaVallee (1895-1966) of Winooski, Vermont, in Notre Dame Church.
1940 engagement announcement for Evelyn Theresa Roberts (1917-95), the first of three children born to Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Earl was 19 when she was born Jan. 4 in Stratford, Connecticut, where he and wife Beatrice lived, and he worked for U.S. Housing Corp. They eventually moved back to their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Evelyn became a nurse, married Charles White, had at least two sons, and was 78 when she died June 4, 1995. She's buried with family in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield. In 1916, Earl was 18, two days shy of his birthday, when he married Beatrice Henrietta LaVallee (1895-1966) of Winooski, Vermont, in Notre Dame Church. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters

Editor's note: Cheryl Smith attributes all reporting in this series to exhaustive research on newspapers.com, archives.com, fold3.com; Indian River County records; historical societies, museums and Facebook groups in Sebastian, St. Lucie County and Wisconsin; Green Bay Packers team historian Cliff Christl; Sebastian resident Judith Swingle; and Vero Beach attorney Eugene J. O'Neill's book, "Raising the Bar: In and Before Indian River County - A History." Contact her at cheryl.smith@tcpalm.com if you have any photos, records or information that corrects or adds to this account.

Earl Lewis Roberts was one of 11 children who grew up in a family of builders and businessmen.

He was born June 7, 1897, in Stamford, Vermont, but he was raised - and raised his own family - in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He married wife Bea in 1916 and had three children: Evelyn, Celia and Frank.

Evelyn became a nurse. Celia was a 4-pound premature baby not expected to live, but she was 102 when she died in 2021, and was well-known and celebrated for her lifelong dance studio. Little is known about Frank.

If not for Celia, Earl's Hideaway may never have been. Earl and his family nearly died from coal gas asphyxiation on New Year's Eve 1922. Celia's cries woke Earl and Bea, who rushed into their 3-year-old daughter's room and promptly fainted. Earl finally revived and opened the front door. He said he may have opened the "heater check" too far.

Scroll down for snapshots of Earl's children and siblings.

Earl Roberts built Hazelwood Terrace in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Earl was an industrious young man, who at age:

  • 17: Was a carpenter-builder in the family business in 1914
  • 23: Opened his own Durabilt Homes & Realty Co. with a two-man crew in 1920
  • 27: Had built his business to a 23-man crew with a shop at 25 Fern St.
  • 28: Started Pittsfield Lumber Co. at 210 Elm St. in 1925. He was treasurer with 172 shares. Frank L. Roberts (unknown relation) was president and Earl's oldest brother, Art, was vice president, each with 14 shares.
  • 31: Had "made an enviable name for himself," a 1928 news article says of his home design, construction and sales business that almost solely developed a farm into the Hazelwood Terrace neighborhood and had an office in the Agricultural Bank Building. But two businesses was one too many, especially since Frank had left lumberyard to sell cars, so Earl sold the business, then at 208 New West St., to C.S. Ferry & Son.
  • 33: Built the famous Showboat big-band dance hall in the Lebanon Mountain Valley in New Lebanon, New York, in 1930 with brother Art. The landlocked "ocean liner" had a "gangplank" entry and encircling "promenade deck" - with steamer chairs, davits, ladders, life boats and searchlights - where "deep sea fishing" and "kiddie car races" were held. The ballroom had decorations and lighting effects that simulated ocean waves. The "harbor" was a 500-car parking policed by "sailors."

Earl and Art built famous Showboat nightclub in New York

Earl was involved in the community as a member of the Elks Club, Chamber of Commerce and Sacred Heart Church. For the Massachusetts National Guard's first fundraising Halloween costume ball in 1930, Earl and Art turned the armory into a "veritable fairyland of flickering lights and dazzling color" by adding 1,000 lights, refinishing the floors and creating an "innovative orchestra stand shaped like a boat with arched sounding board" - ala Showboat.

When the Depression hit, a bank foreclosed on seven of Earl's properties in 1931. Durabilt was never mentioned again.

By 1940, Earl had left his family in Pittsfield and moved across the state line and over Lebanon Mountain to New Lebanon, where he also owned two restaurants across from Showboat: Earl's New Starlight and Earl's Valley Park.

Earl, 43, lived in a house he owned, along with three women: a married housekeeper, 63; and two single waitresses, 19 and 29. Meantime, wife Bea, 45, lived at 30 Henry Ave. with their daughters, 23 and 21; and son, 10.

From Vermont to Massachusetts to New York to Florida

The first record TCPalm could find linking Earl to Florida was a vacation he took in 1939. He started taking frequent business trips back and forth from Pittsfield and New Lebanon to New Smyrna Beach in 1942.

Earl left his family up North and moved to New Smyrna Beach circa 1942 and Sebastian circa 1946 with life partner Grace Marie Dixon Powers Martin. Years later, Earl spent a week in Pittsfield with his wife, parents and brother Ernest.

Earl bought the Depot Restaurant in the New Smyrna Beach train station in 1943 and an old train car diner in the Fort Pierce railyard in 1945. In between, he bought the Sebastian Inn in 1944, but didn't reopen the hotel until the Navy vacated in 1946, having commandeered it for WWII barracks. Grace was assistant manager and restaurant hostess.

Earl Roberts' wife and three children

Two days before his 19th birthday, Earl married Beatrice "Bea" Henrietta LaVallee, 21, in Notre Dame Church in Pittsfield on June 5, 1916.

Two years before Earl was born, Bea was born in 1895 in Winooski, Vermont. She died Sept. 17, 1966, in St. Luke's Hospital after nine months in Berkshire Nursing Home. Her tombstone says, "Wife of Earl L. Roberts."

Earl and Bea had three children, two daughters and one son:

Evelyn Theresa Roberts (1917-95)

  • Earl was 19 when she was born Jan. 4, living at 24 Mead St. in Stratford, Connecticut, and working at U.S. Housing Corp.
  • Became a nurse and married Charles Alan White in 1940 and had at least two sons.
  • When Earl bought the Depot Restaurant in New Smyrna Beach in 1943, her husband quit his 13-year job at General Electric in Pittsfield to be its first manager. He soon returned to and retired from GE.
  • Visited Earl when he was in the Carnegie Gardens Nursing Home in Melbourne.
  • Was 78 when she died June 4, 1995, and was buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.

Cecilia "Celia" Ann Roberts (1918-2021)

  • Earl was 21 when she was born Nov. 29 in Stratford, Connecticut.
  • At her christening, Earl claimed he forgot his wife's chosen name of Mabel and switched to Cecelia, which the priest suggested because it was near the Feast of St. Cecelia.
  • Married Walter W. Conuel (1912-73) in 1941.
  • Had six children: Dennis Robert, Bruce W., Thomas R., Phillip J., James C. and Mary C.
  • Son Thomas was a journalist and nature book writer, including the award-winning "Quabbin: The Accidental Wilderness."
  • Died July 28, 2021, and was buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.

Frank L. Roberts (1929-2009)

  • Earl was 32 when he was born July 23, 1929.
  • University of Chicago graduate
  • Library Science degrees from State University of New York at Albany
  • Married Frances "Fran" Berasi (1923-2018) in 1958
  • Worked for General Electric in Pittsfield
  • Was a programmer and systems analyst for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York
  • Was 79 and living in West Sand Lake, New York, when he died May 2, 2009, in Troy, New York.

Earl Roberts had French and French-Canadian roots

Earl's grandparents married circa 1864:

  • Maternal grandfather: John Stringer, whose family immigrated from France (unknown year), was a French-speaking Roman Catholic farmer born in 1845 in Quebec.
  • Maternal grandmother: Vitaline Bouvier Bouthillier, who was 77 at a 1918 family reunion

Earl's parents, who married on Dec. 28, 1885, in Cohoes, New York, hosted a New Year's Day family reunion at their lifelong home of 163 Mohegan St. to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary in 1918. Earl, who was living in Connecticut, and older brothers Art and Ernest weren't listed among the 21 who gathered for turkey dinner at noon.

The four generations present at the family reunion were Earl's grandmother, 77; her oldest daughter and his mother, Delia, 50; her oldest daughter and his sister, 32; and her oldest daughter and his niece, Viola White, 14.

His parents also celebrated their 60-year Diamond Anniversary in 1945. Here's a timeline of their history:

  • Father: William Charles Roberts (1864-1957) from Sand Hill, New York. His father was from French-Canada and his mother was from Massachusetts. He was 91 when he died circa Aug. 31, 1957, a year after his wife. He's buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.
  • Mother: Delia Loretta Stringer (1867-1956) from Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. Her mother and father were from English-Canada, but she was born in French-Canada. Earl's maternal aunts were Hermonde, Marie and Artemis; and uncles were Victoir, Narcisse and David. She was 89 when she died Sept. 29, 1956. She's buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.
  • Siblings: Three died before 1910

Called "Lewis" when he was young, Earl was about 9 when his family moved to Pittsfield circa 1906. They lived at 145 Daniels Ave., then 163 Mohegan St., where Earl's father peddled fresh cider, apples, pears, grapes, Christmas trees and even baby chick equipment.

His father started W.C. Roberts & Son, a carpenter-builder business, with oldest son Arthur. When brother Ernest, 23, and Earl, 17, joined in 1914, he renamed it Roberts & Sons, and they opened a shop on Michigan Street. Earl's mother rented the rooms, apartments and houses they built, which she often advertised as being near the town's mills.

For WWI, Arthur, 28, and Ernest, 26, registered June 5, 1917 - two days before Earl's 20th birthday. Earl, 21, registered Aug. 24, 1918, but apparently didn't serve.

Earl seemed closer to Arthur in early life, but to Ernest in later life.

  • Arthur designed, built and sold houses, both on his own and through Earl's Durabilt Homes & Realty Co.
  • Arthur was vice president of Earl's Pittsfield Lumber Co. in 1925.
  • Arthur and Earl built Showboat in 1930 and ran it for 16 years.

But it was Ernest and his wife who frequently visited Earl at the Sebastian Inn in the 1940s, even though Arthur and his wife had moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1946. And Earl stayed at Ernest's house whenever he visited Pittsfield.

Earl Roberts had 10 siblings; 3 who died before 1910

Mrs. Edward P. WhiteUnknown first name or year born or died. Had daughter Viola in 1904.

Bertha B. (1888-1971)Born in North Adams, Massachusetts. In 1909, married Lawrence Ignatz Moll (1889-1947). Had three children. Lived most their lives in New York. Died in Wolcott. Buried in Glenside Cemetery.

Arthur "Art" Edward Roberts (1889-1987)

  • Born in Williamston, Massachusetts.
  • Was 20 when he married Bertha, 16, in New York, in 1909. Their marriage lasted only seven months. A 1915 legal document cited desertion and a 1927 divorce decree gave Arthur custody of two minor children. His second wife was Leona Belle Littlefield (1897-1980).
  • Was in Army Air Forces in WWI.
  • Was 22, a carpenter who worked in a mill, and lived with his parents in 1920. He also built car garages and sold portable ones, before becoming a home-builder
  • In 1942, when he registered for his WWII Old Man's Draft Card, he was 53; living in New Lebanon, New York; and working at Lindholm Construction Co. in Pittsfield.
  • Sold Showboat and moved to St. Petersburg in 1946. Was a self-employed carpenter living with his wife at 2300 25th Ave. S. in 1950.
  • Died in Pinellas on June 23, 1987. Buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Kennebunk, Maine.

Ernest Leon Roberts Sr. (1891-1982)

  • Called "Shorty" because he was 5-foot-3, but he was the family's most notable public figure.
  • Born Aug. 24, 1891, in Schenectady, New York
  • Was 24 when he married Katherine Christina Gavin on Oct. 19, 1915. Lived all their lives at 81 Mohegan St. in Pittsfield, next to his parents. Had a daughter and two sons; one moved to Dunedin and one to Clearwater.
  • In Pittsfield, he was a contractor (1928); Roberts Filling Station owner (1928); Fahey Beverage Co. worker (1933); 1920s-40s politician who led the Alderman Board's famous 'Four Horsemen' Democrat voting bloc against the mayor; a licensed pilot (1938); and owner, president and general manager of Roberts Beverage Co. (sold in 1952)
  • Namesake son resigned from the GE chemical division to work at Roberts Beverage Co. in 1948, and later moved to Dunedin. With plans to winter in Florida for a year, Ernest Sr. sold the business to one company, and his part of the two-story brick building at 15 Hamilton St. to the adjacent Kaufman Brothers toy company to expand.
  • Often took long vacations to Florida, first sailing the SS Shawnee from New York City to Miami, and later driving to Sebastian, when brother Earl ran the Sebastian Inn from 1946-55.
  • Bought a Sebastian residential property he later sold to Earl's life partner, Grace Martin
  • Died in Pittsfield on Dec. 21, 1982. He is the only one of 11 children buried with their parents in the St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield, along with wife Katherine.

Retha R. Roberts Neblett (1895-1987)

  • Born Oct. 23, 1895, in Massachusetts
  • Mother consented to Retha, 17, marrying machinist Edward L. Edmonds of Schenectady, New York, at Notre Dame Church in Pittsfield on Aug. 7, 1911. Brother Ernest was an attendant.
  • Four years later, she married John H. Neblett in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 15, 1915. Lived in Laytonville, California.
  • Died Jan. 25, 1987, in Ukiah, California. Buried in the Ukiah Cemetery.

Gladys Loretta Roberts (1903-82)

  • Born Jan. 1, 1903, in Schenectady, New York.
  • Married Thomas Francis Conroy (1900-82) in Notre Dame Church in 1923 with bridesmaid Viola White, her oldest sister's daughter.
  • Died July 19, 1993. Buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.

Paul J. Roberts Sr. (1908-91)

  • Born Jan. 17, 1908. Died June 4, 1991.
  • Married Alice M. Barscz (1905-87) in 1929. Had Paul Jr. (1929), Patricia A. (circa 1931) and Richard William (1932).
  • Fly tyer who sold artificial fishing flies from the Mohegan Fly Shop in his childhood home from 1937-38
  • WWII Navy carpenter's mate on USS Delta in Pacific from 1943-45, and was in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese signed their surrender.
  • Contractor who owned Paul J. Roberts & Sons in 1950s
  • Moved to Pontoosuc Avenue

Where did Earl Roberts live?

  • 1897: Stamford, Vermont, where he was born
  • 1910: Daniels Avenue with father, 44; mother, 42; sister Retha, 16, a printing office clerk; sister Gladys, 7; and brother Paul, 2
  • 1917-18: 24 Mead St. in Stratford, Connecticut, with wife Bea and infant daughter Evelyn
  • 1920: Bridgeport, Connecticut; then parents' home at 163 Mohegan St. in Pittsfield with brothers Arthur, 28, who worked in a mill, and Paul, 11; sister Gladys, 17; wife Bea, 24; and two daughters, 1 and 2.
  • 1920-22: 36 Wilson St.
  • 1923: 169 Mohegan St. with wife and children, on same street as parents and brother Ernest; but sold that year
  • 1926: 34 Elm St. with wife and two daughters
  • 1930: Sold a 6-room house on 15 acres with a garage, chicken house, and orchard with 37 trees bearing pears, plums, apples and cherries. TCPalm cannot confirm whether it was his childhood home.
  • 1938: 30 Henry Ave. with their three children
  • 1940: Moved to New Lebanon, New York, while family stayed at 30 Henry Ave.
  • 1950: Sebastian Inn with Grace
  • 1960: Cottage closest to what became Earl's Hideaway bar in Sebastian
  • 1972: Carnegie Gardens Nursing Home in Melbourne

Earl Roberts' death and Earl's Hideaway's fate

Earl and Grace moved into the same nursing home, where she died seven years before him.

"Nurses kept a bottle of whisky and maple syrup behind the counter for him," said Grace's granddaughter, Judith Swingle of Sebastian. He'd take a shot before bed, and Grace's daughter would bring him pancakes.

Jeanne was Judith's mother and Grace's daughter from her 1918 marriage to Sammy Powers, who was on the inaugural Green Bay Packers from 1919-21. Grace bought Earl's Hideaway in 1965 and Jeanne moved to Sebastian and ran the bar in 1972. The bar went to Jeanne when Grace died in 1973, and she sold it in 1977.

Earl was 83 when he died in the nursing home on Dec. 23, 1980. Jeanne arranged his funeral at St. Helen's Church in Sebastian and burial in Sebastian Municipal Cemetery. His small flush marker incorrectly said he was born in 1903 instead of 1897.

Earl's Hideaway staff rectified that, raising money for a new, larger and correct marker installed in 2020.

Cheryl Smith is a TCPalm editor who can be contacted at cheryl.smith@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Earl's Hideaway founder moved to Florida with life partner, not family

Reporting by Cheryl Smith, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cecilia "Celia" Ann Roberts (1918-2021) was the second of three children born to Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Earl was 21 when she was born Nov. 29, premature and only 4 pounds. She was not expected to live, but lived to be 102 years old. At her christening, Earl claimed he forgot wife Beatrice's desired name of Mabel, and took the priest’s suggestion based on it being around the time of the Feast of St. Cecelia. Celia was a celebrated dancer and dance studio owner-instructor in their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1941, she married Walter W. Conuel (1912-73) and had at least six children. She was buried with family in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield. In 1916, Earl was 18, two days shy of his birthday, when he married Beatrice Henrietta LaVallee (1895-1966) of Winooski, Vermont, in Notre Dame Church.
Cecilia "Celia" Ann Roberts (1918-2021) was the second of three children born to Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Earl was 21 when she was born Nov. 29, premature and only 4 pounds. She was not expected to live, but lived to be 102 years old. At her christening, Earl claimed he forgot wife Beatrice's desired name of Mabel, and took the priest’s suggestion based on it being around the time of the Feast of St. Cecelia. Celia was a celebrated dancer and dance studio owner-instructor in their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1941, she married Walter W. Conuel (1912-73) and had at least six children. She was buried with family in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield. In 1916, Earl was 18, two days shy of his birthday, when he married Beatrice Henrietta LaVallee (1895-1966) of Winooski, Vermont, in Notre Dame Church. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters
This 1918 photo shows Vitaline Bouvier Bouthillier Stringer, 77, a French-speaker born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada, in 1840. She's the maternal grandmother of Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Between 1861-67, Vitaline married Earl's maternal grandfather, John Stringer, also a French-speaking, Roman Catholic, resident of Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. He was born in 1845 (unknown where) and his family immigrated from France (unknown year). He was a farmer. In 1867, the couple had their first of at least seven children, which was Earl's mother, Delia Loretta Stringer, born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada.
This 1918 photo shows Vitaline Bouvier Bouthillier Stringer, 77, a French-speaker born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada, in 1840. She's the maternal grandmother of Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Between 1861-67, Vitaline married Earl's maternal grandfather, John Stringer, also a French-speaking, Roman Catholic, resident of Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. He was born in 1845 (unknown where) and his family immigrated from France (unknown year). He was a farmer. In 1867, the couple had their first of at least seven children, which was Earl's mother, Delia Loretta Stringer, born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters
On Jan. 1, 1918, Delia and William Roberts had a New Year's Day family reunion at their home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary. One of their 11 children was Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. The four generations in the photo began with Earl's grandmother (bottom left), Vitaline Bouvier Bouthillier Stringer, 77. Her oldest daughter and Earl's mother was Delia Loretta Stringer Roberts, 50 (top left). Her oldest daughter and Earl's sister was Mrs. Edward P. White, 32 (top right). Her oldest daughter and Earl's niece was Viola White, 14 (bottom right). Earl and older brothers Arthur and Ernest were not among the 21 who gathered for turkey dinner at noon. Earl and wife Beatrice were living in Stratford, Connecticut, where he worked for U.S. Housing Corp. His brothers had registered for WWI on June 5, 1917, but Arthur may have been the only one that served.
On Jan. 1, 1918, Delia and William Roberts had a New Year's Day family reunion at their home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary. One of their 11 children was Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. The four generations in the photo began with Earl's grandmother (bottom left), Vitaline Bouvier Bouthillier Stringer, 77. Her oldest daughter and Earl's mother was Delia Loretta Stringer Roberts, 50 (top left). Her oldest daughter and Earl's sister was Mrs. Edward P. White, 32 (top right). Her oldest daughter and Earl's niece was Viola White, 14 (bottom right). Earl and older brothers Arthur and Ernest were not among the 21 who gathered for turkey dinner at noon. Earl and wife Beatrice were living in Stratford, Connecticut, where he worked for U.S. Housing Corp. His brothers had registered for WWI on June 5, 1917, but Arthur may have been the only one that served. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters
In 1945, the parents of Earl Roberts of Earl’s Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Father William Charles Roberts (1864-1957) was born in Sand Hill, New York, to a father who was from French-Canada and a mother who was from Massachusetts. Mother Delia Loretta Stringer (1867-1956) was a French-speaker born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. Delia's parents were from English-Canada, but she was born in French-Canada. William and Delia had 11 children, including three who died before 1910. Delia was 89 when she died Sept. 29, 1956. William was 91 when he died a year later, circa Aug. 31, 1957. Both are buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield.
In 1945, the parents of Earl Roberts of Earl’s Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in their hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Father William Charles Roberts (1864-1957) was born in Sand Hill, New York, to a father who was from French-Canada and a mother who was from Massachusetts. Mother Delia Loretta Stringer (1867-1956) was a French-speaker born in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada. Delia's parents were from English-Canada, but she was born in French-Canada. William and Delia had 11 children, including three who died before 1910. Delia was 89 when she died Sept. 29, 1956. William was 91 when he died a year later, circa Aug. 31, 1957. Both are buried with family in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Pittsfield. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters
This is Ernest Leon Roberts Sr. (1891-1982), the older brother of Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Ernest was born in Schenectady, New York, on Aug. 24. He was nicknamed 'Shorty' because he was 5’3” tall. In the family's hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Ernest was a pilot, contractor, Roberts Filling Station owner, 1920s-40s politician who led the famous 'Four Horsemen' Democrat voting bloc on the Alderman Board, and president of Roberts Beverage Co., which he sold in 1952 to winter in Florida for a year. He often visited Miami and later his brother at the Sebastian Inn, which Earl owned from 1944-55. Ernest bought and sold multiple Sebastian properties in the 1950s, including land he sold near Earl's Hideaway to Grace Martin, Earl's life partner, who owned Earl's Hideaway from 1965 until she died in 1973. Ernest and wife Katherine had three sons, including one who moved to Dunedin and one who moved to Clearwater. He's the only one of 11 children buried with their parents in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield after he died Dec. 21, 1982.
This is Ernest Leon Roberts Sr. (1891-1982), the older brother of Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida. Ernest was born in Schenectady, New York, on Aug. 24. He was nicknamed 'Shorty' because he was 5’3” tall. In the family's hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Ernest was a pilot, contractor, Roberts Filling Station owner, 1920s-40s politician who led the famous 'Four Horsemen' Democrat voting bloc on the Alderman Board, and president of Roberts Beverage Co., which he sold in 1952 to winter in Florida for a year. He often visited Miami and later his brother at the Sebastian Inn, which Earl owned from 1944-55. Ernest bought and sold multiple Sebastian properties in the 1950s, including land he sold near Earl's Hideaway to Grace Martin, Earl's life partner, who owned Earl's Hideaway from 1965 until she died in 1973. Ernest and wife Katherine had three sons, including one who moved to Dunedin and one who moved to Clearwater. He's the only one of 11 children buried with their parents in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield after he died Dec. 21, 1982. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Earl's Bar and Package Store at 1405 Indian River Drive on the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian (center) was flanked by a grocery store (right) and two south-adjacent cottages on the bar property (left). Earl Roberts and life partner Grace Martin lived in the cottage closest to the bar, which they co-leased in 1960 and Grace bought it in 1965. When they moved to a nursing home in 1972, Jeanne Johnson, her daughter from her 1918 marriage to 1919 Green Bay Packers first tackle Sammy Powers, moved in with husband Chester and daughter Judith. Jeanne ran the bar with son Tim Kelly until selling it in 1977, four years after Grace died and three years before Earl died. Earl and Grace knew each other from the famous Showboat big-band dance palace Earl built in New York in 1930. Though he never divorced wife Beatrice nor married Grace, she was called "Mrs." and his "wife." They moved to New Smyrna Beach in 1942 and Sebastian in 1946. The original Earl's Bar and Package Store was in the 1925-built Sebastian Inn on the Indian River Lagoon, which Earl bought in 1944, but didn't reopen until after the Navy vacated in 1946, having commandeered it for WWII barracks. Grace was the restaurant hostess and hotel assistant manager. After the hotel was foreclosed in 1955, the couple moved the bar '3/4 miles north on left,' a sign said.
Earl's Bar and Package Store at 1405 Indian River Drive on the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian (center) was flanked by a grocery store (right) and two south-adjacent cottages on the bar property (left). Earl Roberts and life partner Grace Martin lived in the cottage closest to the bar, which they co-leased in 1960 and Grace bought it in 1965. When they moved to a nursing home in 1972, Jeanne Johnson, her daughter from her 1918 marriage to 1919 Green Bay Packers first tackle Sammy Powers, moved in with husband Chester and daughter Judith. Jeanne ran the bar with son Tim Kelly until selling it in 1977, four years after Grace died and three years before Earl died. Earl and Grace knew each other from the famous Showboat big-band dance palace Earl built in New York in 1930. Though he never divorced wife Beatrice nor married Grace, she was called "Mrs." and his "wife." They moved to New Smyrna Beach in 1942 and Sebastian in 1946. The original Earl's Bar and Package Store was in the 1925-built Sebastian Inn on the Indian River Lagoon, which Earl bought in 1944, but didn't reopen until after the Navy vacated in 1946, having commandeered it for WWII barracks. Grace was the restaurant hostess and hotel assistant manager. After the hotel was foreclosed in 1955, the couple moved the bar '3/4 miles north on left,' a sign said. PROVIDED BY EARL'S USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Before moving to Florida circa 1942, Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida, was a successful young developer, designer, carpenter, builder and seller of homes in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1920, he was a carpenter in his father's business, W.C. Roberts and Sons, along with older brothers Arthur and Ernest. In 1925, he started the Pittsfield Lumber Co. In 1928, he started the Durabilt Homes and Realty Co., responsible for almost every house, street and utility in Hazelwood Terrace. By 1928 (illustrated here at age 31), he had "made an enviable name for himself." But in 1931, the bank foreclosed on seven of his properties, and newspapers never mentioned Durabilt again.
Before moving to Florida circa 1942, Earl Roberts of Earl's Hideaway biker bar in Sebastian, Florida, was a successful young developer, designer, carpenter, builder and seller of homes in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1920, he was a carpenter in his father's business, W.C. Roberts and Sons, along with older brothers Arthur and Ernest. In 1925, he started the Pittsfield Lumber Co. In 1928, he started the Durabilt Homes and Realty Co., responsible for almost every house, street and utility in Hazelwood Terrace. By 1928 (illustrated here at age 31), he had "made an enviable name for himself." But in 1931, the bank foreclosed on seven of his properties, and newspapers never mentioned Durabilt again. PROVIDED BY NEWSPAPERS.COM USA TODAY Network, Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 8:58 AM.