| John W. Watson Sr. | |
| Birth Date: | Oct 31, 1859 |
| Birth Place: | North Carolina, US |
| Death Date: | Feb 8, 1942 |
| Death Place: | Miami, Florida, US |
| Office: | Florida State Senator - 13th District |
| Term Start: | 1925 |
| Term End: | 1935 |
| Office4: | Florida House of Representatives- Dade |
| Term Start4: | 1907 |
| Term End4: | 1919 |
| Predecessor4: | Graham W King |
| Successor4: | Ben C Willard |
| Order5: | 8th |
| Office5: | Mayor of Miami |
| Term Start5: | November, 1917 |
| Term End5: | November, 1919 |
| Predecessor5: | P.A. Henderson |
| Successor5: | W.P. Smith |
| Office6: | Mayor of Miami |
| Order6: | 6th |
| Term Start6: | July 18, 1912 |
| Term End6: | November, 1915 |
| Successor6: | P.A. Henderson |
| Office7: | Florida's House of Representatives - Dade |
| Term Start7: | 1907 |
| Term End7: | 1912 |
| Office8: | Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives |
| Term Start8: | 1901 |
| Term End8: | 1901 |
| Predecessor8: | Robert McNamee |
| Successor8: | Cromwell Gibbons |
| Office9: | Florida's House of Representatives - Osceola |
| Term Start9: | 1897 |
| Term End9: | 1905[1] |
| Spouse: | Emma Cora Chafer Watson |
| Children: | J.W. Watson Jr., Janet Watson Carson, Robert Osborne Watson |
| Profession: | Merchant |
John William Watson Sr. (October 31, 1859 - February 8, 1942) was an American politician and businessman who served in a number of elected positions throughout Florida.[2]
Watson was born in North Carolina. He studied at Raleigh Academy then traveled and worked various jobs. He eventually settled in Kissimmee, Florida where he established a hardware business and became active in local and state politics. He expanded the business to Miami and eventually moved there, building an edifice that would be known as the Watson Building, downtown.[3]
Watson was elected as state representative for the area that included Kissimmee and later Miami.[4] He was later elected Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and a member of the Florida Senate[5] and served as the City of Miami's 6th and 8th Mayor.[6] His first Miami election was a landslide.[7]
In between political victories, he owned a grocery store, hardware company and grapefruit grove among his multiple business endeavors.[8]
He built several buildings in Miami which became important to the city's growth and long-term development.[9] The Watson family is considered to be among Miami's first settlers as they arrived before the railroad to town was complete.[10]
Watson testified before the House of Representatives' Committee on Indian Services regarding his first-hand knowledge of Seminole Indian culture and his distaste for the plans to drain the Everglades.[11]
He ran for Florida Governor unsuccessfully in 1911–1912.
Watson Island is named after him. He is buried in the Miami City Cemetery.
Fraternally he was connected with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, and the Elks.[12]