Road named for Bartow Ford founder
PHOTO BY JEFF ROSLOW
Polk County Commissioner Melony Bell speaks with Ernest Smith, the original owner of Bartow Ford, during a groundbreaking Monday for the Northern Connector which will be named for him. To the right is one of the current Bartow Ford owners, Bob Ambrose.
With family present and elected officials from the city of Bartow, Polk County and representatives from the Bartow Chamber of Commerce among others, the man who founded Bartow Ford in 1948 was honored Monday as a road was named for him.
The Northern Connector, which will run from U.S. Highway 17 to U.S. Highway 98, will allow motorists to bypass Van Fleet Drive through Bartow. It was named Ernest M. Smith Boulevard, for the man who started Bartow Ford, now known nationally and ranked among the top 100 Ford dealerships in the U.S. He also helped the area community throughout his adult life.
