Suwannee Valley
Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 967
Live Oak, FL 32064
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Suwannee Valley |
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Suwannee County |
Florida/Suwannee County Time Line
1821 - Florida was acquired from Spain and becomes a territory of the United States. Two counties, St. Johns and Escambia, were created July 21, 1821. The border separating these newly created counties was the Suwannee River, St. Johns County to the east and Escambia County to the west. What we now know as Suwannee County was then part of St. Johns County. 1821 Map 1822 - On August 12, 1822 two more counties were created; Duval county was carved out of St. Johns county and Jackson county out of Escambia county. The Suwannee River formed the boundary between these newly formed counties . At this time the future Suwannee County was part of Duval County. 1822 Map 1824 - The territory of Florida continued to grow in population so once again more counties were added, the current Suwannee county became part of Alachua County on, December 29, 1824. 1824 Map 1832 - Population continued to grow and counties continued to be added. On February 4, 1832, we became part of the newly formed Columbia County. 1832 Map 1835 - The Second Seminole Indian War began in 1835 and lasted until 1842. 1845 - March 3, 1845 Florida was granted Statehood and became the twenty- seventh state. 1857 - Construction began on an east-west railroad, known as the Pensacola and Georgia Railroad Line, across North Florida and was completed in 1861. 1858 - Once again on December 21, 1858 our county received a new name. Suwannee was added as a new county and has remained with this name to this day. At the time we became a county there were only 200 families living here or about 2,000 people. The community of Houston became the county seat. 1858 Map 1859 - The first Postoffice was established in Suwannee County December 22, 1859, in Houston. 1860 - The community of Wellborn was founded in 1860 at a time when cotton was king and one of the largest cotton warehouses in the area was found within its town limits. 1861 - The Civil War broke out and Suwannee County furnished 250 men for service in the Confederate Army. The Confederacy was desperately in needed supplies from Florida so the railroad from Dupont, GA to the railroad crossing Suwannee County was started. The completion came to late to do much for the war effort but would later prove to be what made Live Oak prosper in the early years. (The Florida, Atlantic and Gulf Railroad began building tracks from Jacksonville to Lake City in 1855 and was completed in 1859. The Pensacola and Georgia Railroad from Tallahassee to Lake City began in 1865 and finished in 1861). 1866 - The Live Oak Postoffice was established June 26, 1866. 1868 - The county seat was moved from Houston to Live Oak on August 1, 1868. 1869 - In 1869, the Florida Legislature changed its laws to allow the citizens of the County to choose their county seat, and the first election was held on March 27, 1869. There were six polling places: Houston, Wellborn, Live Oak, Columbus, Plowdens, and Boston. 1878 - The community of Live Oak was not incorporated as a town until April 24, 1878. Luraville was settled in 1878 and had a population of 75 in 1886. 1880 - The town of O’Brien was originally called Obrine in 1880, when it was established, and soon boasted two churches, sawmills, a turpentine still, cotton gins, and five stores. Later, it was called Obrine Station, before finally changing to O’Brien.1881 - By 1881, the number of schools had increased to 49, nearly double the number of 28 in 1879. 1882 - The town of McAlpin was settled. 1886 - Branford, formerly known as “Rowland’s Bluff”, was first incorporated as a town in 1886 as “New Branford”. 1892 - Live Oak’s oldest existing business, the B. W. Helvenston and Son Insurance Agency, was founded in 1892. 1900 - The number of public schools increased to 82, 57 of which were for white students and 25 for black students. 1904 - The Suwannee County Courthouse was built in 1904 and is still being used today. 1907 - There was an attempt to locate the capital of Florida in a more central location and the City of Live Oak was considered as the new location but this attempt failed. The state capital which was then and still remains in Tallahassee. 1908 - In 1908, after building the Live Oak, Perry, and Gulf Railroad (popularly known as the ““Loping Gopher””) to serve his sawmill and later freight and passenger traffic, Mr. Thomas Dowling moved his lumber mill to the west side of the county. The community that eventually evolved from it became Dowling Park. (Maps are only meant to represent the formation of Suwannee County.) |