The History of Northeast Florida

President Abraham Lincoln was concerned about his re-election chances in 1864.  The country was in the middle of a terrible Civil War that had claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens in the last three years. Despite victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg the previous year there still seemed to be no end in sight for the war.  Many people did not agree with Lincoln ’s conciliatory attitude towards the rebel states.  Others believed that he had gone too far when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation effectively turning the war from a campaign to save the union into one whose purpose was to abolish slavery.  Absolutely no one liked the draft.  In short, Lincoln needed votes and his thoughts turned to Florida . Florida had become the 27 th State on March 3, 1845.  It entered the union as a “slave state” and was highly dependent upon slave laborers for its agrarian economy.  Almost half of Florida ’s entire population was slaves who wor...

In the late 1800s Northeast Florida was a major winter destination for visitors from the northern states.  Henry Flagler’s railroad was pushing southward and with it came hotels and tourists.  The folks from “up north” wanted to experience Florida ’s warm climate and exotic environs.  All of these people needed to be entertained.  Of course, they wanted to see those strange prehistoric creatures that they had heard about – alligators.  Local entrepreneurs were happy to oblige by establishing amusement parks and alligator attractions.  For good measure, ostrich shows – featuring a species not native to Florida – were added to the mix.  After all, exotic animals are exotic animals. It all began on Anastasia Island , just outside of St. Augustine , in the 1890s.  A tram had recently been installed to ferry people from the City of St. Augustine to the beaches of Anastasia Island .  A St . Augustine resident set up a small exhibit at the...

  Thousands of tourists flock to St. Augustine at Christmas each year to experience the Nights of Lights, a dazzling display of millions of colorful lights.  Merriment, laughter and wonder fill the streets of America ’s oldest city.  It was not that way for the residents of St. Augustine during the Christmas of 1702.  The city was under siege and all 1500 of its residents had been inside the walls of Castillo de San Marcos for over a month. For almost half a century, England and Spain were at odds over the colonization the southeastern portion of North America .  Escalating tensions resulted in the outbreak of Queen Anne's War  fought primarily between English controlled South Carolina and Spanish controlled Northeast Florida .  The Governor of Carolina, James Moore, had long coveted Spanish Florida and used the war as an excuse to invade.  His plan was to take the capital city of St. Augustine . Moore raised a sizable force of about f...

  " South of the St. Marys River - Stories from the History of Northeast Florida" delves into the rich and fascinating history of a region that has played a significant role in shaping the cultural tapestry of America . From the prehistoric times when Northeast Florida was inhabited by fearsome creatures to the epic battles between Spain and France for control of the territory, this book offers a unique look at the events that have shaped the area.   Now Available in Kindle and Paperback Editions Readers will journey through the tumultuous times when Georgia invaded Florida not once, but three times, as well as the infamous era of pirates on Amelia Island . Explore the life of David Levy Yulee, a prominent figure in Florida 's history, and learn about the innovative Florida Railroad Company that transformed transportation in the region. From the pivotal Battle of Olustee to the ghost town of Italia in Nassau County , this book uncovers hidden gems and forgott...

The night was clear and hot at Raiford Prison on August 17, 1979.  Suddenly, the lights on the Northwest side of the perimeter fence flickered and fell dark.  Three figures darted across the prison yard.  One of the men was caught in the focus of a search light.  Guards fired warning shots from the tower and the man dropped to the ground.  The other two continued on unnoticed, scaled three fences topped with barbed wire and disappeared into the Florida night. One of the escapees, Willie Griffith, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of a cab driver, managed to elude capture for eleven years.  When he was finally arrested in Holladay , Utah , his wife and mother of his two young children was shocked as she was completely unaware of his past criminal life. The other escaped prisoner, Frederick Barrett, also serving a life sentence for murder, spent an astounding thirty-two years on the run before he was taken into custody. Frederick Mark Barr...

When it comes to Thanksgiving, most people immediately think of Plymouth, Massachusetts  and the Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving there in 1621. However, there is an often-overlooked and forgotten Thanksgiving celebration that predates the one in Plymouth by more than 50 years – the first Thanksgiving in Saint Augustine , Florida . Saint Augustine , founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles , is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States . It is a city steeped in rich history, and its first Thanksgiving deserves recognition for its unique place in American history. Prior to the arrival of Europeans the region around Saint Augustine was inhabited by the Seloy Tribe (named after its Chief) of the Timucua Native Americans.  From their settlement they fished, hunted, and farmed.  When the Spanish landed they were greeted warmly by the natives, who even gave them the Chief’s council house for their use as ...