Lee Trawick Reporter2@riverbendnews.org Although Stephen Collins Foster was born on July 4, 1826, in Lawrence, Penn., he has monuments and state parks named after him throughout the United States. However, in the…
Category: History
Florida sawmill nearly folds, but finds new life
Mary J. Gore Contributor What was once a closed sawmill without prospects has become a flourishing business again in Live Oak. More than 100 employees are working there, a mix of both…
Sewing revolution: A story stitched in history
By Ashley Hunter Riverbend News Today, when you want a fresh look in your wardrobe, a quick trip to your local boutique or thrift store will do the trick. Clothing is easily found…
Duel! The history of the stand-off in the United States
By Ashley Hunter Riverbend News Today, when neighbors, enemies or political rivals argue, it isn’t common for the dispute to devolve into a gun-toting standoff. But there was a time, not that…
Tragedies and mischief mark Christmas of 1901
By Mickey Starling Riverbend News In the weeks before Christmas in 1901, the joy of the season was lessened by a couple of tragedies in the area, as well as a bit…
The storm brewing in Hamilton County killed President Lincoln
By Lee Trawick Riverbend News In 1859, a mild, meek looking religious family moved to a small village named Bellville, in Hamilton County. The family’s name was Powell: among the children in the…
Women’s History Month: Marjory Stoneman Douglas; a Florida woman with vision
By Starr Munro Riverbend News Marjory Stoneman Douglas was born in 1890 and moved to Miami as a young woman when the city’s population was still under 5,000 to work for her…
80 years ago, Earth was invaded by Martians
By Ashley Hunter Riverbend News “We know now that in the early years of the 20th century, this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as…
Notable Historic Floridians Thomas Alva Edison
Exploring Florida Contributor Throughout his career, Edison directed his studies to devices that could satisfy real needs and come into popular use. Indeed, it may be said that in applying himself to technology,…
America’s oldest colleges: Negroes were there all the while
By Gene Hall Youth Minister Providence M. B. Church Contributor “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God” (Hebrew 3:4). I was at a luncheon the…
Cousin Thelma: Mistress of Ceremonies
By Starr Munro Riverbend News There are certain people in history who may not be what some picture when they think of the word “pioneer.” The image of a pioneer is usually accompanied…
Forging a bridge between Suwannee and Lafayette Counties
By Starr Munro Riverbend News The Suwannee River has and continues to affect all communities that live off the river. It has affected everything from commerce and schooling to farming and ranching. It…
Twin Rivers of the past
By Starr Munro Riverbend News There are times in history when certain things happen simply because it was at the right place at the right time. The rivers of the Withlacoochee and the…
Location of the Principal Indian Nations in Florida
By Starr Munro Riverbend News When America won independence in 1776, another battle was already brewing at home. Although the freshly born United States of America didn’t have the power of a centuries…
Remembering Suwannee: Sheriff Potsdamer was an ex-convict
Gus Potsdamer (Pottsdammer) was born in 1853 in Germany. He died on Friday, Jan. 4, 1918 and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Florida Times Union obit, Saturday,…
Florida: home for the holidays
By Starr Munro Riverbend News Florida is a unique state in many ways. Perhaps its most glaring difference to the rest of the nation is the amount of people who live here seasonally,…
Hamilton and Madison: 197 years old this December
By Starr Munro Riverbend News Florida’s 14th and 15th counties were created the day after Christmas, in 1827, nearly 194 years ago. Madison County, named after James Madison, the fourth president of…