Remembering Suwannee: County site selection drama, Part 1

Eric Musgrove  Contributor  There are events in the history of Suwannee County that remind me of the passage from Ecclesiastes 1:9, in which the wise King Solomon declares, "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." The selection of Live Oak as the county seat is one such event involving twisted politics, bribery, blackmail and other illegal activities.  When Suwannee County was created on Dec. 21, 1858, the original designated county seat was the house of William Hines, until more permanent facilities could be located elsewhere. William Hines was a county judge, and the owner of 24 slaves who owned property nor