Remembering Suwannee : Nancy Parshley, Part 2

Eric Musgrove Contributor Last week, we began talking about Nancy Parshley, the wife of John Parshley, who was an early pioneer of Live Oak. In fact, had it not been for John and Nancy, Live Oak probably would not have risen to prominence in the late 1800s and early 1900s, nor would it be the town that it is today. Once a decision had been made to locate the Suwannee County Courthouse on the Parshley lot in what is now downtown Live Oak, Nancy continued her business ventures. In 1869 (the same year the Parshley lot was chosen as the courthouse site), she was the only woman among a dozen or so men who incorporated the Suwannee School Company. This was a private company to compete with the