Category: History

Eric Musgrove Contributor Wellborn is one of the oldest communities in Suwannee County; the area around it was settled by Americans before practically any other location in the County. Wellborn’s age, coupled…

Eric Musgrove Contributor In the article published in the Wednesday, May 22, edition of the Riverbend News, I began writing about a shootout that happened in 1890 Branford. Today, I finish the…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Several years ago, my friend Shirley Clark from Branford stopped by my office. Knowing of my love of history, she brought a booklet published decades ago by a Lafayette…

Kenzie James [email protected] The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was established at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., as a grave and memorial for unidentified American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in…

Hailey Heseltine  [email protected]  This Monday, May 20, marks the 159th Emancipation Day in Florida.  National Emancipation Day is celebrated on April 16 because it marks the anniversary of when Abraham Lincoln signed…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Sometimes, when I go through the Official Records of Suwannee County, information jumps out at me that gives me cause to chuckle. Sometimes, it involves antiquated words or phrases…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Having lived here all my life, I often encounter old buildings, streets, events and more whose history has been forgotten or at least no longer generally known to the…

Eric Musgrove Contributor This week, we’ll complete our discussion on Nancy Parshley, wife of John Parshley and an early pioneer of Live Oak. In 1870, the AME Church Conference held a meeting…

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…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Last week, we began a discussion of the once-flourishing community of Columbus, one of Suwannee County’s earliest settlements, which is now the location of Suwannee River State Park. Today,…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Changes in travel modes, the location of natural resources, and a variety of other events have shifted the population centers of Suwannee County over the years. As a result,…

Bea Coker [email protected] In the annals of Suwannee County’s history, there are figures whose impact reverberates through time, shaping the fabric of our community. Among these luminaries stands Lily Dorothy Burbach Witherell,…

Eric Musgrove Contributor Suwannee County has been home to thousands of hard-working Americans over the years. Many times, these individuals help make their communities and the surrounding area better places to live….

Eric Musgrove Contributor The image accompanying this article is a contemporary artist’s rendering of the first large post-Civil War hotel at Suwannee Springs shortly after its completion in late 1882 or 1883….

Eric Musgrove Contributor Dr. Perry A. McIntosh, long-time Luraville physician, built his home in the late 1800s (some sources say the 1870s or 1880s). The two-story residence had an adjoining one-story wing…

Bea Coker [email protected] In the heart of White Springs, Fla., resides a remarkable woman whose life has woven itself into the very fabric of the town’s history. Affectionately known as “Mrs. Bobbie,”…