Hailey Waldo [email protected] During Women’s History Month, many people reflect on the women who helped shape society through activism, science, literature and innovation. One woman whose influence continues to shape how historians…
Category: History
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 7
This week, we continue our discussion of African American history in Suwannee County during the trying Reconstruction era (1865-1877). Religion and politics were not the only things on the minds of African…
Moth mishap makes computer history
Mickey Starling [email protected] Since the day my first computer arrived in the late 90s, something has always bugged me. At first, it was the cranky dialup method of connecting to the internet….
Drunken dive saves Titanic hero
Mickey Starling [email protected] Normally, hearing that someone is drunk leads to negative conclusions or consequences. However, the 1912 sinking of the famed Titanic in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Sea…
The Secret Historian: Grace Emerick Moses
Christian Peterson [email protected] Grace Emerick Moses was born near Peoria, Ill., on April 6, 1898. Very little is recorded about Moses’s childhood; however, she eventually married Lowell Johnston. The couple engaged in mission work for most of their marriage. …
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 6
Eric Musgrove Contributor A couple of weeks ago, we began discussing the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) as it related to Suwannee County. Several religious organizations were founded by and for African Americans in…
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 5
Eric Musgrove Contributor We have been looking at African American history for the past several weeks. Last week, we began reviewing religious life during Reconstruction. This week, we complete that aspect of…
181 years of Florida history in the making
Hailey Heseltine [email protected] In 1845, Florida became the 27th state to join the United States of America. This year marks 181 years since Florida’s statehood began. Florida’s history, of course, began long…
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 4
Eric Musgrove Contributor Last week, I discussed the end of slavery in the United States, an act that freed millions of African Americans to choose their own paths in life, often for…
Casting the BALLOT of courage: Jeanette Udell
Jason Futch [email protected] The year was 1962. Just a few years before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a man named Sistrunk and his wife,…
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 3
Eric Musgrove Contributor We ended our discussion last week talking about the First Seminole War, in which former slaves played an important role. This week, we continue our discussion of African American…
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 2
Eric Musgrove Contributor This week, we will continue our discussion of Black history in Suwannee County, a history that has spanned nearly five centuries. Slavery had become a part of American culture…
James Dean the first elected Black judge in Florida
Christian Peterson [email protected] February is designated as Black History Month across the United States. Each year, Riverbend News highlights local individuals who have had a tremendous impact on history. This week’s subject is James Dean. Dean was born into slavery in Ocala in 1858….
A legacy of care and dignity: Charles T. Hall
Jason Futch [email protected] Charles Theodore Hall was a man whose name was synonymous with care and dignity in Suwannee County. He was one of the earliest Black funeral directors in Suwannee County,…
Remembering Suwannee: Black history in Suwannee County, Part 1
Eric Musgrove Contributor This month is Black History Month. In honor of this time, today begins a two-month-long series on the impact of African Americans in Suwannee County’s history. African Americans have…
Celebrating the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey Starling [email protected] Occasionally, some of the happy reflections of childhood come back to us in one form or another. Many of us grew up enjoying a variety of Disney characters, but…
Remembering Suwannee: Reflections on a new year, Part 2
Eric Musgrove County Historian Last week, to start 2026 off, I began a discussion on how to preserve your family’s records and photographs. Today, I’ll complete that discussion before we continue with…