Remembering Suwannee: 1922 Branford fires, Part 1

Eric Musgrove Contributor As we recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene, I am reminded that few and far between are the communities that have not seen some sort of catastrophe in their history. Like many older communities whose first generations of buildings were constructed of wood, the Town of Branford has seen its fair share of major fires. This week, we’ll talk about a bad year for the town: 1922. By 1915, Branford had been in existence for more than 30 years. After growing in population and stature, some citizens had very high aspirations. An editorial in the Suwannee Democrat from December of that year noted, “An optimist, writing in the Suwannee Herald of Branford, expres