Remembering Suwannee: Francis James Ross, Part 5

Eric Musgrove Contributor This week, we complete the story of Francis J. Ross, early Florida pioneer. Despite the high praise Ross gave the Suwannee Springs resort property in 1835 newspapers, it appears that he only ran it a few more months before he sold or leased it to Dr. John McLemore of Monticello. McLemore announced his purchase in a Florida newspaper on Nov. 21, 1835, and that he would be moving to the property shortly. Unfortunately, the Second Seminole War erupted nearly simultaneously, and McLemore was never able to develop the property further due to his entering the Florida militia, followed by his untimely death the next year as a result of the war. It is probable that he