History of Leon County, Florida
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Prehistoric
What is now Leon County was occupied by Paleoindians or Clovis culture 12,000 years ago (Upper Paleolithic period). These hunter-gatherer tribes lived in what is now Leon County near water sources where water was shared with animals such as Ancient bison, Mastodon, Ice Age camel, Giant ground sloth, Saber-toothed Tiger, Columbian Mammoth, Equus, Short-faced bear, and American lion.
Archaic period
The Archaic cultures 10,000 BC-2500 BC, are divided in to Early, Middle, and Late for the southeastern North America and can be described as having a more humid climate. Sea level rose rapidly and water tables and ecosystems looked much like that of today. Population increased and people began settling in smaller territorial areas. People began using forms of triangular-shaped projectile points and it is thought that Indians switched from hand held spears to spear throwers to more easily bring down game, which for the most part, were the same species as contemporary animals. The cumulative effects of these changes led to increased regionalization as native peoples began adapting to specific local resources. In the Apalachee region this period is also known as the Norwood culture.
Woodland period
The Woodland period 500 BC-1000 A.D. is characterized by certain styles of decoration and kinds of tempering agents of pottery vessels, burial of the deceased in mounds with elaborate grave goods.
Deptford culture
The Deptford culture 500 BC-200 A.D. was the first existence of the Woodland tradition in Florida. Mainly a coastal occupation though some people located inland. Ceramics were decorated and stamped. Pottery no longer tempered with plant fibers in favor of clay or sand pastes.yo
Swift Creek culture
The Swift Creek culture of 200 A.D.-400 A.D. Villages were first established in significant numbers in the interior forest and river valleys of the eastern Panhandle, although Swift Creek sites can also be found along the coast. Ceramics were characterized by complicated stamped pottery and are commonly found in the Red Hills Region, as delineated by Cooke. These sites are especially prevalent in the river valley forest and other fertile locales. Gardening probably played a role in the Swift Creek economic system, although evidence supporting cultivation remains sparse. Bone and stone tools appear in greater numbers in their tool kits than during the previous Deptford period.
Weeden Island culture
The Weeden Island culture 400 A.D-1000. Concentrated around lakes Lake Miccosukee and Lake Iamonia. Adoption of maize agriculture. Pottery was Weeden Island plain ware and Swift Creek Complicated Stamped.
Mississippian
From 1100-1500, the Mississippian culture thrived. The Lake Jackson Mounds site, a Mississippian mound-building complex was extremely active. It is more accurately a site of the Leon-Jefferson Culture, an advanced society of the Fort Walton Culture. Lake Jackson Mounds are located on the southwest edge of Lake Jackson in Tallahassee now the Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park and had a large village and plaza. This site was one of the most magnificent ceremonial centers in the southeastern United States. The region’s red hills with extremely fertile red clay soils enabled these inhabitants to grow bountiful crops.
16th century
Spanish Rule
Pánfilo de Narváez and his followers first passed south of Leon County in 1528. In 1539, Hernando de Soto stayed 5 months at the Apalachee Indian capitol of Anhaica bringing priests with him. The first Christmas in the New World was celebrated in the woods near the present capitol building.
As more Spanish colonists arrived, they brought disease and fighting. This reduced the population of the Apalachee tribe who left the area for points west. In 1656, a Spanish deputy governor and his crew settled in the Apalachee town that they called Mission San Luis de Apalachee in west Tallahassee. With a population of more than 1400, the Spanish established one of several Franciscan missions there. While there, the Spaniards lived off the generosity of the Apalachee. At the same time, they tried to convert the Apalachee to the Catholic faith.
British Rule
Beginning in 1700, the English looked upon Florida and its Spanish missions as getting too close to the English colonies. Raids began from South Carolina led by Governor James Moore and assisted on occasion Creek Indians raided and destroyed the Spanish mission chain, including San Luis in 1704.
Tens of thousands of Apalachee Indians were carried off into slavery by Governor Moore, never to be heard from again. The Apalachee had adapted Spanish culture so well that when San Luis was burned, one could not separate the Apalachee bodies apart from the Spanish. The English brought with them Yamassee Indian allies from South Carolina, but 10 years later the English chased them out, so the Yamassee moved to St. Augustine and allied themselves with the Spanish. By 1705 the raids were over and the Seminole Indians developed their "fowl towns," a name derived from the raising of chickens.
18th century
Second Spanish Rule
In 1795 what is now Leon County along with the rest of Florida fell back under the rule of Spain. Over the years there were attacks on Indian towns in Florida by settlers in Georgia and in return indians attacked settlers in Georgia prompting the 1817-1818 campaign by the United States Army and Andrew Jackson known as the First Seminole War. In 1818, Jackson invaded the small village of Miccosukee in what is now northeastern Leon County.
19th century
Territorial Florida
In 1821, Florida became a territory of the United States. Both St. Augustine and Pensacola competed to become the capital city. Legislators alternated sessions. Travel was hazardous and took almost twenty days.
General Andrew Jackson served as military governor of the newly acquired territory and appointed two commissioners to find a suitable new location for the state capitol. One rode on horseback from St. Augustine and the other sailed by boat from Pensacola. They met at the port of St. Marks, Florida about 20 miles south of Tallahassee, halfway between St. Augustine and Pensacola. They discovered a place north of St. Marks. They reported,
“A more beautiful country can scarcely be managed; it is high, rolling, and well watered, the richness of the soil renders it perfectly adapted to farming."
On March 30, 1822, the United States merged East Florida and part of West Florida into the Florida Territory. Originally part of Escambia and later Gadsden County, Leon County was created in 1824. It was named for the Juan Ponce de León, Spanish explorer who was the first European to reach Florida.
Territorial Governors from Leon County
- Richard Keith Call served from 1836-1839 and 1841-1844. Though not a native, Call came to Florida in 1814 and was a land owner in Leon County as early as the 1820s. He established Orchard Pond Plantation and The Grove Plantation.
- John Branch served from 1844-1845. Also not a native, Branch moved to Leon County in the 1830s purchasing land on which he would establish Live Oak Plantation.
- See also List of governors of Florida
The Plantations of Leon County
Leon County in the 1820s-1830s became a destination for a number of northern planters. Besides the aforementioned R.K. Call and John Branch, names such as Francis W. Eppes, William Bailey, the Chaires brothers, the Bradford brothers, George T. Ward, and many others began large cotton plantations in Leon County.
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War of 1835-1842 touched Leon County as it would most of Florida when family members and slaves of Green A. Chaires were massacred on his first plantation on Lake Lafayette.
In 1837, the Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad was completed linking Tallahassee to the Gulf port of St. Marks to the south.
Forts of Leon County
During the Seminole Wars, 5 forts were constructed for the protection of settlers.
- 1839-1842 - Fort Virginia Braden was named after the commander's wife who died of yellow fever. Fort Braden was located at Ft. Braden on the Ochlockonee River.
- 1840 - Fort Harriett near the head of the Sopchoppy River, 17 miles northwest of St. Marks.
- 1839-1842 - Fort Macomb or Fort Number One M was located 10 miles north of St. Marks.
- 1839 - Fort Number Two (M) was located on the St. Marks River just south of the unincorporated area of Rose, Florida.
- 1839 - Fort St. Augustine was located 9 miles northeast of Fort Macomb.
Early Statehood
On March 3, 1845, Florida joined the Union as the 27th state and Leon County became the capital county of Florida.
Antebellum
During the 1850s-1860s, Leon County was a "cotton kingdom" and ranked 5th out of all of Florida and Georgia counties in the production of cotton from the 20 major plantations growing 200 bales or more.
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Florida seceded from the Union January 10, 1861 and took its place with the Confederacy. Leon County sent many of its men into battle as far north as Gettysburg.
The only battle of the Civil War within Leon County took place on March 16, 1865 at the Battle of Natural Bridge with the small Confederate forces of around 1000 men including students from the West Florida Seminary (to be Florida State University) under Sam Jones going up against John Newton and his 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored Infantry units.
The 1880s and 1890s
Leon County resident and cotton plantation owner William D. Bloxham served as Governor from 1881-1885 and took office again from 1897-1901.
The Carrabelle, Tallahassee and Georgia Railroad
The Carrabelle, Tallahassee and Georgia Railroad began service during the 1880s with service from the Gulf coast to southern Georgia.
20th Century
1900 through 1920
Florida Central Railroad
The Florida Central Railroad establishes a rail line in eastern Leon County.