A peek into the stories of Jefferson County Rattlers

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. It is impossible to discuss the history of Jefferson County education in its entirety without acknowledgement of the contributions of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in the neighboring Leon County. Given its close proximity to Monticello, many Jefferson County residents are FAMU alumni who have fond memories of their time spent at the university. According to famu.edu, the university was founded on Oct. 3, 1887, under first president Thomas DeSaille Tucker. This was partly due to the efforts of Duval County educator and State Representative Thomas Van Renssaler Gibbs, who helped pass House Bill 133 three years earlier. The bill