Category: History

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Does it come as any surprise to you that the invention of air conditioning had its beginnings through an inventor from Florida? Probably not. About this time…

Photo courtesy of Florida Memory Pictured is the 1930 Monticello High School graduating class. Pictured in the back row, from left to right, are: Claude Groom, Skyler Smith, Emmett Kelly, Edward Milton,…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Tuesday, May 20, marks the 160th anniversary of Florida Emancipation Day, when the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud in Tallahassee, officially declaring all enslaved people in the…

Jason Futch ECB Publishing, Inc.  Ludwig van Beethoven, Thomas Edison and Helen Keller are names synonymous with history, but they also share a unique bond. They were trendsetters who also experienced hearing…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Did you know that an award-winning music video was filmed in Jefferson County? The tune the video is set to is “The Price” by Adrianna Freeman. Freeman…

April 22, 1955 Monticello Parents-Teachers Association elected Mrs. W.L. Hunter as president; A.M. Keith, Mrs. W.G. Stephens, and Mrs. J.B. Ritch were the other officers. The PTA Library committee urged the support…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Newspapers like the one you’re reading today play a valuable role in society. They keep citizens informed on the happenings of their community and the world around…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Grudges were considerably more deadly affairs in the 19th century than most are today. When it came down to a question of honor, the duel was a…

April 15, 1955 Polly Clarke and Dorothy Mathers were named to represent the county at Girls State.  George Wright, Earl Merritt, Russell Sheffield and Herbert Thigpen were Future Farmers, who were named…

Hailey’s Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Mary Edwards Bryan was born on May 18, 1838, to parents John D. Edwards and Louisa Crutchfield Houghton Edwards on their plantation near what is now the…

Mickey Starling ECB Publishing, Inc.  I know you are itching to jump right into this week’s exploration of popular idioms, but hold your horses. America is one of the most animal-loving nations…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  The Aucilla Research Institute (ARI) recently was an exhibitor at the annual Tallahassee History Festival.  The free-to-attend festival, hosted by Tallahassee State College (formerly known as Tallahassee…

Christian Peterson ECB Publishing, Inc. Women’s History Month is celebrated during March each year, centering around March 8, which is International Women’s Day. The celebration, however, dates all the way back to…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. How many forms of art have been lost to time? The hustle and bustle of the modern world has ushered many skills that were once necessary into…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. The Denham-Brinson-Hawkins House is among the oldest residences in Jefferson County. Built around 1840 for William Denham, the house predates most others in the county, with the…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Since 1987, March has been designated as National Women’s History Month in the United States and several other countries around the world. The month also includes Women’s…

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…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. What does it take to forge a legacy that lasts? Thomas Raines (also spelled Rains) spent all of his 96 years in Jefferson County, living in a…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. It isn’t often that a Jefferson County resident receives the distinction of being a part of a hall of fame, yet that was one of the many…

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. As February begins, along with it comes the start of Black History Month. Black History Month exists as a time to recognize history and culture that has…