Category: History

George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute Based on writings of local historian Mary Lou Bennett, a cave system as large as the well-known Florida Caverns in the…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats It was a crisp September morning in 1780. The American colonies were desperately attempting to defend themselves against the overwhelming forces of Great Britain marshaled against them. Throughout…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats For more than one hundred and fifty years, Roseland Cemetery has marked the final resting place of many Jefferson County and Monticello residents. Each silent marker within its…

George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute Today, the Aucilla and its tributaries are known for excellent fishing. But, this is not a modern development. Since prehistoric times,…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats If you stepped back in time to the 1920s and 1930s, you’d find many differences between the Monticello of that day and the one that exists at the…

George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute One of the most intriguing aspects of the Aucilla and Wacissa River basins is the large number of Native American mounds…

  George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute One of the most interesting parts of the Aucilla River is where it suddenly is swallowed by the Earth. The…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats Immediately to the east of what used to be Jackson’s drugstore on East Dogwood Street is a narrow, unassuming storefront housed between the old drugstore and Gellings’ florist…

Story Submitted by Aucilla Research Institute There is no detailed history of the community on the lower Aucilla River known as “Nutall Rise.” It is randomly mentioned in narratives related to the…

Written and submitted by Rev. Gene Hall Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats For a town of its size, young Monticello had invested in few public safety resources to meet an emergency. When a fire roared through the downtown district in…

George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute Even though the Great Timber Boom was over, the impact of that era was not. During the boom no thought had…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats An old map of the town of Monticello reveals the surprising fact that, among the multiple commercial establishments and residences in the growing community in 1909, only a…

George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute   The area around the lower Aucilla was isolated and remote during the early days of statehood. U.S. Highway 98 was…

Submitted by Rebekah Sheats A fresh coat of paint has recently added new life to the large building on North Jefferson Street that houses Steve Walker’s realty office and Vintage Treasures. This…

By George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute Similar to the rapid growth of plantations in the early 1800s, the late 1800s saw another large-scale development in the…

By George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute After the signing of the Adams-Onís Treaty resulting in the transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States, settlers…

Lee Trawick ECB Publishing, Inc. In 1859, a mild, meek looking religious family moved to a small village named Bellville, in Hamilton County. The family’s name was Powell: among the children in the…

Submitted by: George M. Cole and John E. Ladson III Aucilla Research Institute While the Seminole people are primarily identified with the State of Florida, they were part of the Creek Confederacy…

Story submitted by North Florida College Rose Knox grew up listening to stories, and in her “own backyard” was a rich history of people, places and happenings. Her latest book, written in…