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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 164/340

A Period of Growth and Development
Ferry was located sixteen miles away at Jasper in Hamilton
County.28
Also in the northern part of the county on the Suwannee River
was Suwannee Shoals regarded as a potential water power site. J.
V. Brown, T. J. Summerall and C. Jones were among the people
associated with Suwannee Shoals during the period.29
To the south of Lake City lay Mikesville, Leno, Barrsville,
Columbia City, and Mt. Tabor. Columbia City, some ten miles
south of Lake City, was the site of a large saw mill owned by
George F. Drew, Florida governor 1877-1881, and referred to as
“Millionaire Drew” because of his large timber holdings and
mercantile business.30
Mikesville, about six miles northeast of Fort White, had been
settled by G. M. Whetstone the postmaster of Leno in 1870.
Mikesville was regarded as being in a good agricultural area
suitable for oranges. Mikesville jumped from a population of
fifteen in 1870 to some one hundred in 1884. It had a Presbyterian
and a Methodist church, two grist mills, seven Sea Island cotton
gins, a cotton-seed oil mill, and one saw mill. Mikesville had semi­
weekly postal service and a stage line which took passengers to
Lake City for a fare of $2.00. T. N. Reddick was the principal of the
Mikesville Academy. Besides Whetstone and Reddick other names
associated with Mikesville include H. R. Williams, J. J. Bunch, and
J. F. Niblack.31
Leno, located on the Santa Fe River near the Natural Bridge,
was settled by Henry Matier around 1850. Leno had two grist
28 Webb, Webb’s Historical, Industrial and Biographical Florida, p. 40; Board
of County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 58.
29 Columbia County Immigration Association, Columbia County, pp. 11, 60;
Board of County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 57.
30Board of County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 57.
•“Webb, Wt’Ms Historical, Industrial and Biographical Florida, p. 40; Co­
lumbia County Immigration Association. C^umbia County, pp. 57, 60; Board of
County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 11.

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