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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 165/340

A History of Columbia Comity, Florida

mills, one circular saw mill, six cotton gins, and one cotton-seed oil
mill.32
Barrsville on the old military and telegraph road some four­
teen miles from Lake City and eight miles from the Santa Fe River
had originally been settled by Giles U. Ellis in 1845 and called
“Ellisville.” Barrsville was regarded as being in an area suitable
for orange cultivation as was Mt. Tabor located about ten miles
south of Lake City.33
Orange cultivation'was heavily advocated by the Columbia
County Immigration Association. This association formed in 1881
and headed by J. F. Baya, C. R. King, C. A. Finley, and L. Harrison
promoted fruit cultivation, especially oranges and peaches, for the
southern part of the county. In a pamphlet authorized by the Board
of County Commissioners and prepared by the Immigration Assoc­
iation, potential settlers were told that an investment of only $520
could launch a family into orange production. If $100 would
purchase 10 acres of pine land, another $100 would have it cleared.
Breaking and fencing the land would require $105 while 600
orange trees 4 years of age could cost $150 plus an additional $25 to
plant them. Fertilizer was estimated at $40 for the first year.34
Unfortunately most of the county’s citrus was destroyed in the
freeze of 1895.
The southern part of the county also looked promising for
Cuban tobacco used for cigar wrapping. Columbia County Cuban
tobacco was awarded first premium at the Sub-Tropical Ex­
position in Jacksonville in 1887 and two gold medals at the
Cincinnati Exposition in 1889.35
32 Webb, Webb’s Historical, Industrial and Biographical Florida, p. 40; Board
of County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 11.
33Webb, Webb's Historical, Industrial and Biographical Florida, p. 39; Co­
lumbia County Immigration Association, Columbia County, p. 11.
34Columbia County Immigration Association, Columbia County, pp. 11, 29;
County Commissioners Minutes Book No. 1, Meeting of October 14,1881, December
6, 1881.
35Board of County Commissioners, Columbia County, p. 21.
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