Page 191 - a-history-of-columbia-county-florida-(1996)-edward-f-keuchel

A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 180/340

A Period of Growth and Development

In the election of November 2, 1886, the new constitution was
passed by a vote of 31,803 to 21,243. The counties voting against the
new constitution were generally those with sizeable black popu­
lations. They were Columbia, Baker and Levy in North Florida,
Volusia in South Florida, the port-city counties of Escambia and
Nassau, and the Black Belt counties of Leon, Jefferson, and
Jackson.44
All in all, though, after the events of the 1880’s and 1890’s
politics in Florida settled down into the dominance of the Dem­
ocratic Party. For the most part black Floridians disappeared
from the political life of the state.
Economically the dawn of the twentieth century saw Co­
lumbia as one of the leading counties of North Florida. Sea Island
cotton was still the dominant agricultural commodity although
winter and early spring vegetables had an established place. The
county still served as an important transportation hub of the state.
Lake City in particular gave the appearance of a rising com­
mercial center serving the region between Tallahassee and
Jacksonville. The presence of the Florida Agricultural College
gave the community status as an educational center. It was not
without reason that Columbia countians looked with pride to the
developments of the past twenty-four years and were optimistic
that the twentieth century promised more.

uIbid., pp. 142-43.
157

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