Page 2 - a-history-of-columbia-county-florida-(1996)-edward-f-keuchel

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

Columbia County, a county in the Suwannee River region of North Florida, has had a
long and varied past. In this work historian Edward F. Keuchel traces the county’s his­
tory from early Indian cultures to the present. Attention is given to the customs of the
Timucuan Indians, the Spanish mission settlements, and the coming of the Seminoles.
During Florida’s long territorial period Columbia County shared in the difficulties of
frontier life, and it played a major role in the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), one of
the longest and bloodiest Indian wars in American history. During the Civil War the
biggest battle in the state, the Battle of Olustee, took place only some eighteen miles
from Lake City, the county seat. Columbia County was one of the hot-beds of “Ku
Klux” activity during the Reconstruction period following the war. By the late 1890s
Columbia County was regarded as one of the leading counties of the state, and it was the
site of the Florida Agricultural College until the school was moved to Gainesville in
1906. During the automobile-tourist boom of the 1920s, the county served as a major
point of entry into the state. It was the site of an important naval air station during the
Second World War.

In this study Professor Keuchel attempts to show how the people of the county were
involved in the events which affected the state and the nation. It is a skillful weaving of
local events into a greater setting. As such, it is more than a history of the county. It is
Columbia County in Florida and American history.

THEAUTHOR
Edward F. Keuchel is an Associate Professor of History at The Florida State University
where he teaches Florida history. Among his publications are articles in the Florida
Historical Quarterly, and a recent book with John O’Sullivan, American Economic His­
tory: From Abundance to Constraint.

Cover sketches furnished by Fran Rossi (front) and Tony Keaton (back). Fran Rossi is
an award-winning photographer and graphic artist who currently teaches at Lake City
Community College. Tony Keaton is a native Columbia Countian with interests in art
and history. Graphic design and layout by Vicki Munroe.

Printing by Hunter Printing Company

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 02905885-C4E0-4A35-9DAE-804ED8349EC9