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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 202/340

A History of Columbia County, Florida

It was readily apparent that Columbia County was in a prime
position to capitalize on the expected influx of visitors who would
be coming into Florida by automobile. In April 1910, the Citizen-
Reporter proudly proclaimed that Lake City already had four
miles of brick pavement within the city and more paving planned.
In August of the same year a special committee composed of Dr. R.
E. Chalker, F. F. Bardin, T. H. Owens, J. D. Crabb, and J. H.
Sandlin was formed to promote the repair of the road between
Lake City and White Springs in order to make it suitable for
automobiles. Since this was one of the routes visitors used in
coming into the state by automobile from Atlanta, the committee
made a special effort to post signs along the road to prevent
motorists from getting lost. The East Coast Lumber Company of
Watertown, one of the largest lumbermills in the state, provided
most of the maintenance on the road between Lake City and
Olustee.23
It must be remembered that most of the “roads” used by
automobile tourists coming into the state were at best graded
earth. In contrast to the railroads, automobile travel was slow and
subject to many uncertainties because of mechanical problems,
road conditions, and weather. Around 1910 travelers desiring to go
by automobile from Tallahassee to Jacksonville would usually
make it a two-day venture if weather allowed the roads to be
passable. The first day would usually be spent driving from
Tallahassee to Lake City, and, after a night’s rest, the balance of
the trip would be made on the next day. When a committee of
businessmen from Atlanta and Jacksonville met in 1910 to de­
termine the best route between the two cities they had to leave
their automobiles and travel over the proposed routes by train
because summer rains had made some areas impassable. The two
routes under consideration were by way of Valdosta, Georgia, to
Lake City (later U.S. 41) and on to Jacksonville (later U.S. 90), or

23Lake City Reporter, August 26, 1910.
170

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