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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 255/340

Depression and War
retarding long-range planning of educational and welfare needs for
the 1940’s and 1950’s.14 The state’s educational institutions were, in
fact, poorly prepared for the upsurge of population which followed
the Second World War. Cone defended his actions by pointing to
the platform which the voters had endorsed when they elected him
in 1936. Cone was the type of governor the state desired at that
time, and he was always the favorite of his home Columbia County.
By the late 1930’s the depression was still sorely felt in the
county, but there were also hopeful signs that the worst was over.
Although there were still 2,566 residents in the county receiving
food relief in 1938, the farmer’s plight had been helped by New
Deal farm programs. Some 518 farmers in the county received
$49,136 in federal funds through the various New Deal agricultual
programs. By early 1939 the First National Bank, the State
Exchange Bank and the Columbia County Bank all reported
substantial increases in assets. The county’s tobacco production
showed substantial increases during the late 1930’s. In 1938 the
Lake City tobacco market opened freeing Columbia County
tobacco growers from the necessity of hauling their crop to the
Live Oak market. In its first year the Lake City market handled
3,552,000 pounds of tobacco and was preparing for 6,000,000 for its
second year. In January 1939, the newly reorganized Lake City
Chamber of Commerce issued a report glowing with optimism
over the area’s future—an optimism symbolized in a June 1939,
advertisement of the Cox Furniture Company which offered the
new 1940 Philco radio which was “built to receive television
sound.”15
Such signs of optimism unfortunately were dampened by the
gathering of war clouds of the Second World War. Even in the
relatively isolated counties of North Florida, Americans were

uCox and Dovell, Florida, p. 192; Tebeau, History of Florida, p. 400.
lbLake City Reporter, January 6, 13, 16, February 10, May 12, June 23, 1939.
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