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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 62/340

An Expanding County in a New State

Ross, only held 39. One hundred and fifteen owned 5 or less.5 In
Middle Florida at the same time the larger plantations had as
many as 200 slaves.

Slaves were among the most valuable and easily divided
property that a man could will to his descendants. In his last will
and testament, dated September 1,1857, Jacob T. Goodbread made
general provisions for his plantation and personal property, but
gave special attention to the distribution of his slaves. To his
daughters America, Pavmelia, Elizabeth, Missouri, Kansas, and
Georgia; and to his sons Phillip, Jacob and Augustine, Goodbread
gave specific slaves making provisions in case the slave should die
before the estate was settled. His wife Jane was entrusted with the
plantation and balance of personal property with the stipulation
that the plantation not be divided before the marriage of his
youngest child.6
On a large plantation the owner functioned largely as a
manager. Cotton provided the cash crop for these operations but a
considerable amount of time and effort was devoted to the pro­
duction of corn, oats, sweet potatoes, hogs and other essentials used
on the plantation itself. As much as possible, plantations were self-
sufficient with much of the clothing, furniture and other articles of
living manufactured on the plantation itself. In 1851, Chemonie, a
plantation of 771 acres in Jefferson County used some 80 slaves for
its operation. Cotton was planted on 451 acres while corn, oats,
sugarcane, potatoes and rice were produced on the rest. Slaves
supplied the agricultural labor while also performing many of the
crafts such as basket, rope and cloth making, carpentry, black­
smithing and masonry. The overseer of Chemonie received his
house and food and an annual salary of about four hundred dollars
which was a significant income for the period.7

Columbia County Slave Owners 1850, “The Early Years of Columbia County.”
6 Last Will and Testament of Jacob T. Goodbread, Goodbread Family Papers in
the possession of Nettie Black Ozaki, Lake City, Florida.
7Tebeau, History of Florida, pp. 185-86.
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