Page 213 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

City, the county seat. It has two stores, a cotton gin, a grist mill and a saw mill. It
was considered a suitable place to encamp troops during the early Indian wars

The principal crop is Sea Island cotton, but com and cane are extensively grown. It
is 16 miles east of Jasper, the nearest railroad station. Peaches, grapes and some
oranges are also grown here.”

“Fort White—settled by the present postmaster several years ago, who built
mills, a cotton gin and a store. It is situated on the S. F. & W. Railroad, 4 hours
from Jacksonville. Population in 1883 was 30—it is now 60. There are about 20
dwellings and three stores. T. W. Getzen, George E. Ellis, J. P. Terry, John
McKinney, and J. N. Koon are engaged extensively in growing cotton and com.

The citizens are mostly from Georgia and North Carolina.”

“Lake City—situated 60 miles west of Jacksonville. Has a population of nearly
2000. It is the county seat. It was settled in 1820 by Georgians. In 1837 there was a
military post here. The town was first named Alligator, after an old Indian chief.

The named was changed to Lake City in 1859. There is a Lake City bank, Noyes S.

Collins cashier, and over 40 mercantile houses doing good business. The state
agricultural college has a corps of professors. The St. James Female Academy, the
Peabody school and several other private and public schools are located here.”

“The Lake City Reporter, a wide-awake weekly, is edited by C. A. Finley, esq. The
Baptist Witness, F. B. Moody, editor.

The thread house of J. & P. Coates Co. has a large warehouse here for the storage
of cotton, which they buy direct from the planters, this being the central market for
Sea Island cotton.

There are six churches, five Masonic lodges, a temperance society, etc. F. McLeod
is postmaster. Dr. AppelTs experiment garden has over 60 varieties of vegetables,
all doing well.”

“Leno—is the outgrowth of a military camp and was settled by Henry Matier in
1860. It is situated on the Santa Fe River near Natural Bridge, about 22 miles south
of Lake City. There are six grist mills, one circular saw mill, six cotton gins and a
cotton seed oil mill. The people are mostly from Georgia and South Carolina. The

postmaster is G. M. Whetstone.”

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