Lafayette County, Florida

Article Printed in Mayo Free Press November 28, 1963

 "By the Late Guy M. McClain"

Judge 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Lafayette County, Florida

1941 - 1961

County First Settled In 1800; Was Created By Law In 1856

The history of this county (Lafayette) with this section of the country, dates back to the sixteenth century when the Spanish settled in and around Oldtown, Florida developing large sugar plantations. During the changes of Government that the state went thru, these settlements were abandoned. For many years after the Spanish, this section was completely under the control of the Indians. The Indians were evidently of the Seminole race and were usually friendly with the settlers as there was plenty of game for them to spare.

This section went through the same process of driving out the Indians as did the other neighboring counties. There are evidences that general Andrew Jackson came through what is now Lafayette County on one of the Indian fighting expeditions that he made in this state.

Along about 1800, people began to migrate to this section from other states such as Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas. Many fine families, bringing with them their work stock, slaves and other possessions began to make settlements at various places here in this county. Notably one of these was a group that came from Alabama, consisting of the Brantleys, Hankins, Hendersons and Churches. They brought their slaves and made a settlement at Cooks Hammock where they had large cotton plantations.

The McQueens, Cottrells and others also settled at Oldtown for the same purpose. Although there were many fine families that settled here, there were many people that came from other states as fugitives from justice. They caused a spirit of lawlessness to prevail for a long time.

This section was without transportation facilities for a long time and suffered consequently in its development. However, prior to the Civil War, boats began to navigate the Suwannee River, stopping at the landings, namely: Ft Fannin, Wilcos, Fort McKoon, Branford, Troy and Luraville, for trade with the settlers. Outstanding of this group of boats was "The Madison" owned and Captained by Captain Tucker. This boat would load up with the various things that the settlers were in need of and made stops at the various landings above referred to. When the boat came near the designated landing, they would sound the whistle on the boat. This whistle could be heard for miles around and the settlers knew the meaning of it. They would gather their products in earnest. The settlers would trade venison, deer and cow hides, pert, tallow, beeswax, honey, chickens and eggs, hogs and beeves. In turn they would get tools, cloth and other things that they had need of.

During the war, Capt. Tucker took a company of men, mostly from Lafayette County, on his boat. "The Madison" slipped out the mouth of the Suwannee River and captured a Federal gunboat. When he and his company of men were called to serve in Virginia, he planned to sink his boat and keep it from falling into the hands of the Yankees. But some of the citizens prevailed with him to let them use the boat to transport their corn, cotton and other products on the river. He agreed to let them use it if they would promise to sink it when they were through; which they did.

The hull of the old Madison can now be seen in the crystal clear water of Troy Springs near Branford. Capt. Tucker and his company of Lafayette County boys were known in Virginia as Company H., 8th Florida Infantry.

Lafayette County was created in 1857 and was named in honor of the State Senator from this section whose name was James Lafayette Fletcher Cottrell. The "Lafayette" in the senator's name came from the French general LaFayette that so bravely served our country. Troy, the first County seat was built on the banks of the Suwannee River at a boat landing by that name between 1860 and 1862. In 1863, the Court House had to be moved about one fourth of a mile from the river on account of a high water flooding of the place.

By the year of 1860, this county was well on the road to prosperity, but in 1861 the Civil War broke out, lasting for about four years. This section of the state fared rather badly during the war, not because of any actual fighting here in the county but it caused all of the able bodied men to be in the war or bushwacking and left the work at home to be carried on by the old men, women and children. The closest battles were fought at Lake City and Alachua.

During the reconstruction days, this county fared like most others in the South where bands of deserters, carpetbaggers and freed Negroes, robbed, burned out and stole away the stock of all the better families, leaving them destitute. The Court House, in fact the whole town of Troy was burned and destroyed during one of these raids, causing many of the records of the county to be destroyed. Later the town was rebuilt and so remained until the county seat moved to Mayo in 1893. The first Court House was built in Mayo in 1895.

Even up to 1902, the county was covered with virgin pine timber which made inducements sufficient for the Drews to build a railroad from Live Oak into Lafayette County, known as the Florida Line and the same year the Drews built the largest electrical driven sawmill, at that time, in the south. It was built at Alton. They named the town of the mill Alton after the birthplace of their father, Governor Drew, who was born in  Alton New Hampshire.

W. T. Dees was the founder of mayo and it gets its name from the Post Office that was operated at the home of Mr. Ramsey near the ten Mile Pone.

After Mr. Dees had built a store in what is now Mayo, Mr. Ramsey moved his post office in the store with Mr. Dees and the village was known and grew into the town of Mayo.

In 1908 the present Court House was built and in 1912 the Live Oak Perry and gulf Railroad built a line into Mayo.

The upper and lower parts of the county had a controversy over road bonds in 1921. This question brought to the attention of the citizens the great distance from the lower part of the county to the county seat, which resulted in a split that year; the lower part of the county split off and was made into the present Dixie County.