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In 1818, Fernandina comprised of about 40 wooden houses which sheltered a population of around 150 people. The town was incorporated the same year as Nassau county was created, 1824. It wasn’t until the Railroad arrived on the Island from Cedar Keys did the growth of Fernandina and Nassau County appear promising. Then all Hell broke loose with the start of the Civil War.
This material was written and compiled by “Workers of the Writers’ Program of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Florida, Sponsored by the Florida State Planning Board, and copyrighted by the City Commission of Fernandina in 1940.” There were no subsequent copyrights on this material and the material entered the public domain in 1968, or 28 years after the publication of material. Note: This material uses phraseology and words which may be considered offensive to readers today....
What peace was gained by the Patriots in 1816 was dashed upon the shores of Amelia Island when “General” Gregor McGregor sailed into Fernandina and the Spanish authority hastened retreat. This occupation by English forces was ended by the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1818. Finally, in 1821, without the exchange of actual cash, America purchased the rights to Florida, and the Spanish flag was lowered while the 23 starred flag of the United States was raised at Fernandina.
After the English government ceded control of Florida over to the Spanish, Amelia Island citizens found themselves under control of yet another government, with their titles to land in question. All that Spain required was a change of allegiance from England to Spain. Out of this question of land title, and the Patriots refusal to change allegiance was born the Republic of Florida.
These obituaries and estate sale notices were transcribed from the Florida Mirror issues for 30 Nov 1878, 7 Dec 1878, 28 Dec 1878, 4 Jan 1879, 1 Feb 1879, and 21 Jan 1880. The names of those deceased: Judge John Friend, John C. Griswold, Dr. F. P. Wellford, Rev. Archibald Baker, Mrs. Harriet Willis, Liberty Billings, and Charles L. Hoyt.
A pedigree chart of Carlyle F. Alexander. Family names include: Alexander, Edwards, Latham, Medlin, Morgan, Pennington, Southwick, and Sugg.
When Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, the Pigeon Creek Baptist Church was the only known Protestant Church within it's territory. This article provides a brief history of the founding of the church by Nassau County residents, It's original organizational document and a list of those who signed it, minutes from the early meetings, and a few tombstone readings from it's picturesque cemetery.
Levin Tomlinson was born on 11 April 1813, the son of William Tomlinson (10 Dec 1781 SC – 10 Dec 1865 Clinch Co., GA) and Nancy Register (1782-1873). Levin grew up living in Appling and Irwin counties Georgia. He married Sarah Daugherty on 26 July 1843, who at the time resided on Suwannoochee Creek below the present town of DuPont in Ware county. Sarah was born on 19 March 1825, to James Daugherty and Sarah Bassett, in Appling County, Georgia. Levin and Sarah’s first home was in Clinch County, Georgia. They had 15 children, and this is their story.
When in 1763 Florida was ceded by Spain to England, a definite boundary at the St. Mary’s River was set for the province. Thus Fernandina again became the border town of Florida, a situation which was to have further significance thirteen years later when the American Revolution broke out.
This first chapter in the History of Nassau County Florida takes the reader from the discovery of Fernandina by Jean Ribault, the intrepid French Admiral and explorer, to 1748 and the treaty between Spain and England which created a no-man’s-land of Amelia Island.
