NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
HERITAGE AND HISTORY

By  Mike Miller August 21, 2023

North Central Florida heritage and history will be your constant companion as you travel from Monticello near the Georgia border, to Tallahassee, Gainesville and Cedar Key.

FDOANorthCentral

This is a rural region with small southern towns and statues of Confederate soldiers in the town squares and ancient oak trees draped with Spanish moss.

This region has some of the best college football in the United States with the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Florida A&M Rattlers.

North Central Florida hugs the Georgia border like a baby hangs onto its mother. In his book "Becalmed In The Mullet Latitudes", Al Burt named this part of the state Florgia.  

The name Florgia still fits after all of these years - half Florida, half Georgia.  

Al Burts Little Floridas Map

Most of the Florida natives in these counties are descended from early settlers who came down from Georgia and South Carolina after the Civil War. 

They were confederate veterans and sympathizers.  The modern descendants of these early settlers are known for their Southern Hospitality.

It's common when your visit is over for your hostess to say "Y'all come see us again, y'hear?".

This land is still Georgia heritage country. Florgia is the home of the famous Florida Cracker.  When I moved to Florida almost 50 years ago, this region along with Northwest and Northeast Florida, dominated state politics.

Florida Old Capitol

THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE PORK CHOP GANG

A legislator from a lightly populated north Florida county had as much power as one representing millions of people in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The entire state was controlled by these old-time southern segregationist Democrats.  About 20 of these good ole boys always voted together.  North Central Florida heritage and history refers to these folks as "The Pork Chop Gang".  

Pork Chop Gang 1956

The gang was good at bringing home the bacon to their small north Florida communities.  North Central Florida heritage and history still honors the names of these old politicians.

By the 1970's enough Yankees had moved to south Florida that the old system crumbled. The Florida legislature passed laws that apportioned seats according to population.  The old days of "one district-one vote" were gone forever. 

The balance of power shifted toward the population centers of south Florida. That's where the power remains today.

Tallahassee is the state capital and the home of the Florida State University Seminoles and the Florida A&M University Rattlers.  

FloridaField

Gainesville is the home of the University of Florida Gators.  An important part of North Central Florida heritage and history is pride of all of these universities in academic achievements and nationally ranked football and basketball teams.

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA HERITAGE SITES

Here is a list of 171 North Central Florida heritage sites in the 16 counties that comprise the region.  The County Seat is also listed. Here's a neat trick for you:  highlight any of the sites below, then right click and it will take you to the site's webpage on the internet.

ALACHUA: Gainesville

  1. Acrosstown Repertory Theater
  2. Alachua County Historical Trust: Matheson Museum
  3. Anderson Hall
  4. Archer Historical Society Railroad Museum
  5. Boulware Springs Waterworks
  6. Bryan Hall
  7. Buckman Hall
  8. City of Alachua Downtown Historic District
  9. Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
  10. Dudley Farm Historic State Park
  11. Evinston Community Store and Post Office
  12. First Methodist Church
  13. Florida Museum of Natural History
  14. Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park
  15. Griffin-Floyd Hall
  16. Hawthorne Historical Museum and Cultural Center
  17. High Springs Historic District
  18. Hippodrome State Theater
  19. Historic Haile Homestead
  20. Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica
  21. John F. Seagle Building
  22. Keene-Flint Hall
  23. Lake Pithlachocco Canoe Site
  24. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
  25. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House
  26. Masonic Temple
  27. Matheson Historical Center
  28. Melrose Historic District
  29. Micanopy Historic District
  30. Micanopy Historical Society Museum
  31. Newberry Historic District
  32. Newell Hall
  33. Newnansville Town Site
  34. Norman Hall
  35. Northeast Gainesville Residential District
  36. Old Florida Heritage Scenic Highway
  37. Old Gainesville Depot
  38. O'Leno State Park
  39. Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park
  40. Peabody Hall
  41. Pleasant Street Historic District
  42. River Rise Preserve State Park
  43. Rochelle School
  44. Rolfs Hall
  45. San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
  46. Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church
  47. Smathers Library
  48. Southeast Gainesville Residential District
  49. Thomas Center
  50. Thomas Hall
  51. University of Florida Police Department Building
  52. University of Florida Campus Historic District
  53. Waldo Historic District
  54. Women's Gymnasium

BRADFORD: Starke

  1. Call Street Historic District
  2. Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park
  3. Jones Rosenberg Building (Santa Fe Community College)
  4. Woman's Club of Starke

COLUMBIA: Lake City

  1. Columbia County High School Museum
  2. Columbia County Historical Museum
  3. Falling Creek Methodist Church and Cemetery
  4. Florida Sports Hall of Fame
  5. Fort White Public School Historic District
  6. Goodbread--Black Farms Historic District
  7. Horace Duncan House
  8. Hotel Blanche
  9. Ichetucknee Springs State Park
  10. Lake City Historic Commercial District
  11. Lake Isabella Historic Residential District
  12. Peacock Springs State Park
  13. T.G. Henderson House

DIXIE: Cross City

  1. City of Hawkinsville

GADSDEN: Quincy

  1. City of Quincy - Quincy Main Street
  2. Dr. Malcolm Nicholson Farmhouse
  3. E.B. Shelfer House
  4. Gregory House (Krausland)
  5. Old Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
  6. Planter's Exchange, Inc.
  7. Quincy Historic District
  8. Quincy Library

GILCHRIST: Trenton

HAMILTON: Jasper

  1. Big Shoals State Park
  2. First United Methodist Church
  3. Hamilton County Historical Museum
  4. Main Street Hamilton County
  5. Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
  6. White Springs Historic District

JEFFERSON: Monticello

  1. Jefferson County Main Street
  2. Lloyd Historic District
  3. Lloyd Women's Club
  4. Monticello High School
  5. Monticello Historic District
  6. Monticello Opera House
  7. Wirick-Simmons House

LAFAYETTE: Mayo

  1. One of the nicest buildings in North Central Florida is the 1908 Lafayette County courthouse. It is not on the State list yet.

LEON: Tallahassee

  1. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
  2. Black Archives of Florida A & M University
  3. Blackwood-Harwood Plantations Cemetery
  4. Bloxham Building
  5. Bradley's Country Store
  6. Brokaw-McDougall House
  7. Calhoun Street Historic District
  8. Cascades Park
  9. Chaires Community Historic District
  10. David S. Walker Library
  11. Exchange Bank Building
  12. First Presbyterian Church
  13. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College Historic District
  14. Florida Black Heritage Trail
  15. Florida Cuban Heritage Trail
  16. Florida Jewish Heritage Trail
  17. Florida Women's Heritage Trail
  18. Gallie's Hall and Building
  19. Goodwood
  20. Governor John W. Martin House
  21. John G. Riley Center
  22. Knott House
  23. Lake Jackson Mounds
  24. Lake Talqin State Park
  25. Leon Co. Training and Community Center
  26. Leon High School
  27. Los Robles Gate
  28. Magnolia Heights Historic District
  29. Miccosukee Methodist Church
  30. Mission San Luis de Apalachee
  31. Murat House
  32. Museum of Florida History
  33. Myers Park Historic District
  34. Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park
  35. Old Capitol
  36. Park Ave Historic District
  37. Pisgah United Methodist Church
  38. Roberts Farm Historic and Archeological District
  39. Ruge Hall Episcopal Student Center
  40. Smoky Hollow Historic District
  41. St. John's Episcopal Church
  42. Tall Timbers Plantation
  43. Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park
  44. Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science
  45. Temple Israel
  46. The Columns
  47. Union Bank Building
  48. Woman's Club of Tallahassee

LEVY: Bronson

  1. Cedar Key Historical Museum
  2. Cedar Key Museum State Park
  3. Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve
  4. Cedar Keys Lighthouse
  5. Citizen's Bank
  6. Fanning Springs State Park
  7. Island Hotel and Restaurant
  8. Manatee Springs State Park
  9. Nature Coast Trail State Park
  10. Stump Pass Beach State Park
  11. Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park

MADISON: Madison

  1. First Baptist Church
  2. St. Mary's Episcopal Church
  3. Wardlaw-Smith House

SUWANNEE: Live Oak

  1. Live Oak Police Department
  2. Suwanee County Courthouse
  3. Suwanee County Historical Museum
  4. Suwannee River State Park

TAYLOR: Perry

  1. Econfina River State Park
  2. Forest Capital Museum State Park
  3. Main Street Perry
  4. Old Perry Post Office
  5. Old Taylor County Jail

UNION: Lake Butler

  1. Townsend Building

WAKULLA: Crawfordville

  1. Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park and Lodge
  2. Fort San Marcos de Apalache
  3. Ochlocknee River State Park
  4. Old Sopchoppy High School Gymnasium
  5. Old Wakulla County Courthouse
  6. Sopchoppy School
  7. St. Marks Lighthouse

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NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA HERITAGE AND HISTORY
COUNTIES, TOWNS AND CITIES

The North Central Counties are Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla.

Learn about the 31 Florida towns and cities in North Central Florida.

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