Long before the Spaniards arrived in
Florida, Alachua County's unique combination of fertile
soil, broad prairies, clear lakes and abundant game had
spawned a complex Indian Civilization called Timucuan.
Throughout the sixteenth century Spanish explorers like
DeSoto plundered the region, then Franciscan priests
founded missions and finally ranchers established a
large cattle ranch on Payne's Prairie. During the early
1700s the English and their Indian allies destroyed
these missions and later the Seminole Indians made
settlements around Micanopy.
Spain had a difficult time controlling the vast
territory of Florida, and, unable to stop the influx of
American settlers, finally ceded the area to the United
States in 1821. Originally part of the Arredondo Grant,
Alachua County was created in 1824 as a massive county,
extending from the Georgia border to Tampa Bay. Constant
partitioning and the Second Seminole War slowed the
County's development, but the coming of the Florida
Railroad opened up the interior for both settlement and
trading.
By 1860, Alachua County had over 8000 inhabitants,
while Gainesville, its main city, had some 232
residents. During the Civil War, Gainesville served as a
major Confederate Commissary and was the site of two
battles. Reconstruction brought martial law, Republican
rule, the immigration of freed slaves, and an economic
prosperity. Two main schools were established, the Union
Academy for African Americans, and the East Florida
Seminary for whites. By the end of Reconstruction,
Alachua County had a population of over 18,000, while
Gainesville with 1400 residents was a mercantile center
for cotton and vegetable crops.
During the next twenty-five years the County
continued to prosper as the citrus and phosphate
industries gave Alachua a secure economic base. After
two major fires in the 1880s, Gainesville rebuilt with
all brick structures and constructed an imposing new red
brick courthouse to signalize its growth from town to
city. Gainesville's central location brought two more
railroad connections, and with a population approaching
3000, the City was one of the state's largest. The town
now had an opera house, paved streets, city water,
telephones and electric lights. East Florida Seminary
expanded, becoming a military school, and a new public
school was erected. Merchants like Dutton, Miller, and
Baird built fine new homes near the downtown area to
create fashionable districts in the southeast and along
(what is now) University Avenue. New towns like Archer,
High Springs, Melrose and Hawthorne, spawned by the
railroad expansion and the citrus and phosphate boom,
welcomed tourists, investors, and speculators. Although
severe freezes in the 1890s blighted much of this
prosperity, Alachua County entered the Twentieth Century
with a population of some 32,000 people, and a growing
economy centered in the phosphate, cotton and vegetable
industries.
The first two decades of the new century brought
Alachua County's agricultural based economy troubled
times as the boll weevil blighted the cotton crops, and
World War I brought an end to the phosphate industry.
Still one of the most significant events in the history
of the County occurred in 1905 when Gainesville was
chosen as the site for the University of Florida. When
the University opened a year later it had only 102
students, fifteen faculty and two unfinished buildings.
Twenty years later the student body numbered 2000 and
attended classes in thirteen Gothic-style buildings
including a library, a gymnasium and an auditorium. By
the 1930s the University had become the most important
staple in the County's economy and helped it weather
both the land boom collapse of the mid-1920s and the
long depression of the 1930s.
During these years before World War II the County's
population remained fairly constant at nearly 40,000,
but Gainesville's inhabitants soared to almost 14,000,
nearly four times its 1900 size.
The postwar era brought Alachua County a tremendous
population growth and economic expansion. The influx of
thousands of veterans seeking an education transformed
both the University and Gainesville. The University
expanded to over 9000 students, admitted coeds in 1947,
built a medical school in the next decades, and by 1970
had a student body of 23,000. By the end of the century
the University would enroll 44,000 students, be admitted
to the prestigious Association of American Universities,
and become one of the major research institutions in the
entire south.
The County and City also changed dramatically in
these postwar years. By 1970 Alachua County had 104,000
inhabitants with three-fourths of them residing in or
around the Gainesville city limits. During these years
Gainesville's downtown area became a professional and
government center as the retail stores and merchants
moved to large malls which were constructed in the
northwest and southwest areas, especially around I-75.
In the 1980s its surrounding neighborhoods like the
Duckpond, the Southeast and the Pleasant Street areas
all created historic districts and thus preserved their
unique residential character and protected their fine
Victorian homes. These preservation efforts spurred the
City's willingness to sponsor and financially support
significant restoration projects like the Thomas Center,
the Hippodrome, the Seagle and the American Legion
buildings. A new courthouse with an outdoor plaza, a new
library and a five-story Union Street Station were
built, while older buildings like the Star Garage, the
Florida Theater and the Bethel Gas Station were
restored. As a fitting climax to these revitalization
efforts Money Magazine in 1995 named Gainesville as the
most liveable city in America.
Special thanks to Ben Pickard for use of his
historical narrative.
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