Alachua County, Florida

1824 - The Bellamy Road - 1952 A Cattle Economy African Studies Alachua County Training School Alachua General Hospital Alachua Sink Alachula County Courthouse American Legion Veterans Memorial Archer Archer School Gymnasium Archer Veterans Battle of Micanopy Bethlehem Presbyterian Church Bland Community and Ogden School / Odgen School Boulware Springs Water Works Building Bryan Hall Capt. Jack R. Harvey Carlos Alvarez Century Tower Carillon Charles Bachman Chestnut Funeral Home ChildrenÂ’s Literature Collection City of Alachua City of Gainesville City of Newberry Historic District Civil War Sibley Tent Stove Cross Creek Dale Van Sickel Daniel Scott Plantation Danny Wuerffel David Levy Yulee and Cotton Wood Plantation Devil's Millhopper Dickison and His Men / Jefferson Davis' Baggage Doug Dickey Douglass High School Earleton, Florida East Florida Seminary Emerson Alumni Hall Emmitt Smith Evergreen Cemetery Evinston Community Store and Post Office / History of Evinston, Florida Fear Stricken First Gainesville Skirmish / Battle of Gainesville Flavet Villages Florida 4-H Florida Extension Florida Field Florida Museum For All Who Served Forced into Service Fort Clarke Gainesville Regional Airport Gainesville's Railroads / Past Railroads of Gainesville GainesvilleÂ’s Only Artesian Spring Gatorade's Birthplace George T. Harrell Griffin/Floyd Hall Grindstone Grinter Hall Hawthorne Hawthorne Cemetery Health Professions Pioneer High Springs, Florida Historic Haile Homestead At Kanapaha Plantation Hogtown Settlement/Fort Hogtown Home Made Tractor IFAS Israel in Your Backyard Jack Youngblood James Erik Suh James W. Norman Hall Jesse Johnson Finley Jim and Alexis Pugh Hall John James Tigert Josiah T. Walls Kanapaha Presbyterian Church Kate Barnes Boat Ramp Keene-Flint Hall Krishna Lunch LaCrosse LaCrosse, Florida Latin American Studies Leigh Hall Little Red Schoolhouse Living Links to Florida's Past Lynching in America / Racial Terror Lynchings in Newberry Lynching in America / Reconstruction-Era Lynchings in Gainesville Madison Starke Perry Major General John R Alison Manning J. Dauer, Jr. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House and Farmyard Marshall M. Criser Matheson House Mechanic Arts Melrose Melrose Civil War Memorial Melrose United Methodist Church Melrose World War I Memorial Micanopy Micanopy Historic Cemetery Micanopy Railroad History Micanopy Veterans Memorial Military Education Moses Elias Levy Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Mt. Pleasant Cemetery Murphree Hall Newberry Community Veterans Memorial Newberry, Florida Newell Hall Newnansville Methodist Church Site Newnansville Town Site Old Stage Road Peabody Hall Railroading In High Springs Ralph D. Turlington Ray Graves Robert C. Williamson Hall Robert Marston Science Library Rochelle Vicinity Rolfs Hall Roper Park / Old City Park Santa Fe de Toloca Second Seminole War Seminole Heritage in Micanopy Serenola Plantation Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church and Porters Quarters Sledd Hall Spanish Cattle Ranching Springhill Methodist Church/Traxler, Fla. Stagecoach Stop Steamboat Chacala Anchor Steve Spurrier Sugar Trough The Bailey House The Ballpark The Gainesville Servicemen's Center / Thelma Boltin Center The History of Pepsi Cola The Moore Hotel (1883) The Newberry Lynchings of 1916 This Tower Thomas Gilbert Pearson Thomas Hall Thomas House Thrasher Warehouse Timucua Burial Mound/Timucua People Trains Rumbled Overhead Turlington Rock, 1984 Turpentine Industry Community and Family University Auditorium University Infirmary University of Florida University of Florida Historic Campus Waldo Walker Hall Wes Chandler Wilber Marshall William Bartram William Bartram Trail "The Great Endurance Run"
Alachua County, located in northern Florida, has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Timucua and Seminole people. They relied on the fertile soil and abundant water sources for their sustenance and developed intricate cultural practices.

In the 16th century, Spanish explorers ventured into the region, establishing missions and attempting to colonize the area. However, conflicts with the Native Americans and the lack of resources hindered their efforts. The territory eventually came under British control in the late 18th century, followed by transfer to the United States after the Revolutionary War.

During the mid-19th century, Alachua County experienced a boom as many settlers arrived, drawn by the promise of fertile lands for farming and the expanding railroad system. The city of Gainesville, Alachua County's seat, was established in 1854 and became an economic and cultural hub in the region.

However, the county also faced turbulent times during the Civil War, with significant impact and casualties endured. The University of Florida was founded in Gainesville in 1905, marking a turning point for education and intellectual growth in the region. Today, Alachua County continues to thrive as a diverse and dynamic community, preserving its history while embracing progress and growth.
Brief timeline of the history of Alachua County, Florida:

  • 1824 - Alachua County is established on December 29, 1824, as Florida's first inland county.
  • 1832 - The first courthouse in the county is constructed in Newnansville.
  • 1837 - Newnansville becomes the county seat.
  • 1853 - Gainesville is established as a railroad depot, leading to the decline of Newnansville.
  • 1868 - Gainesville becomes the county seat.
  • 1905 - The University of Florida is established in Gainesville.
  • 1915 - The Seagle Building, the first skyscraper in Gainesville, is completed.
  • 1930s - The Great Depression impacts the county, leading to economic struggles.
  • 1950s - Growth of the University of Florida and postwar development fuel population growth.
  • 1969 - Santa Fe Community College is established.
  • 1990s - A period of rapid growth and urbanization begins.
  • 2001 - Celebration Pointe, a major mixed-use development, breaks ground.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Alachua County, Florida.