Suwannee County History
Whether you have lived here all your life or have moved to Suwannee County, there are a lot of reasons to love our “home”. Many people travel to foreign countries to learn about history. Our community is steeped in history, with its formal organization in 1878. Probably first known as a railroad stop, many of the structures built within the three blocks of 90 and 129 were built on or before 1925.
Did you know Suwannee County has a museum? Have you ever visited the Suwannee County Historical Museum? Recent renovations might surprise and delight you! I picked up an amazing self-guided downtown walking tour map while I was there. You can download the app on the Historical Commission’s website https://suwanneehistory.com/walking-tours/ as well.
Did you know that the current building housing the Chamber of Commerce was the very first City Hall? Before the construction of this building, meetings were held in private homes. This structure (between Haines and Duval) facing 129 just north of the railroad tracks was also the Police, Fire Department and Jail! The two jail rooms are still intact. Want to check out the courtroom upstairs? Saturday, February 3, 2024 is the date for the first annual All Aboard Festival, a family-friendly event to help celebrate some of the history that makes our town special.
Not only will there be opportunities to go on a docent tour scheduled at three different times by the Historical Commission’s board of Directors (who are OH, SO knowledgeable!), but also to tour the Chamber building, the Fire Station bays and the renovated passenger rail depot that currently houses North Florida Community College.
The All Aboard Festival
The All Aboard Festival, a grassroots effort spearheaded by the Suwannee River Regional (SRR) Library, the Live Oak Artists’ Guild and the UF/IFAS Suwannee County Extension office, also helps to cultivate local entrepreneurs with food trucks and craft vendors.
Walk through the Discovery Trail that celebrates Black History Month. There will be lots of youth activities and games provided by the SRR Library staff.
Presentations from Florida Historian Dr. Joe Knetsch who has co-authored 16 books and our very own local celebrity Historian, Eric Musgrove, will have presentations starting at 11am.
Although the train won’t be running on Saturday, the first 300 youth will get a free bandana to look like an engineer. Take pictures at the photo ops boards while checking out the antique car display, touch-a-truck area or encourage the kids to take a ride on the Experimental Aircraft Association’s “planes”.
Check out our lineup for music from 9am-5pm at https://www.facebook.com/SuwanneeFestivals
Although Suwannee County is probably now more widely known due to our amazing natural resources and ties to the Suwannee River, there are a lot of other things like talented musicians and artists, a rich history, architecturally interesting buildings and a community that values opportunities like this to get together that make an opportunity to get to know the history of the area, meet up with friends and enjoy some delicious foods! See you there! #SuwanneeFestivals
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