Rita Stapleton was born and raised in Lafayette County. She has lived here all of her life. Stapleton remembers the stories her family told her about Old Troy and New Troy while growing up. She said one of the interesting type of stories that she remembered were “ghost stories.” Stapleton gave an example that occured while one individual was sitting beside the casket and the body would sit up. In those days, according to Stapletion, they had no way of embalming the body, which is why the people thought they saw ghosts.

The Severances came from the Carolinas and moved to New Troy in the late 1800s. They were one of a number of influential families during the existance of New Troy.

Samuel S. Severance, Stapleton’s grandfather, held various positions in the community. He owned and operated several busineses such as the grist mill and the general store.

Her great-grandfather, John N. Krimminger, was the Judge of Lafayette County in New Troy. Krimminger was a Senator in the Florida Legislature and was one of the signers of the 1868 Florida Constitution.

Stapleton also remembered a story she was told that related to the burning of the courthouse in New Troy. She said that a man with a wooden leg overheard several people talking about burning the courthouse. He went into the courthouse to gather as many of the documents as he could. Then he went home and hid them in his corn crib that was full of corn.

In 1963, Stapleton gave Bill Hurst’s fifth period high school students a tour of the Old Troy and New Troy sites. She pinpointed the location of places such as the courthouse, jail, Krimminger house, artesian wells, general store, and where the ferry docked.