Another excerpt this week from Mrs. Walter Havener’s “From Out of the Past”, dated July 29, 1966.

“The community first began when the Seminole Indians led by the great chief Osceola brought their sick and wounded to the springs because of the medicinal value of the spring water. The area surrounding the spring was deemed sacred by the Indians. Some believed the water was a cure for rheumatism. Later, good accommodations were offered for the invalid.

“The Native Americans believed the waters could cure them. White people began to populate the area in the 1850’s” (here there is an error, as Swift Creek United Methodist Church was established around 1822), and the Bryant Sheffield owned all of what is now White Springs at some time in the 1830’s, but, trust me, if Mrs. Havener were living I would not point out this error, and in her writings I have to remember that 50 years ago in this county she could write without specifics to dates or personages and there were lots of folks who knew exactly to what she was referring, not now though.

Now the above was Mrs. Havener’s, the rest is mine:

Many Southerners, including members of the Broward family — Broward County was named for a member of this family, the late Napoleon B. Broward. The late Sophia Jane Broward, who was married to Captain Robert Watkins Adams was a member of this family. The Broward family were French Huguenots and had received a 16,000-acre land grant from the King of Spain in Spanish Florida near Jacksonville. When the federal gun boats came to close to Jacksonville, they came to White Springs purchasing an extensive tract of land on what is now the Woodpecker Route.

Sophia Jane Broward married Captain Robert Watkins Adams and upon his death in 1893, the Sophia Jane Broward House on the Suwannee River and Adams Brothers Store, now owned by Raymond and Debbie Cheshire was built. The Adams Brothers Store was established in 1865, but it was situated at a location on the north end of town near where the old library building is located.

Families on the southern end of the county related to the Broward family included: The McAlpin family — Joseph W. “Joe” McAlpin was state representative for the county for many years — as well as members of the Raymond Smith family near Swift Creek. All are descendants of the Broward family. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, a member of the family, served as Governor of Florida and, later as United States Senator.

In the early part of the 20th century, White Springs was a major tourist resort. Several fine hotels were built to accommodate tourists who came to “take the waters” and to bathe in the medicinal waters. Two excursion trains a day brought scores of tourists into the town. The town boasted one of the first teacher training colleges in the state “Florida Normal College,” a theater, skating rink and a board walk.

It is said that dances were being held in the resort hotels on Sunday and that the Methodist Church held protracted prayer meetings and prayed that God would curtail the libertine lifestyle of many in the town. The story goes that the Methodists prayed, the Baptists answered, on February 28, 1911, a spark from the Baptist pastorium moved from building to building. Most of the men of the town were out hunting, the buildings were made mostly of fat pine lumber, and most of the town went up like an Indian Funeral pyre.

Here is an interesting thing to note, and you decide, in that fire, several houses of worship were in the direct path of the fire — White Springs United Methodist, White Springs Presbyterian, Beulah Baptist, New Bethel AME — and not one of those churches were burned, not one. Now, I believe that Divine Providence spared those churches, as a lot around them burned to the ground, and you can disagree with me, and, gentle readers, I want you to know I mean this caringly, it’s alright for you to be WRONG. It truly is. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

Some other special notes about White Springs, the second Girl Scout Troop in the United States was established in White Springs, Florida, by Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. The first established was in Savannah. White Springs had a German Prisoner of War Camp located directly across US 41, across from the “Ninety-nine” curve, where the old American Legion Post was located. That area near the S &S Store on US 41 is called “99,” because there is a mile marker there with “199” located on the railroad track indicating it is 199 miles to Macon, Georgia.

Now a few unique features about Hamilton County itself:

The county is surrounded on three sides by rivers. It is joined to Georgia by land, not the rest of Florida. The Suwannee River flows on the southern and eastern boundaries and the Withlacoochee on the west. It has been referred to as “Florgia” by many journalists.

The county ranks among the poorest counties economically in the United States of America, number 37. The 37th poorest county in the nation. The population of the county is a little more than 14,000, and of that 14,000, more than 2,000 are incarcerated at Hamilton Correctional Institution, which is one of the county’s major employers. Florida Charts ranks Hamilton County around 63 or 64 as the least healthy counties in the state of Florida. That is the bad news, the good news is that neighboring Columbia County with all its hospitals and doctors ranks only about 57 or 58.

Phosphate and timber industries are major employers in the county. The phosphate industry began here more than 50 years ago. It started as Occidental Chemical Company, then Phosphate Company of Saskatchewan, then Potash Corp of White Springs and, I understand, very soon, it will be called Nutria as it is merging with another major fertilizer concern, but I have only heard that and seen one small blurb in the Suwannee Democrat.

About 27-28 percent of the population of the county pays 100 percent of Hamilton County’s property taxes and of that 28percent, more than half of that is paid by the Phosphate Company. The tri-county area has benefited tremendously from the presence of the phosphate company.

All this sounds dismal, and it is. However, we have some of the most beautiful scenery of any place around. We have Florida’s only white water rapids with the Suwannee Shoals. We have folks who are kind hearted and warm and welcoming. We have a heritage rich with storied history, and we know the meaning of helping those around us. Finding fault is easy. I like the new street signs too.

I applaud Mr. Morey and the staff at Bienville Plantation for the undertaking of their “Party in the Pines” to be held in October. And Vicky Bass will do a marvelous job with coordination. All my best wishes. As with any new event, a learning experience, but I hope it is successful and the first of many to come. Best Wishes!!! I am going to state this: When you don’t have a lot going for you economically, and you have the chance for folks to discover you and boost your economy, for heaven’s sake, be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block. You can’t dwell in the past. I don’t care how much you want to, time moves on, we all change, and if you think the world will stop because of you, and I have to utilize this example but DIE. I can guarantee you the world will go right on and never miss a beat. They will drink a cup of coffee, eat a piece of pound cake, view you and lie and say “they look natural,” and who does once you are dead, but the world will go on. It will. It did when Lincoln died, when Washington died. As the late Mrs. Virginia Chandler often said, and I loved this “No one monkey stops the show.” The question is “What have you done to make the world in which you live better for yourself and others?” Usually those who work to contribute the most for others are criticized a great deal, and they are too busy to care about criticism. Do the best you can with what you have where you are.

Now, let’s talk a bit about Suwannee County. I have heard so many positive comments about the Suwannee County Historic Museum located in the old Depot Building. I regret I have not made a visit there, but I will make one very soon. I am so pleased Suwannee County has this nice place as a repository for much of its history. Pine Grove United Methodist Church located out in the Delegal-Corbett-Wigelsworth-Oliver-Umstead-Hagan section of Suwannee County is one of the county’s oldest established Protestant Churches, established around 1822. The Delegal family of Suwannee County and Goodbread family of Hamilton County are tied by blood, as are the Corbett and Lewis families of Hamilton County are tied by blood to the Corbett and Oliver families of Suwannee County.

In our part of the world, a suggestion to anyone “If you don’t know the depth of the body of water, don’t wade out in it if you can’t swim,” and what I mean by that expression is this: Speak well of others and if you haven’t known them long enough to know if they are nice, you can always say they are pleasant and that is not unpleasant but DON’T speak disparagingly in unknown territory, you may be talking of someone’s kinfolks without knowing it, and, trust me, the repercussions for you could be less than desirable.

In the Deep South we often ask folks from neighboring towns “Do you know ‘so and so?’” to start up a conversation.

Well, I will sign off for this week and leave you with this quote: This one came from the once popular television show “Designing Women” spoken by Julia Sugarbaker:

“I’m saying this is the South, and we’re proud of our crazy people. We don’t hide them in the attic. WE bring “em” right down to the living room and show “em” off. No one in the South asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side of the family they’re on.”

Our condolences to Mrs. Joan Holmes Radford and Mr. Jim Roberson, Live Oak, Florida, and all the members of the family on the loss of their son, Barry Roberson. Our deepest sympathy and continued prayers. Our condolences to the family of Mrs. Charles “Mildred” Floyd, who resided for a number of years on the south end of Hamilton County, first off the “Bullard Loop” Road off the Woodpecker Route and later, in the home built by the late Mr. and Mrs. John Barnett on River Street.

From the Eight Mile Still on the Woodpecker Route north of White Springs wishing you a day filled with joy, peace, and, above all, lots of love and laughter.