Today we complete the story of Francis J. Ross, early Florida pioneer.

Despite the high praise Ross gave the Suwannee Springs resort property in 1835 newspapers, it appears that he only ran it a few more months before he sold or leased it to Dr. John McLemore of Monticello. McLemore announced his purchase in a Florida newspaper on Nov. 21, 1835, and that he would be moving to the property shortly. Unfortunately, the Second Seminole War erupted nearly simultaneously, and McLemore was never able to develop the property further due to his entering the Florida militia followed by his untimely death the next year as a result of the war. It is probable that he never actually took ownership of the property, as it was recorded as still being in Ross’s possession afterward.

As the Second Seminole War erupted, Ross led one of the local militia units that helped to defend against Seminole attacks around the Florida frontier. For instance, Ross is listed in 1837 as captain of a company of the 1st Regiment, 2nd Brigade of the Florida Mounted Militia (“Old Greys”). He was not neglecting his business endeavors, however; he is also listed in the same year as a bank appraiser in Hamilton County for the Union Bank, carrying on a private job when not serving in the militia. In the meantime, Ross filed for divorce from his wife Mary; the specific reason is not given in the existing records. The divorce petition was presented to the Territorial Legislature on Feb. 7, 1837, for review by a committee (this was before each county could handle the matter themselves, and shows how rare divorce was in history until the 20th Century). After several readings, the Council decided on Feb. 11 to deny the petition with 9 in favor and 13 opposed (“said bill is lost” is how it is worded in the Legislative Proceedings). I have not yet researched what became of Mrs. Ross, or the reasons behind the petition.

On Feb. 12, 1837, (Ross was busy during that year!), the Florida Legislative Council in Act Number 33 authorized Francis J. Ross to build a bridge across the Suwannee River at Gadsden Springs, with rights and privileges of such for 20 years, and revoking the previous year’s authorization of the now-deceased John McLemore. It is improbable that Mr. Ross’s bridge was ever completed, as the following year the Legislative Council authorized Douglass Vass and others, the “proprietors of the Mineral Spring in Columbia County”, to build a bridge at the same location. As mentioned in an earlier article, these were various names for what we know of today as Suwannee Springs.

In June 1838, Francis J. Ross sold Suwannee Springs and the surrounding area to Hector W. Braden for $5,000. The sale could have been brought on by the nationwide financial Panic of 1837 and related fiscal problems with the Union Bank in which Ross was invested. Whatever the cause, Ross moved across the Suwannee River into Hamilton County, where he purchased a sizable plantation.

By 1840, Ross had freed some of his slaves, as the census from that year shows two free black males were living in his household. By 1845, he was the largest plantation owner in Hamilton County, with 52 slaves and 1,720 acres. In 1850, Ross still owned 42 slaves, with at least five female mulattos (possibly his own children with one or more of his slaves) among them.

In 1855, testimony from Ross was used by the Florida Supreme Court to prove details about the original boundary lines of the City of Jacksonville, as there was a lawsuit between some of the original property owners. The testimony of Ross, along with another gentleman, were the leading points in the case.

Francis James Ross died in 1860 (some sources say 1861). According to family sources, he left much of his plantation to his slaves, whom he granted freedom 60 years after his death. By this time in Florida’s history, it was difficult, if not impossible, to free slaves outright. The will does not define the relationship of the slaves mentioned, but one historian has theorized that they were from the mulatto family mentioned in previous census records, possibly his children with his slave Charlotte. Ross left his legitimate children only $10 or $20 each, saying that he had given them enough in his lifetime.

The Ross-Roux Cemetery is an African-American cemetery located on part of the former Ross plantation in Hamilton County, not too far from Suwannee Springs. Francis Ross established the cemetery, possibly for his slaves or former slaves. Several of the marked graves show birthdates during the lifetime of Ross.

Next week, we look at a different facet of Suwannee County’s history.

Eric Musgrove can be reached at ericm@suwgov.org or 386-362-0564.