Source
State Library of Florida, WPA - Historical Records Survey, County Histories
Description
Brief history of Hamilton County, Florida collected by the Works Progress Administration's Historical Records Survey.
Note to Researchers:
Though the WPA field workers included extensive citations for the factual information contained in these county histories, it should be noted that these historical narratives were produced in the 1930s by federal government employees, and might reflect the inherent social biases of the era.
WPA
HAMILTON COUNTY
In May 1824, a man by the name of Daniel Bell came down the Alapaha River from Georgia. He was guided by an Indian chief and settled in Florida near Micco, an Indian village on the Alapaha. This was the first white settlement in this section. When Hamilton County was created Dec. 26th, 1827, Micco was name as its county seat. The boundaries of Hamilton County were designated as follows: the Suwannee River on the east and south, the [Withlacoochee] River on the west and the state of Georgia on the north. These boundaries are the same now. The county has a total area of 508 square miles.
Daniel Bell's children, Alex and Margaret, were the first white children born in Hamilton County. Soon other members of the Bell family and their friends joined them and by 1830 there was a recorded population of 530. The present population is approximately 10,000.
While Micco continued to be the county seat, court was held in a log house. In 1835, the settlements having shifted, the county seat was moved to a place within one mile of its present site, and was named Jasper in honor of Sergeant Jasper. In 1850 a two-story frame building was erected to be used as a Court House. In 1891, the present Court House was built of brick. This building was damaged by fire in 1929. It was remodeled in 1932, brick and concrete being used.
omit In 1860 the Plant System R. R., now the Atlantic Coast Line, was built through Hamilton. Ther [sic] Southern R. R. also runs through the county.
omit! This county is traversed by State Road No. 2 over which many tourists pass.
The Alapaha River runs through the county and has a fall of sufficient power to be of commercial value.) [sic] The famous Suwannee [OK] River forms the
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