Baker County, Florida
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Baker County was created in 8 Feb 1861 and was formed from New River County. The County was named for for James McNair Baker, a judge and Confederate Senator. The County Seat is Macclenny.

The first county seat was located in Sanderson until February 1, 1886 when it was moved to Macclenny. Macclenny was named after C.B. Macclenny, a big timber salesman. The town was incorporated April 11, 1887, and a revised map was recorded on March 4, 1889.. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Baker County are Charlton County, Georgia (north), Ware County, Georgia (north), Nassau County (northeast), Duval County (east), Clay County (southeast), Union County (south), Bradford County (south), Columbia County (west), Clinch County, Georgia (northwest).

Baker County Cities and Towns include Macclenny Glen St. Mary. CDPs Include Olustee, Sanderson

• The Baker County Official Government Website
• Baker County, Florida History Books at Amazon.com
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Search Historical Newspapers from Florida (1823 - 1959) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
• Search Florida Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Records at the Baker County Courthouse

See Also Florida Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

The Official County website is located at http://www.bakercountyfl.org/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Baker County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1877, Land Records from 1877, Probate Records from 1877 and Court Records from 1880 and is located at 339 E. Macclenny Ave,. Macclenny, FL 32063; 904-259-8113, Fax: 904-259-4176

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is also the County Clerk. His office is located in the County Courthouse. The office of the Clerk is created in Article V and Article VIII of the Florida Constitution. The Clerk is an officer of the court of justice whose responsibilities are mandated by the Constitution as well as state and local laws. Under a 1973 reorganization of the judicial system, the clerk of courts in each county was made, and remains, custodian of all records of all predecessor courts, whether justice of the peace, city, county, probate, civil, or criminal.

You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers Florida and surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Baker County, Florida Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Baker County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Florida

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042; (904) 359-6900 Ext. 1029, Fax: (904) 359-6993.

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• Birth Certificates: has custody of birth records filed from January 1917 to date. Scattered birth records from 1865 through 1916 are also held by the bureau, and some city health departments have some additional scattered records (e.g., Jacksonville, 1893-1913; Pensacola, 1897-1916).
  • Cost: $9.00 for computer certification & $14.00 per photocopy certification (1930 to present), payment is payable to the Office of Vital Statistics. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $9.00/$14.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Death Certificates: From 1917 - present. Death records begin about 1877, but the first state law mandating registration of deaths was passed in 1899, and records before 1917 are spotty. It is always well to check with city health departments.
  • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: has custody of marriage, divorce, and annulment records filed after 6 June 1927. For records prior to that date, and there are thousands of them, query the clerk of courts in the county where the license or decree was issued. Numerous divorces and resulting name-changes are to be found in Names and Abstracts from the Acts of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, 1822-1845 (Pass-A-Grille Beach, Fla.: William A. and Janet B. Wolfe, 1985). Copies of marriage license applications are available only from the clerk of courts in the county courthouse. Standard request forms for copies of state-held records are necessary and available as indicated above.
  • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
• Order In Person: To order your copy through your local County Health Department Vital Statistics office click here for a list of the 67 County Health Departments. WALK-IN SERVICE is available at 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, Florida, between 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Orders prepaid by Noonmay be picked up after 3:30 p.m. Orders prepaid after Noon may be picked up after 10:00 a.m. the next workday. Each requestmust be accompanied by picture identification Certifications for photocopies rush service requires an additional fee of $10.
• Order By Mail:  Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. Mail to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

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Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Florida newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Baker County, Florida Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Baker County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Florida

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Baker County, Florida are 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Baker County, Florida are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Florida Census, 1820-90: This collection contains the following indexes: 1820 Census Index (Pensacola and Escambia River Areas); 1825 Leon County Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedule; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedule; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index, Vol. 1-2.
• Florida State Census, 1885: This database is an index with corresponding images of the 1885 Florida State Census
• Baker County, Florida Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Baker County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Maps are an excellent source for beginning your research, because they provide much useful information at a glance. Many historic maps show individual buildings and are especially useful because they also record owners' names and features in the surrounding community. More detailed maps reveal property acreage and estate names. By examining a series of maps, you will be able to date changes in your property over time.

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Florida showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Florida showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Florida Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Maps. Email us with websites containing Baker County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Baker County maps from Exploring Florida website (38 Maps)
• Florida State and Regional Maps: 1500-1599 (5 maps), 1600-1699 (6 maps), 1700-1799 (59 maps), 1800-1849 (32 maps), 1850-1874 (44 maps), 1875-1899 (55 maps), 1900-Present (21 maps).
• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Florida Maps
• Baker County, Florida Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Baker County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Florida

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Florida Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Florida Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Florida (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Florida (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida (The National Archives): NARA M251. View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Florida units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Florida (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Baker County, Florida Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Baker County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Early tax rolls, especially between census years, can be a gold mine for the fortunate researcher. Most existing rolls can be found in the counties of origin, but the Flordia State Archives also has some bound volumes sent to the state comptroller during the period 1829-81. Normal information includes the taxpayer's name, land ownership, number of white males (above taxable age, 21) and slaves, horses, wagons, and other taxable items of personal property such as jewelry, watches, musical instruments, and carriages. Many of the counties' records in the series are incomplete, but there are some in the Florida State Archives that the originating counties no longer have. This valuable resource is not indexed. It must be searched in the county, at the Florida State Archives, or both.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Baker County, Florida Tax Books at Amazon.com

Baker County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Florida Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Baker County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Baker County Historical Society, P.O. Box 856, Macclenny, FL 32063
• Florida Dept of State Div of Library & Information Services, Bureau of Archives & Records Management, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6700, [EMAIL]
• Florida Historical Society 1320 Highland Ave, Melbourne, FL 32935; (321) 254-9855,[EMAIL]
• Florida State Genealogical Society, PO Box 10249, Tallahassee, FL 32302-2249
• Florida State Library, R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250, (850)245-6600; Hours: Mon.- Fri. 9:00am - 4:30pm, Sat. 9:30am - 3:30pm
• Florida State Records Center, 4319 Shelfer Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6750; Hours: By Appointment Only
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Florida Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Baker County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Florida

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Baker County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Baker County Tombstone Transcription Project.

As in most former frontier societies, early Florida church records are hit-and-miss, but they can be valuable when located. The Roman Catholic faith accompanied the earliest Spanish settlers to Florida, and by 1822 the Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians were also active in the new territory. By 1845 the Baptists had split into the Missionary and Primitive varieties (probably totaling more than 5,000 Florida members), and all of the above groups had become more or less well organized Methodists had two churches in Fernandina as early as 1822 (under the South Carolina Conference) and more than 10,000 members by statehood.

Cemetery records are held by most Florida libraries and archives. One important compiled source is the WPA Register of Deceased Veterans Buried in Florida, which covers fifty-one of the sixty-seven counties. Access to the massive amount of cemetery information scattered throughout the state is being facilitated by a continuing cemetery location project of the Florida State Genealogical Society.

Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Baker County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Florida obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Florida newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
• Baker County, Florida Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Baker County, Florida Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Baker County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Baker County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Florida Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Florida Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Baker County ] [ Florida ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• Florida Family Group Sheets Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• Baker County, Florida Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

The territory we call Baker County was originally inhabited by Seminole Indians who lived in the vast swamplands. Since the Indians knew little about agriculture, their main sources of food supply were hunting and fishing.  Prior to the Civil War, as new people settled into the territory they lived by hunting and farming. After the Civil War, people living farther north were having a difficult time making a living, so they moved to this area where they found it easier to obtain employment.

In the mid 1830's, pioneer craftsman James Burnsed built Baker County's historic Burnsed Blockhouse. This single family dwelling is the oldest wood frame/log building in Florida (where wooden buildings don't last). Located 15 miles North of Sanderson, the frame, fort-type structure was built with squared timbers, an upper story jutting over the base, a detached kitchen, peepholes and openings in the walls and floor from which rifles could be fired should an attacker try to sneak up and set fire to the stronghold. Residents climbed a ladder and entered through a door in the floor.  If the blockhouse was assaulted, individuals could pull up the ladder and shutter the opening. This Florida early frontier home is now recognized by the State of Florida as one of the finest examples of a hand-hewn structure in the state and by the National Register of Historic Places for its Architecture and Engineering. This national treasure was rescued from obscurity and relocated in 2001 to the Baker County Heritage Park in Macclenny.

Olustee Battlefield, a state historic site located in Baker County, is a memorial to this major Civil War battle fought in Florida. The battlefield, on U.S. 90 two miles east of Olustee, covers 270 acres. (Battle of Ocean Pond) On February 18, 1864, a Union force of approximately 5,000 met a Confederate force of roughly the same number defending positions around Ocean Pond. Union forces withdrew after sustaining an estimated 1,900 casualties. Confederate losses were 946. (Museum. Public. N.R. 1970.)

The land area we now call Baker was part of St. Johns County until December 4, 1832, at which time Columbia County was formed. The area remained part of Columbia until December 21, 1858, when it was divided into three counties: Columbia, Suwanee, and New River. On February 8, 1861, the Florida Legislature passed a bill that brought the present county into existence and Baker became the 39th county created in Florida.

The county was named for Honorable James McNair Baker. Judge Baker was one of Florida's two Confederate States Congress Senators at Richmond. He was also a former Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of the state of Florida, which Baker County was a part of at that time. 

As the population increased small towns began to spring up in the area. Olustee, Sanderson, Glen St Mary, and Darbyville came into existence. From 1870-1885, the population had grown considerably, much of it taking place in Glen St Mary and Darbyville. The first county seat was at Sanderson. On February 22, 1886, it was decided by a vote of 243 to 220 to move it to Darbyville, which is now called Macclenny. The burning of the Sanderson courthouse and the petition for the change of the county seat instigated the move.

Most of the land in and around Macclenny was owned by a family of Darbys. When the town was first named it was related to the Darby family and called Darbyville. The Darbys were farmers and grew cotton and corn.  A big timber salesman by the name of C.B. Macclenny married the daughter of the original Darbys. Mr. Macclenny bought land from the Darby family. After the older Mr. Darby died, the town was changed to Macclenny. The town of Macclenny was incorporated on April 11, 1887, and a revised map of Macclenny was recorded on March 4, 1889.

The first railroad in Macclenny was the F.A. & G.C. Railroad.  The railroad was the predecessor of the present-day Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The F.A. & G.C. Company was incorporated on January 24, 1851, with the purpose in mind "to construct and operate a railroad from the St. Marys River on the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in West Florida as located by the State Engineer." It was not, however, until 1857 that actual construction of the line began direct from the company's principal office in Jacksonville.

In the early history of the county, only the well-to-do could afford to attend school. The first school was a school for girls, built in 1885, called the St James Academy for Girls. It was built by the Reverend C.S. Snowden, an Episcopalian donator.

Things went along well for a while and then tragedy struck a blow, not only to the school but to the town of Macclenny as well. The yellow fever epidemic broke out in Jacksonville and was brought into Baker County. The Reverend Snowden, who was thought to be immune to the disease, was one of the first to be stricken. It has been said that the trains which ran from Tallahassee to Baldwin were not allowed to stop. As the train passed through Macclenny, provisions of food and supplies were thrown off. As a result of the epidemic of 1888, the school was closed, never to reopen. People were dying on after another. The Episcopal church records show that "more than 90 percent of the congregation was wipe out in the disaster."

The beginning of the 20th Century found things much different than when Macclenny was formed. The main businesses at the beginning of the 20th Century were cattle raising, turpentining, lumbering, and farming. The Osceola Forest played an important role in the economy of the county. Main farm crops were cotton and corn. An abundance of sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and a variety of leafy vegetables were also grown. When the boll weevil destroyed the cotton, corn became the main crop. This corn was marketed most often in jugs and bottles (moonshine). Later, tobacco became a main cash crop.

The County State Bank was established in 1907, and later changed to the Citizens Bank. A man named Scheffield played an imporant part in the transaction. Irwin R. Rhoden was the banker. He also ran a merchandising store, a livery stable, and dealt in cotton. As a result of these and other things, he helped develop Macclenny.

The old Baker County Courthouse, a landmark you'll see in downtown Macclenny today, now the home of Emily Taber Public Library, was built in 1908. Located at 14 W. McIver St., it is the oldest public building in the county.  It was one of the first buildings ever to use reinforced concrete construction. Four corner tower like appendages are attached to the main square base in the center making this building unique. The eaves are patterned rolled, galvanized sheet metal. The brick has colored mortar and corner joints are angled. See: Old Courthouse

Architect Edward C. Hosford designed a two-story, red brick, pyramidal roof surmounted by a cupola with four clocks.  The courthouse was built during the time the county's agriculture became commercially valuable and prosperity had increased. (Public. N.R. 1986.)  See:  The Old Courthouse Clock

The Old Baker County Jail was built in 1910 on filled in marsh land. Locally made bricks were used on the original section. The cellblock was added in 1938. Sheriffs' families lived here and helped prepare food for inmates. The Old Baker County Jail is now the home of the Baker County Historical Society.

Everything went well for Macclenny until the beginning of The Great Depression. People ran out of money and turned to moonshining, as was common in other areas. Moonshine stills could be found almost anywhere. Farming became secondary and people began to export whiskey in order to make a living. At the height of the depression, Macclenny was known as the moonshine capital of the south. It was reported that even law enforcement officers took part in the sale of illegal whiskey. The Federal authorities tried vigorously to combat this dilema. It was not until the early 1950's that any success was made.

Courthouse History

Baker County was the 39th county formed in Florida and  is named for James McNair Baker, a judge and Confederate States Senator. It was established by an "act of nation" shortly after secession in 1861, but prior to Florida joining the Confederacy. The county seat, Macclenny, was renamed for its founder in 1885; originally it was known as Darbyville. From 1861 until 1886 the village of Sanderson served as county seat.  Baker County and Macclenny are renowned for the large nurseries which raise pecans, camellias, and other species. The county is also the site of Olustee or Ocean Pond, Florida's only major Civil War engagement.  Note the distinctive cupola on the older structure.  An even older wooden courthouse, constructed in 1888, was lost to fire. The historic courthouse dating from 1908 was designed by the Atlanta architect Edward C. Hosford and now houses the Emily Taber Library.

Construction of the present Baker CountyCourthouse was begun under the aegis of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration, but was not completed until 1948.