Calhoun County History and Information

Calhoun County was created in 26 Jan 1838 and was formed from Franklin, Jackson and Washington Counties. The County was named for John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States. The County Seat is Blountstown.

Blountstown is the county seat and in 1880 a courthouse was built close to the Apalachicola River. In 1903 an even newer courthouse was built in the town proper and has been restored and listed as an historic landmark. In 1973 the latest courthouse was constructed. Blountstown was named for John Blount, a Seminole Indian Chief from this area. Calhoun County is bordered on the east by the Apalachicola River and the Chipola River bisects the county. With the abundance of water it has made water activities a way of life instead of a pastime. One hour east is our State Capital, Tallahassee, and one hour south or southwest are the famous white beaches of Bay and Gulf counties. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Calhoun County are Jackson County (north), Gadsden County (northeast), Liberty County (east), Gulf County (south), Bay County (west).

Calhoun County Cities and Towns include Blountstown Altha. Communities Include Abe Springs, Broad Branch, Chason, Chipola, Cox, Eufala, Fisher Corner, Frink, Gaskins, Henderson Mill, Iolee, Kinard, Leonards, Marysville, McNeal, New Hope, Ocheesee Landing, Ocheeseulga, Pine Island, Rollins Corner, Scotts Ferry, Selman, Willis

• The Calhoun County Official Government Website
• Calhoun 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 Arkansas (1819 - 1999) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 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.

Records at the Calhoun 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 ? . NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Calhoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1862, Land Records from 1862, Probate Records from 1877 and Court Records from 1877 and is located at 20859 SE Central Avenue E., Blountstown, FL 32424; 850-674-4545, Fax: 850-674-5553
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 Calhoun County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Calhoun 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.

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun 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.
• Calhoun 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.

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County, Florida are 1840, 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Calhoun County, Florida are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 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 Calhoun County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun 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
• Calhoun 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.

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Maps. Email us with websites containing Calhoun County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Calhoun County maps from Exploring Florida website (44 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
• Calhoun 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.

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun 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.
• Calhoun 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.

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Calhoun County, Florida Tax Books at Amazon.com

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Calhoun County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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• 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

Calhoun 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 Calhoun County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Calhoun 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.
• Calhoun County, Florida Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Calhoun 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: [ Calhoun 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
• Calhoun County, Florida Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

Present Calhoun County has been a part of Escambia, Gadsden, Jackson, Washington and Layfette (the lost county).

Calhoun County was created in 1838 and named for the South Carolina United States Senator, John C. Calhoun. The county was created in order to establish St. Joseph as a commercial competitor to Apalachicola. St. Joseph flourished for only a few years. During this time the city served as the county seat for Calhoun County. St. Joseph grew rapidly as a seaport. A railroad was constructed from St. Joseph to lola on the west bank of the Apalachicola River. Thousands of bales of cotton were diverted from the seaport of Apalachicola over the railroad to St. Joseph to be shipped to England. The first constitution for the territory of Florida was written and adopted in the city of St. Joseph. Yellow fever and hurricanes wiped out St. Joseph.

Abes Springs Bluff served as the county seat of government after the destruction of St. Joseph until 1880. A two story frame building was constructed near the Blount Bluff and served as a courthouse and office building for Calhoun County. A town was surveyed and laid out in streets, lots and blocks for the small town which lay adjacent to the Apalachicola River.

In 1902 a movement began to build a new courthouse a mile north and west of the river town. In May 1903 the present city of Blountstown was chartered. The first Mayor, Francis Marion Yon had mapped out the town into streets, alleys, blocks and lots. Yon’s plat is still recognized as the first area surveyed for the city.

In 1904 Calhoun County Commissioners awarded a contract to construct the court house (now known as the old courthouse) on Central Avenue.

In 1973 the new and modern Calhoun Courthouse dedicated and occupied as the seat of government for the county as well as state and federal agencies.

From 1838 until 1890 Calhoun County had a slow growth. Ocheesee, Blountstown and lola were the chief river landings until the end of steamboat days.

Many farmers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama found the river valley along the Apalachicola very fertile for growing cotton and Indian corn.

After Indian Chief John Blount was removed to Texas his reservation along the Apalachicola River reverted to the United States. A number of cotton planters immediately purchased patents from the U.S. Shadrick Sutton bought the major part of the Blount reservation. However a number of other settlers became large land owners in the area.

The town of Ocheesee has a most interesting history. The first military road from Pensacola to St. Augustine crossed the Apalachicola River at Ocheesee Bluff. Perry and Mill real estate promoters map ped out a town and sold lots in 1829.

In 1832 the territorial legislature created the county of Fayette and made the town of Ocheesee the county seat. A number of people from Tallahassee purchased lots in the town with the expectation of a real estate boom. The legislature abolished the county in 1834 and Ocheesee grew very little. It served as a community center for a number of years for a number of planters who acquired large acreage along the Apalachicola River. When cotton farmers exhausted the fertile lands in Virginia and Carolina a small number purchased river bottom lands around Ocheesee. The lands bordering the Apalachicola River became known as "Little Mississippi".

From 1840 until 1860 cotton growing became a very lucrative business for Calhoun County farmers.

A number of settlers became planters by 1860. The most outstanding planter was Jason Gregory. Gregory realized the most importance of the cotton area. He was able to buy practically all the lots in the town of Ocheesee as well as acquiring thirty six hundred acres of farm land. Gregory owned large acreage in both Jackson and Gadsden Counties. Later he owned lands in Alachua County. The Gregory home became a social center for the area from Marianna to Pensacola. The river boat landing was the chief river port for Jackson County as well as other surrounding areas. From 1850 until 1865 the Gregory home on the west banks of the Apalachicola River was a true of the southern planter’s life.

Gregory’s children received college educations. In the late 1850’s as many as thirty steamboats were plying the Apalachicola from Georgia and Alabama to Apalachicola. The Gregory home was known as the most hospitable home between Columbus and Apalachicola. State officials from Tallahassee, United States Judges and office holders from Pensacola and Apalachicola often visited the Jason Gregory family. The social events which were given by Jason Gregory are legend. He was often invited to visit Tallahassee and Pensacola and even Washington City.

The War Between the States brought an end to the planter life. Calhoun County as well as other cotton growing areas ceased to exist as well to do communities.

The county showed little growth from 1865 to 1890. Timber and the naval store industry became the money making industry by the turn of the century. The large cypress trees, many of them over three hundred years old, were cut from the swamps and rafted and floated down the Chipola and Apalachicola Rivers to the hugh sawmills at the mouth of the river. Mills from Boston and other eastern cities found this area the best for virgin timber. The mill operators and merchants financed many loggers until 1910.

Naval store operators were heavily financed by northern capital and found the county the best long leaf yellow pine timber in the South. Scores of turpentine camps sprang up over the county. An abundant labor supply was transported from Georgia and South Carolina. Calhoun County became one of the fastest growing counties in Florida from 1910 to 1920. Large corporate sawmills moved into the county during this decade.

Pennington and Evans employed hundreds of laborers in manufacturing the tremendous supply of long leaf pine. In 1917 Neal Lumber and Manufacturing Company moved into old Blountstown and acquired seventy thousand acres of hardwood timber land, most of it along the Apalachicola River. Before World War II more than five hundred personnel were employed by Neal. Using proper conservation methods Neal now had more than eighty thousand acres of timber growing land.

Calhoun Countians believed in public education. By the early l920’s four high schools were built in the county, Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, Blountstown and Altha and later Frink and Kinard built brick buildings in their particular area. Before 1920 as many as thirty district schools accommodated the pupils in small communities.

With paved roads and school buses all schools have been consolidated in four centers.

Church membership in the county is rather large as compared to large cities. A number of large and new buildings have been constructed or renovated since World War II. Wars have greatly influenced the county. In the War Between the States the county suffered heavy casualties. When United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 the National Guard was sent to military camps within two weeks. Following Pearl Harbor a number of volunteers and draftees were immediately sent to training camps. The county lost over thirty native sons in the conflict. Casualties were suffered in the Korean conflict; the Vietnam exacted a heavy toll of local servicemen.

Two of Calhoun County native sons were elected to high state offices. Fuller Warren was elected to a four year term as Florida’s Chief Executive in 1948. Rivers Buford served several terms as Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. A number of Calhoun Countians served in the Florida Legislature.

Courthouse History

Calhoun County, established in 1838, honors South Carolina Senator and Vice-President John Calhoun, revered in antebellum times for his staunch advocacy of states' rights. At one time it covered most of the Florida "panhandle"  between the Apalachicola and Choctawhatchee Rivers.

There have been several early county seats, not all of which are located within the county's current boundaries: St. Joseph (later destroyed by an earthquake; located near present-day Port St. Joe in Gulf County; it also served temporarily as the seat of Franklin County), Iola (near Wewahitchka in Gulf County), Abe Springs Bluff (on the Chipola River), and finally Blountstown, named for Seminole leader John Blount.Apparently local settlers appreciated the fact Blount had talked his people into taking the "Trail of Tears"  to Oklahoma. Yet another county seat was proposed for "Panther's Head,"  but as reported by James M. Denham, following a successful referendum in 1848 it was discovered there were actually two such sites in the county, such that  "it became impossible to determine which of them was ballotted for."

  The Calhoun County Courthouse pictured above was designed by architects Benjamin Bosworth and Frank Lockwood of Montgomery, Alabama, and is one of only two Florida courthouses built in the Romanesque Revival style. It was constructed in 1904.  In 1969 Calhoun voters opted to construct a new facility.  Hampton Dunn, Florida'shistorian emeritus, quotes a reporter to the effect the new courthouse, dedicated in 1972, "rises up off the street like a country cousin of the United Nations."  The historic courthouse was preserved and converted to other uses.  An onsite historical marker commemmorates the 1832 Treaty of Payne's Landing.  According to Dunn it is written in both English and Muscogee Creek.