Gadsden County History and Information

Gadsden County was created in 24 Jun 1823 and was formed from Jackson County. The County was named for James Gadsden, a soldier in territorial Florida, railroad builder, and diplomat, who served as Andrew Jackson's aide-de-camp in Florida in 1818. The County Seat is Quincy. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Gadsden County are Decatur County, Georgia (north), Seminole County, Georgia (north), Grady County, Georgia (northeast), Leon County (east), Liberty County (southwest), Calhoun County (southwest), Jackson County (northwest).

Gadsden County Cities and Towns include Chattahoochee, Gretna, Midway, Quincy Greensboro, Havana. Communities Include Mount Pleasant

• The Gadsden County Official Government Website
• Gadsden 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 Gadsden 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.gadsdengov.net/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Gadsden County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1849, Land Records from 1849, Probate Records from 1837 and Court Records from 1849 and is located at P.O. Box 1649, Quincy, Florida 32353; 850-875-8601, Fax: 850-875-8612

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 Gadsden County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Gadsden County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Gadsden 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.

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

Gadsden 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 Gadsden County, Florida are 1830, 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 Gadsden 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 Gadsden County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Gadsden 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
• Gadsden 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.

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

• Gadsden County maps from Exploring Florida website (51 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
• Gadsden 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.

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

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

• Gadsden County, Florida Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

• Gadsden County Historical Society, P.O. Box 231, Quincy 32351-0231
• 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

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

Extended History

 

Gadsden County is located in the northwestern part of Florida. Quincy, the county seat, is on U.S. Highway 90 about midway between Pensacola and Jacksonville. Much smaller in land mass than when it was created, the county is approximately 32 miles long and 22 miles wide. The land area of 508 square miles is bounded on the east by the Ochlocknee River, on the west by the Apalachicola River, on the southeast by Lake Talquin and on the north by the State of Georgia. A humid temperature climate prevails, and rainfall is abundant and generally well distributed. The county is one of the foremost agricultural counties in northwest Florida.

Four major geological formations, all sedimentary, occur in Gadsden County at or near the surface of the ground. From the oldest to youngest, these formations are Tampa limestone, the Hawthorn formation, Duplin marl, and the Citronelle formation. Elevations range from about 50 feet above mean sea level to more than 300 feet above mean seal level. Gadsden County has hills!

When Florida became a territory in 1821, Andrew Jackson was appointed Governor and among his first duties, he subdivided the state into two counties  East Florida and West Florida. After several other divisions had taken place, on June 24, 1823, a fifth county generally spoken of as Middle Florida was established. Boundaries for the new county were the Suwannee on the east and the Apalachicola River on the west and it was named Gadsden in honor of James Gadsden, aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson in the Florida Campaign of 1818.

Pensacola was the scene for the first Legislative Council and Jacksonville, the site for the second. These two sessions, two years and miles apart in hardship and distance, convinced the Council of the need for a central location. Two commissioners, Dr. William Hayne Simmons and John Lee Williams were selected to explore a possible site in Middle Florida. By March 4, 1824, these two commissioners reported they had chosen an area in Gadsden County, "about a mile southwest from the deserted fields of Tallahassee Indians Village about a mile south of the Oke-lock-o-ny and Tallahassee trails".

Gadsden County citizens played important roles in the capital city building project. The temporary capital was erected in April 1824 by Jonathan Robinson and Sherod McCall. Their building was actually one of three log buildings constructed to accommodate the Legislative Council which met November 8 of that year. The capital remained in Gadsden County until December 29, 1824 when one of the first legislative acts that year was to create a new county (Leon) by annexing all the lands of East Gadsden between the Ocklochonee and Suwannee Rivers which, without moving the structures, moved the capital to Leon County.

Gadsden County is often associated with shade tobacco, Fuller's Earth and Coca Cola. Shade tobacco was the county's first big industry. Only two places in the United States were suitable for the growing of this crop which was used to wrap cigars; the "Georgia-Florida Shade Tobacco District" comprised of Gadsden and Madison counties in Florida and Grady and Decatur counties in Georgia and the Connecticut River valley in New England. In 1946, these two districts were producing over 95% of American-grown wrapper leaf and they represented a $100,000,000.00 industry of which $25,000,000.00 was invested in land equipment, barns, packing houses, and operating capital in the Georgia-Florida area. Total acreage devoted to the plants ranged from 6072 at the peak to 344 in 1977. Today shade tobacco is grown only in the Connecticut River valley and the shade tobacco barns are most often seen in paintings and photographs as few are still standing. One of the by-products of the shade tobacco era which still thrives is agricultural research. In 1929, the Legislature, impressed with the tobacco research, agreed to expand the research to other agricultural endeavors. During that year, 617 acres located 3.5 miles from Quincy was acquired to expand the tobacco research and to initiate general field crops and livestock investigations. Plant nurseries have taken the place of shade tobacco as the leading agricultural industry in the county.

Gadsden County's second big industry of the nineteenth century was Fuller's Earth. One account written by J. R. Stanley in the 1940's states" Fuller's Earth was accidentally discovered in 1893 on the property of the Owl Cigar Company, just north of Quincy. In digging a water well, the workmen noticed unusual clay, which was tentatively identified by an Alsatian cigar maker as Fuller's Earth which, he said, was mined in Germany on a small scale for limited market. After the discovery of the Fuller's Earth at the Owl Cigar Company site, laboratory tests showed it to be of superior purity and exceptional bleaching qualities. Further prospecting reveals millions of tons of the clay. Early mining was primitive. The clay was lifted to the surface, loaded on mule carts, taken to large platforms and allowed to bleach in the sun. Modern technology has broadened its primitive use for cleaning and bleaching cloth to bleaching and refining petroleum products and much more. We still think it's fun that "kitty litter" was discovered in Gadsden County!

The bottling of Coca-Cola was begun in the county at the turn of the 20th century but its real value to the area came through the purchase of Coca-Cola stock. Many legends circulate about the personal fortunes gained from Coca-Cola investments. Miss Julia Munroe Woodward, daughter of banker M. W. "Pat" Munroe says, "Daddy liked the taste and he figured folks would always have a nickel for a coke." Prices have gone up but "Mr. Pat" encouraged family and friends to invest in the stock before the beverage attained its world wide prestige. The increase in value resulted in a good many "Coca-Cola millionaires" residing in the county. One estimate says that there were 67 of them and another says that at one time, more Coca-Cola stock was held in Gadsden County than throughout the rest of the country. Whether that is legend or fact, Coca-Cola is the drink of choice of many families in Gadsden County.

From rolling hills, interesting history, abundant recreational opportunities, a thriving arts culture, beautiful Victorian homes and restored buildings, Gadsden County is an interesting and beautiful place to visit and to live. We invite you to VISIT GADSDEN!

Courthouse History

Gadsden County was created in 1823 and the county seat established two years later at Quincy. James Gadsden was aide-de-camp to Andrew Jackson during the latter’s invasion of Spanish Florida, and negotiated "treaties of removal" with the state’s native residents. He is perhaps better known for his later Gadsden Purchase, acquiring portions of modern Arizona from the Mexican government.Quincy honors the birthplace of John Quincy Adams, who was Secretary of State at the time of its founding. Gadsden County is famed for its large plantations and tobacco farms - witness the name of Havana, a historic community between Quincy and Tallahassee.  

    Early settlers continued to attend court in Tallahassee. The  first local facility used for a courthouse was the log home of Robert Forbes, a prominent early settler and land grantee. Local tradition holds that portions of this building still stand, incorporated into a structure now occupied by the Talquin Electric Cooperative.  The first of three courthouses to be located in the Quincy public square was erected in 1826-7. It too was constructed of logs, at a cost of about $50. This structure burned in 1849, supposedly an act of arson by a Forbes family slave.

A brick courthouse – similar to but smaller than the one in current use - was erected in 1850-1. The present courthouse, built in the Classical Revival style, dates from 1912-3.