Welcome To The Town Of Fort White


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       Deese Memorial Park is located in the middle of town, in memory of Sidney Walter Deese and Joseph Sidney Deese. A historical marker was placed near the memorial. The marker states some of the information on the naming of The Town of Fort White and how the city was developed. The information placed on the marker is written below.
       The Town of Fort White, named for a former Second Seminole War fort built nearby in 1837, was founded in 1870 and flourished briefly after the arrival of the railroad in 1888. Phosphate mining and the growing of citrus and cotton sparked a boom that before 1900 made Fort White the second largest city in Columbia County with a population of nearly 2,000. The boom collapsed when severe freezes in the winter of 1896-1897 destroyed the local citrus industry. Phosphate mining ceased by 1910, and the boll weevil ended cotton farming before World War I. A handful of historic buildings, such as the Old Fort White School (1915) remain from the town's era of prosperity.



       The Town of Fort White office is located directly next to the Fort White Branch Library. For a map to the town, there is a link below. The hours of operation and phone number to the Town of Fort White is located on the General Information page.









The Fort White Public Elementary School provides grades K-5. For more information on the schools in this county please visit our Facts Page.









The Fort White Public High School provides grades 6-12. For more information on the schools in this county please visit our Facts Page.








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