Chamber of Commerce
Post Office Box 634
Fort White, Florida 32038
(386) 462-8277 |
Town of Fort White
Post Office Box 129
Fort White, Florida 32038
(386)497-2321 |
A Pioneer Town
The Town of Fort White and the surrounding area has an interesting history. There is an old mission site, a fort site, a historic plantation house, a log cabin, several old cemeteries, a phosphate mine site and some old homes from the 1800's.
The original Fort White settlement was located on both the north and south sides of the Santa Fe River. In 1836, the fort, called Fort White, was established to protect the Cow Creek settlement and the nearby area settlers from Indians during the second Seminole War period. Supplies were brought in by steamboat and distributed to other forts making Fort White a depot. Due to sickness, flooding along the river and along with rumors of a railroad coming to the area, the settlement was moved four miles east to its present location.
On November 3, 1884 at 11:00 o'clock, a committee of 23 men met at the McKinney Hall in the "village" of Fort White, the purpose was to give notice to incorporate the village. On November 26, 1884, the name Fort White was unanimously adopted.
Just like all pioneer towns in the past, the old town was rough and lawless. The rumors were true and the railroad did come to town as well as phosphate mines and turpentine stills.
Times change, things come and go, but many the descendants of the old pioneers stayed and their family names are still prominent in town today. In the late 1800's and early 1900's the town was quite a community with a population of 2,000. Due to the economy, the population dwindled, and in 1979 there were only about 365 people in town. Unlike so many small towns from the past which just disappeared from maps, the Town of Fort White still exists today with a population of over 500 and growing. Hopefully it will continue to keep its peaceful small town ways where people come to enjoy the simple country life, along with nature's own resources. There are plenty of fishing, canoeing, tubing, picnic areas, restaurants, and churches.
There is a new twenty-five million dollar high school. There is an active Chamber of Commerce, a newly re-instated Historical Society, and the Ichetucknee Springs State Park, all working together to preserve the local history and save our natural ecology. If you like country living, history and fun, you're in the right place.
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