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History of Alachua

History of High Springs

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White Springs is located in Hamilton County, which sits at the crossroads of I-75 and I-10 in North Central Florida. White Springs is home to the state’s Nature & Heritage Tourism Center, which disseminates information on outdoor activities, and to Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. The latter maintains a Stephen Foster Museum and carillon tower that gongs out his famous compositions. All here is far removed from the "sad and dreary" world of which Stephen Foster, who never laid eyes on the Suwannee River, wrote. Its village of old-time craftspeople stages candle making, blacksmithing and such demonstrations, and every May the park hosts the Florida Folk Festival, along with 15 other annual special events. Once a health spa, White Springs tells its history in a downtown walking tour that takes in more than 20 vintage buildings and sites

This is a rural community, rich in southern traditions.  The Withlacoochee River flows along the west, the legendary Suwannee River runs along the east and south, and Georgia forms the northern border.  White Springs is the home of the Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center. 

This small town is known for its healing sulpher springs and the natural beauty of the Suwannee River Valley. White Sulphur Springs was considered to be a sacred healing ground and warring tribes could come to bathe in and drink the mineral waters here while putting aside their disagreements.  During the Civil War, White Springs was a refuge for displaced southerners fleeing the ravages of war along Florida's coasts. After the war, White Sulphur Springs continued to attract visitors seeking to restore their health "by swimming in the healing water." 

Timucuan Indians were living on the banks of the Suwannee River at White Springs when the Spanish explorers came to what is now North Florida in the 1530s. The Suwannee River formed the boundary between the Timucuans on the east and the Apalachees on the west, and even then it was considered special and historic.

In the late 1800s, there were 14 luxury hotels and many more boarding houses to accommodate the visitors who came by special excursion train to enjoy the river, the spring, and the climate at White Springs. Farmers brought their cotton to Adam Brothers Store to exchange for goods or for store credit. The Broward cotton gin and grits mill were in full operation, Camps Lumber Mill and Basket Factory were rolling, and the woods around White Springs were teeming with turpentine camps full of workers. There was a bowling alley, a skating rink, moving picture shows, and boutiques filled with the latest fashions in gowns and hats. The town incorporated in 1885, and soon provided its citizens with waterworks, sidewalks, and a night watchman.

In 1835, Bryant and Elizabeth Sheffield bought land for a plantation in the Suwannee River valley region, including the spring and most of what is now the Town of White Springs. Mr. Sheffield's testimonials about the good effects the sulfurous spring water had on his health brought others to the ancient healing place who were in need of relief from rheumatism, kidney trouble, nervousness, and other ailments.

Sheffield built a log hotel beside the spring to provide lodging for the visitors, and Florida's first tourist destination was in business. A log spring house surrounded the spring until 1903, when Minnie Mosher Jackson built the concrete and coquina wall still standing along with a four-tiered structure that included treatment rooms, a concession area, and an elevator. 

With the attraction of the springs, the excellent land that grew Sea Island cotton, and the vast forest resources that provided lumber and naval stores, the Town of White Springs grew.

In 1950, the Museum of the Stephen Foster Memorial was dedicated. In 1953, the first Florida Folk Festival was held, an event that still draws thousands to White Springs each year to enjoy the culture and musical heritage of the Sunshine State. The park is now called the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center, and traditional arts are kept alive at the Stephen Foster Center through year-round events.

With the demise of the riverboat era and economic changes, the town became a time capsule of an earlier, innocent time. Much of the original town still stands, including the Adams Brother General Merchandise Store (since 1865), three turn-of-the-century churches, and scores of homes. The White Springs Historic District, with its 88 contributing structures, was placed in the National register of Historic Places in 1997. 

White Springs, surrounded by thousands of acres of public lands, offers multiple recreational activities - canoeing, biking and hiking trails and excellent hunting and fishing. The Historic District, with lovely homes, crafts, folk art and antique shops offers visitors a relaxing chance to browse.

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