The Alachua Trail

 

 

As I continue to add branches to my family tree, I notice that the majority of my family arrived into Florida via the Alachua Trail; some even taking time to marry , have children, and be buried in Alachua County (and I thought my only connection was the University of Florida).

 My ancestors followed the same trail taken by William Bartram and written about in his book published 1791 entitled, Travels Through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida.  Alachua County would have appeared to them as Bartram described it:

"The extensive Alachua savanna is a level green plain, above fifteen miles over, fifty miles in circumference, and scarcely a tree or bush of any kind to be seen on it. It is encircled with high sloping hills, covered with waving forests and fragrant Orange groves, rising from an exuberantly fertile soil. The towering magnolia grandiflora and transcendent Palm, stand conspicuous amongst them. At the same time are seen innumerable droves of cattle; the lordly bull, lowing cow, and sleek capricious heifer. The. hills and groves re-echo their cheerful, social voices. Herds of sprightly deer, squadrons of the beautiful fleet Seminole horse, flocks of turkeys, civilized communities of the sonorous watchful crane, mix together, appearing happy and contented in the enjoyment of peace, till disturbed and affrighted by the warrior man. Behold yonder, coming upon them through the darkened groves, sneakingly and unawares, the naked red warrior, invading the Elysian fields and green plains of Alachua...one day this Alachua will accommodate in the happiest manner above one hundred thousand human inhabitants, besides millions of domestic animals; and I make no doubt this place will at some future day be one of the most populous and delightful seats on earth."  (May I insert Go Gators)

 

 

 

The earliest I find my ancestors arriving into Florida via the Alachua Trail is Ephraim Tyner, my third great grandfather, who lived in Alachua County in 1825 and died there in 1836.

It appears that the 1842 Occupation Act,  with its offer of free land to any veteran who cleared land, built a house, and protected against Indians, was enough incentive for the rest of my family to travel into Florida in the 1840s and 1850s. 

William Bartram



The fact that the land was a wilderness filled with insects, snakes, alligators, and illness did nothing to deter them and before the Civil War my family called Florida home. (Continuing through Alachua County and finally settling in the counties of Hillsborough, Hardee, Polk, and Desoto.)