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Tallahassee History
Leon County, originally part of both
Escambia County and Jackson County, and later a part of Gadsden County,
was created by the Territorial Legislature December 29, 1824 as the
seventh county in the State of Florida. Named for Ponce De Leon, Leon
County was one of the most populous and prosperous counties in ante-bellum
Florida.
Tallahassee, named for the "old fields"
that it once encompassed, earned the title early in the 16th century from
the Apalachee Indians who inhabited the area. Legend says that the final
spelling was chosen by Octavia Walton, daughter of the territorial
governor of Florida. Today, Tallahassee exemplifies not only the influence
of the Indian, but also that of the Spanish, French and English who
occupied the area in succession.
The City of Tallahassee, the county seat
and only incorporated city in Leon County, was established in 1825,
following a decision by the legislature to locate the capital of the new
Florida Territory midway between the population centers of St. Augustine
and Pensacola.
The following outline represents a brief
historical sketch of the area:
- 500- 1528 Apalachee
Indians flourish in the area, settling into villages and displaying a
flair for agriculture, trading and pottery.
- 1528 An expedition
under Panfilo de Narvaez become the first Europeans to come into contact
with the local Indians.
- 1539 The Hernando de
Soto expedition winters in an area that is within one mile of the
present Capitol building and celebrates the first Christmas in
Tallahassee.
- 1528 - 1607 Contact
with Spanish invaders decimates the Apalachee population through disease
and warfare.
- 1607 Apalachee Indians
ask the Spanish Governor to send missionaries into the area.
- 1633 The Spanish
establish a mission chain from St. Augustine to Tallahassee (Fort San
Luis).
- 1704 Spanish missions
are destroyed by combined Creek Indians and British forces; Apalachee
Indians leave the area.
- 1725 Creek Indians
enter the area from Georgia and Alabama. These and other Indians in the
area later become known as Seminoles (runaways).
- 1763 The Tallahassee
area becomes a British possession when Spain cedes Florida to England in
exchange for Cuba.
- 1783 Spain regains
possession of Florida.
- 1818 General Andrew
Jackson invades Florida and drives the Seminole Indians from Leon
County.
- 1819 Florida is ceded
by Spain to the United States.
- 1822 The Territory of
Florida is created by an act of Congress.
- 1824 Leon County is
created by the Territorial Legislature with Tallahassee as the County
seat and State Capital. The first land survey of the area is made. The
City
- 1834 The
Tallahassee-St. Marks railroad is constructed (reported to be the third
oldest railroad in the United States).
- 1845 Florida becomes
the 27th State.
- 1851 The West Florida
Seminary is established; it later becomes the Florida State College for
Women; today it is the Florida State University.
- 1861 Florida secedes
from the Union.
- 1865 Federal troops are
repelled at the battle of Natural Bridge in southeast Leon County,
leaving Tallahassee as the only Confederate capital east of the
Mississippi River not captured during the Civil War.
- 1887 The Florida
Agricultural and Mechanical University is established.
- 1919 The Legislature
passes a new city charter for Tallahassee, authorizing a
Commission-Manager form of government.
- 1931 The Lively
Vocational Technical School is established.
- 1966 The Tallahassee
Community College is established.
- 1997 Tallahassee
citizens select their first directly-elected Mayor since 1919, replacing
the system of yearly rotation among the City Commissioners.
The City of Tallahassee has had a long
history of annexation activity as a means of achieving growth. During its
first 150 years, Tallahassee expanded from one-quarter of a mile in size
to 26.15 square miles, at the beginning of 1979. The past twenty-plus
years has witnessed a phenomenal increase in annexation activity with 75
additional square miles having been added during this time, swelling the
size of Tallahassee to over 100 square miles by January 1, 2004. Many of
the annexations in the early 1980's were accomplished through a
double-referendum process, which required the approval of voters living in
the area proposed for annexation as well the approval of City voters.
Since 1985 the vast majority of the City's annexations have been achieved
through a voluntary process where the owners of properties petition for
inclusion into the City.
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