Lost Suwannee County

Suwannee County is filled with forgotten echoes of its lost past, from demolished pioneer homes to defunct railroads to lost forts from the Seminole Wars. In the 1830s, ecotourism arrived. Local sulfur springs, with their grand hotels and health resorts, drew travelers from around the world for a dip in the same healing waters of the Suwannee River traversed by steamboats. Thundering iron horses brought citizens and industry into the county, making Live Oak one of the largest cities in Florida in the early twentieth century. Landmarks and communities like the opulent Suwannee Springs resort and the once-flourishing riverbank town of Columbus disappeared in the face of progress. Lifelong resident and historian Eric Musgrove launches an entertaining and informative journey through Suwannee County’s lost history.