Alachua County, located in north-central Florida, is bounded on the north by Bradford and Union Counties; on the east by Putnam and Marion Counties; on the south by Marion and Levy Counties; and on the west by Gilchrist and Levy Counties. It lies between approximately 29º 20′ and 29º 50′ north latitude, and between 82º and 82º 30′ west longitude. The county stretches about 40 miles from north to south and about 35 miles from east to west. It contains an area of approximately 969 square miles, or 620,160 acres.
Alachua County, Florida, established in 1824 from parts of St. Johns and Duval Counties, was originally inhabited by the Timucua people, with later Seminole settlement following European colonization. The county seat, Gainesville, was founded in 1854 and became a key location after the arrival of the Florida Railroad in the 1850s. Early settlers arrived in the 1820s, primarily from Georgia and the Carolinas, and by the 1830s, farms and plantations were established. Federal land records for Alachua County begin in the 1820s, with vital records—birth, death, and marriage—maintained at the county level starting in the late 19th century, though earlier church and probate records may exist. The region is defined by rolling hills and karst topography, including sinkholes and springs, with Newnans Lake and the Santa Fe River serving as major geographic features. Key transportation routes historically included Bellamy Road, the first federally funded road in Florida, which passed through the area in the 1820s.
This county project is part of the much larger American History & Genealogy Project or better known by the abbreviation of AHGP. The larger project has been in existence online since 2000 and over the years it spread out across the web. These pages are an attempt to consolidate all the smaller pieces under the website of the larger project.
History
- Moments in the Life of Robert E. Arnow
- Moments in the Life of Moses Elias Levy
- Moments in the Life of John H. McIntosh Jr.
- Moments in the Life of Chief Micanopa
- Moments in the Life of Joseph Valentine
Genealogy
- 1850 Alachua County FL Census
This is a transcription for the 1850 Alachua County Florida census. In 1850, Alachua County included the area that now comprises Gilchrist County Florida. This transcription includes the 1850 Slave Schedule.
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