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Jh OEltiD STATES
By Avery Powell
There ie no place in Florida richer in history than the Tillage
of lilddleburg* loeated between tha forks of Black c eek in Clay county#
about twenty-eight miles southwest of Jacksonville# At one time# Middle-
burg was the principal port for water shipments in the state} that was
bade in 181¡j0-50# Boats earns up 'Black creek from the St# Johns river
and loaded with limber# crossties# wood and cotton* Blaok creek isa
very deep stream and in places is over a quarter of a mile wide# Boats
of fairly deep draft can navigate it easily*
The writer# in delving into the past of Mlddlsburg* was told that
about ten years after the settlement of St# Augustin»* several Spanish
families* desiring to engage in faming* moved back into the interior
an Black creek near where Klddleburg now stands# Among these families
were Taratus* Alvares* Aadreu and DiIabury# Many of the descancents
of these families are now living is that section* It ie not known what
the Spaniards called the settlement# but the Alvar* sea and And reus moved
cm farther back to what is now Bradford county* Later* in 1820-25# many
v i
American families moved to the same location* among them being the Tlpplne*
Brsaning* Register* Chalker* Frisbee* Prevatt* Snowden and Bardin families#
They were engaged in farming* and quite a town was built 19 at that time*
f
larger than the village of Sowford# now Jaoksonville* Klddleburg was ¿L
then called the town of dla«k Creek* the ereek being so named because
the water ie nearly jet black#
House Still Stands
La 18l|0# the Chalkere built a large two-story house# Tt is still
standing and in it lives Mre* H* A* Chalker# age 8U* who is one of the
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oldest r eídente of íJiddleburg* The Hetfaodlat church used br the early
cottiers ia atill in good shape and ie ’swing used. It «as constructed
in 1QU7* The ran inga wor* wealthy cristooretie Southerners* They had
a large planta ticas and formed it with over 100 slaves* The plantation
had its ensn shoe factory* blacksmith ah-p and eonmissary*
Back in the early days before end during the Indian war# it la stated
that the Indians had a large camp on the shores of 31aok creek near the
present town of Hid ieburg* They fora ed as far away as South G< orgia#
Al mg about that tine# so it is stated# a band of pirates nade a e«uap
on the shores of the creek near the Indian oaosp and built up quite a
village* -hey used this as their hiding plaoe# dashing out at time#
into the St* Johns river# thence to Hie ocean where they would loot cos»
unfortunate ship and then dash back to their rendesvous* It is stated
that the pirates had trouble with the Indians and a band of old Billy
Bcerlegs* followers slaughtered then all in a pitched battle ne day#
>
but this is merely hearsay* Ho history records a battle of that nature
b' ing fought* However# it is a fact t at there was a fort at that loca»
tioa d ring the Swain ole Indian w r* Several oosr<anies of tilted States
soldiers camped there until the Indiana were driven farther south* Old
r eidents say that a Mrs* Snowdon# with others# was in the fort with
six children* sho took a notion site wanted to go to her hone* All
tried to dissuade her froa this move* She went and the Indicas captured
/
her# stood the aix children in a row and shot then and left Mrs* Snowden
for dead* However# she recovered# and soouts coming along fouád her and
took her baok to the fort* ,

I
Woman Compiles Data
Mrs. Minnie B* Prevatt has prepared some interesting data of early
Mid leburg. She sayst "Much has been said about St* Augustine, the
h
oldest toen in the United States* but eonr-aratively little is known of
Mlddleburg, the seoond oldest town in the Halted States* On the Bide»
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out wad near Russell, about fire talles from Green Core Springs, there
was an Indian toen as late as I851* The huts, which were built largely
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of palmetto, stood for a number of years after the Indians left* The
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Indians would leare thsir teem, go down Peters creek to St* Johns Rirer
to the St* Johns bar where they would get oysters* The land where thie
Indian torn stood was later homesteaded by John Barrow, Sr, Many <f
the creeks and landings were given the names of pioneers who wers killed
near there by the Indiana* Bull Creek was named after a man by the name
of Bullnan who was killed by Indians while plowing* Indian Fort, on
the north prong of Blaok ere k near Middleburg, was given the name be»
cause a Mr, Beasley was killed there by the Indians while he and George
Branning were crossing the creek* Mr* ’’«asley’s horse had stopped to
drink and an Indian hiding at the edge of the water shot him with an
arrow and killed him* Bran inr was not harmed as he was an Interpreter
for the Indians*
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•These first settlers lived on wild meat, rice, potatoes and hominy*
One night George Branning, one of the oldest settlers, and hie two brothers
] ■ ,
Bill and Bob, were eeting supper by their camp fire when an Indian shot
an arrow from across the creek and killed Bob* The other two brothers
' v • f«
threw water on the fire so they could not be seen*

k
Former Battle Site
’•tee of the battles of the Civil war was fought between Green Cove
Springs end Middleburg* three and one-half miles vest of Old Toro, It
vas called the battle of Tiger Head* Captain Dickinson vas leading the
Confederate soldiers* The Yankees vere successful and among the South»
era soldiers that they captured vas Wash Bran ing, He vas sontereed
to be shot in front of Mrs* Bill Knight’s house* There vere two Enight
girls* Sue and Rhode* The Yankee guard allowed Sr arming to go to the
'
do r of the Knight house to give Sue his old fashioned vatoh* He
handed it to her* jumped the high gate* tore off his clothes and jumped
into Blaok Creek* He vas reported drowned by the Yankees* Late that
night he want to Tom Dilabury** and got do the*,*
Clay and St* Johns counties were part of Duval eounty in those days
and court was held at St* Augustine* In 18*r* more than sevan hundred
people lived in Middleburg* Later the courthouse was moved there and
it was known as Webster* Before the Civil War two of the largest slave
holders were George Branding and Osias A* Buddington, Buddington was
a sea oaptaln* He vas bom November 28* 1796* and disd August 2t|* 1886*
His renains rest in the old family cemetery at Middleburg* G* A, Prevatt
vas also one of the old settlera* going to Middleburg in 1851*
When Middleburg vas in its prime of business* the leading store*
vere owned by W* Warrick, Cart, John C* Richard* Peters Hsvs* Jesse
*
banning and Thomas Hedge » There **■•* tee churches in the town,
Cetholie and Methodist, The old bell for the Methodist ohuroh vas bought

5
in Kew York in 1355 and sounds its tones to bring people to church to¬
day* Also a piano owned by the Buddlngtons is to be found in an old
houss in Fiddleburg*
Today, «bile only a snail town, Kiddleburg is ambitious to beoomo
larger* It has several stores* is ideally located end is surrounded
by some of the boot fanning land In the state» Several ne«r improve¬
ments have be n made there reeently* among them the establishment of
the lfiddleburg Lodge by lira* C. Ray Greene* who plans to show sport-
men and fishermen of Jacksonville that Middleburg and Blaek creek
constitute same of the best hunting and fishiny {--rounds in the South.
Mrs* Greene believes that when lfiddleburg becomes better known and the
value of its Isolds and fishing and hunting is found out it «ill again
come into its own and become one of the important towns of Florida*
TimeswOaion, Ootober 20, 1929#
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THñ SOUTH ÍIaTS ( FLORIDA SECTION)
October 10» 19U1.
MI DLUBURO !IOHNuC>í!I?lfl PICNIC
MIimLBBUHO, PLOHini
Roso Shepherd, Writer
MIDDLEBURO HOMBCOMING PICNIC
- I -
Right from Orange Park (ü. B. 17) 2 n, on» paved county
road la Middlehurg, in Clay County, now a small village of 1^0, but in
the 13U0»a, due to shipping and port facilities, it rivalled Jacksonville
as a center of population.
Lying directly west of St. Augustine, the section was known
to the early Spanish settlers, but onaanent settlement did not begin until
the second Spanish period when grants of land were made along the St, Johns
Hivor and its tributary, Black Crook, so called boouuse its waters were
alnaat jet black fron decaying foliage*
The junction of tho north and south forks of Black Creek
formed a natural harbor with deep water on each side, and h^re on a
narrow atrip of land the settlement was founded. It waB first known ad
"Black Cr >ek". Two o<* the loading, lanrt-ownors, George Branning, and
Osias Budit^ton, oach operating largo plantations with over a thousand
slaves, had a disagreement, which in tlrao divided the community into two
separate factions. The Budington toot ion in the late lQi+O* s settled bn
the name o'' Whitosville tor their town, located on the south fork six niles
away, while the Branning tootion changed thoir village raise to "Hiddleburg,"
as half way between the fork of the crook and Yrhitesvilln.

Middleburg Homesoming Picnic
2
The sheep bluffs afforded ample wharfage for the numerous
steamboats which came up the St, Johns to Middleburg and took on great loads
of lumber and cotton* Ox-carts brought in quantities of cotton from planta-
tations as far away as Tallahassee and Lake City.
The first ohuroh, a Catholio mission, established for the
Spanish among the early settlers, disappeared many years ago, but the
Methodist church, built in I8I4.7 on land donated by Ozias Budington, saiil
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sea-faring man from Connecticut, who owned a line of sailing vessels,
still1 stands. He also started the Sunday-school for the children of the
settlement and was its first superintendent.
In those early days, Indians still roamed that section, and
when these early settlers attended church, they stacked their shotguns
outside the door.
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./ There was no regular preacher, but circuit riders held in¬
frequent services on their rounds, at which time there was much enthusiasm,
and sometimes revlmls, resulting in the addition of new ¡embers.
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jj In slavery days, the Negroes accompanied the white folks,
Cutting on the benches in the back of the room which ware reserved for
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them. While the old Negro mammy enjoyed the services and humad the hjWs*
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she', kept a watchful eye on her little white charges playing in the church¬
yard beyond the door*

Middleburg Honeooning Picnic
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The building is constructed of hand-hawn clapboards of hard wood*
The furniture of the ohuroh is aleo all hand nade* The firnt benches had
no banka, but those in use now are regular pews nade fron native lurabor,
with tho curved banks oarefully shaped by adzes and hand tools* The altar,
too, ia made and oarved by hand, tho railing circles around tho platform
on whioh tho aktar rosta, are hand -nade, with tho éntranos at the front
at the end of the wide aisle dividing the ohuroh into two sections —
the scats for the woman on the left, for tho ion on th® right*
The bell, bought in New York in 1855, still hangs in the wooden
etoeple, and the reaidonts say its tonos calling the faithful to ohuroh
eaoh Sabbath grow sweeter from year to year*
' '*>
The first organ was installed in 1057, and worked with a pump,
operated by one of the slaves of the community*
The window-panes are in the original form of nlno small squares
to each sash* «
A fterthe W»r between the States, the old plantations became past
history* The coming of the rAilroads to Starke and throu 'h Green Gove
Springs ruined river traffic, Middleburg as a port was no longer utilised,
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the majority of the early settlers slept their last sleep in tho aotiy
to
old churoh-yard cemetery, and the younger generation ooatteroc/newer sections
or to other states.

Mií loburg Homoooning Pienls
h.
The little ohuroh was used continuously by tho comunity» but
attendance dropped. With tho fsoraing of the autonobile into general
use, some o*’ the residents enjoyed ^oing into Jacksonville thirty miles
away to church, or to nearby Croon Cove Springs, Financing tho affairs
o*’ the ohuroh booarje a souroe of much worry to the Mldors and tho Women’s
Auxil/iary,
In 1932, a suggestion was made tiiat perhaps nstabors of the ohuroh,
or desoendants of tho settlers who had a hand in building up the aarly
congregation night like to return for a visit and a day of worship at
Mlddloburg. The former residents, it was found, wore widely scattered
and addresses of all were not available. Written invitations wore mailed
to those of known address, asking then to attend a hone-coning celebration
and pionio on the .first Sunday in I'ay. In order to reach everyone who
might be interested, notices were placed in the Clay County papers, and
in newspapers pub1 shod in Jacksonville, boat Pain Deach, and other
so ^tions of Florida.
A big crowd attonded. The hone folks had a splendid reunion with
relatives a friends , some o whan had travelled several hundred miles to
be present* Tho little church was filled to overflowing, and the
contributions wore
nerous. At the conclusion of the morning ohuroh
service, the visitors filed out into tho church-yard where on long tables
under the age-old moss-hung oaks u bountiful picnic dinner was spread —•
fried chicken, none-made broad, cake and pies, neat and cheoso sandwiches,
if
jellies, and ioeorean, with a big kettle of coffee boiled over a oanp
fire in tho yard.

Middlobur ; Homecoming Pi jnlo
5.
Tho a'flair was such a success in every way that It has been adopted
as un annual affair. In 19U0 and 19Ul the attendance ranged between 700.
and ot)Q persons. Th^re Is no special ceremony as to the picnic* Kach
family invites tlioiir friends, who &”e -.special guests, a list is Maintained
of former residents who are sent written invitations, but everybody is
nade we leone.
In election years, there is a groat influx of political candidates,
who find tho Hiddleburg picnio an auspicious opportunity to neat their
constituents, mk« new friends, and distribute their campaign literature,
tn addition, they contribute liberally to the» church oo .'fors.
A song «—"The Old Country Church”— composed by a founor resident,
adaptod to the tunc of ”The Old Hugged Cross”, is always sung at the
hotna-ooning observancei
In the woods far away stands an old country ohuroh
Built long, long years ago in His llama j
And I love that old church, where the dearest and ^he best
Learned how Christ for lost sinners was slain,
C H 0 I? U S
So 1*11 cherish tho old country ohuroh,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will love that old country church,
Which pointed tho way to tho Grown.
OH l the old country church,in the woodland it stands.
Holds wouncirous memories for ne,
Ma’iy dour ones, above, found there joy and peace and lovo,
fhrou ;h tho Christ of dark Calvary.

Oh t the old country church, on each Sabbath day
Still tells tho old fctory of love.
Sends out hor children to cities and towns,
To work "or the Master above.
To the old country church let no aver bo true,
A s I work for ny Lord, everywhere!
* May I let ny light shine, wherever I an,
lb nonory of Saint# over thoro.
4»

K<
Jj ~
)/ Times-Unión
,. December 10,1937
i£*ti Ovs * C - u
PICTURESQUE MIDDLEBURGf-^^f , >C X rfouSU^C ¿SU*
Hesidents of Jacksonville and vicinity sometimes hear references
to Middleburg as being a place of much historical interest. Some of
Ar C *‘¿n
them have been lured there by afternoon moter trips to confirm the
stories they have heard, but it has remained for Mrs. R. C. Haddon,
post-mistress of the place, to give a word picture of interest to all
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whe would know more about Florida. Here is what Mrs. Haddon has to
,1
say on the subject of Middleburg:
"In checking up on us, I find within a radius of a mile of the
postoffice there are 120 residents, in 37 homes. Of these homes,
!
five are occupied by widows only-one in each of four, and three in
one. There are children and young people in only 16 of these homes.
"There are 15 widows, three widowers, one bachelor and two elder¬
ly maiden ladies. Fifteen homes are occupied by elderly couples only.
"At a glance it would seem it isn’t very healthful for men; not
many live beyond the age of 75 or 80.
"17e are old in other ways too. The old Methodist Church, built
with hand-planed lumber 90 years ago, is believed to be the oldest
Protestant Church building in constant use in the state, ft is in
perfect condition, dressed up in its old age with electric lights
and paint.
"The old residence known as the Chalker home, recently reno¬
vated by the present owner, was constructed during/the Second Semi-

2
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nole War, about 1822, of hand-hewn lumber, with the uprights (framing)
running to the third story, each in one piece of eight by eight solid
héartpine.
"The house was owned and lived in by the late Martha Ann Chalker,
grandmother of the present owner, Dr. F. A. Copp of Jacksonville, for
more than 86 years. She lived beyond her 92nd birthday.
"The name of the town was originally Black Creek and was changed
to Middleburg about 75 years ago. Just why the change is not clear.
We are not in the middle of the states, or the state or the county,
but are midway between the north and south Black Creeks and at a point
where the two come together to form Black Creek.
"The first mail came once a week by steamboat, and was delivered
over a counter in the old Chalker House by A. S. Chalker, father of
the present postmaster. Later the postoffice was moved to a large
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store building on the site now occupied by the present small office.
"The town v/as a/pposperous cotton shipping port for the river
boats until the buildings were burned during the Civil War, and was
an old town while Jacksonville was known as Cow Ford. The oldest-residents
remembered the remains of the old fort of the Seminole War days.
"Life is the average of the small town; most of us are as placid
as cows, with spells of energy.
"We have a beautiful new Community House, and the beginning of
a commodious school building, both W. P. A. projects.

"There is a recently completed concrete bridge across the Creek,
on the road surveyed and graded, known as Hoad No. 68, and when that
is completed with hard-surfacing, we will be near Jacksonville and
other places of interest."
The road known as No. 68 ought to be paved, and the Middleburg
area made for those who undoubtedly would like to travel that way if
the highway were opened. Already it is paved as far as Middleburg,
but if the section beyond were hard-surfaced it would open a new
route to Gainesville via Keystone Heights, and through the Lake Re¬
gion of that vicinity; or via Starke.

MI&rpoglEQ to was.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
Excerpt from The Clay
County Tiroes,
Friday, Dec. 17, 1926.
Jax. Pub. Lib. -
if975,973.
C 57.
THE CLAY CODHTY TIMES. FRIDAY . DECEMBER 17. 1926.
mwmm-
Mlddleburg is Oldest Settlement.
Mach has been said about St. Augustine, the oldest town in the United
States, but comparatively little is known of Mlddleburg, which is located
in Clay County and Is said to be the second oldest town.
Mlddleburg is eighteen miles from Green Cove Springs. The eastern part
of this old town was a grant given by the King of Spain. It belonged to
Mount Mallen, whose parents were Spaniards and left him this estate. .This
ownership was only discovered about thirty years ago, when a Phosphate
company went to Mlddleburg to boy land. Mount Mallen also owned a grant at
Bice Creek.
On the Rideout road near Bussell, about five miles from Green Cove Springs,
there was an Indian town. As late as 1855 the huts which were built largely
of palmettos were still standing. The Indians would leave their town, go
down Peter Creek to Black Creek and then on down to the St. John1» Blver to
the St. John's bar, where they would get oysters. The land where this Indian
town stood was later home-steaded by John Barrows, Sr.
(
Many of the creeks and landings were given the names of pioneers that were
killed near there. Indian Fort on the north prong of Black Creek near Mlddleburg
was given this name because a Mr. Beasley was killed there by the Indians

Middleburg the Oldest Settlement, Cont»d p-2-
while he and George Braiming were crossing the creek. Mr. Beasley*s horse
had stopped to drink, and an Indian hiding at the edge of the water shot him
with an arrow and killed him. Branning was not harmed as he was the Interpreter
for the Indians.
Boll Creek was named for a settler hy the name of Bui man who was killed hy
the Indians while he was plowing.
Tears later a boarding house at Balden was managed by an old woman by the
name of Snowden. She was the delight of the children because she wore a wig.
She had been scalped, when the Showden home had been attacked by the Indians.
Mr. Snowden had been killed, Mr*. Snowden had been shot through the side and
hand and her children were taken by the heels and slung against the trees.
Mrs. Snowden was left to die, but was found by the white men that were tracking
the Indians.
These first settlers lived on wild meat and rice which they beat in a mortar.
On night George Branning, one of the oldest settlers, and his two brothers,
Bill and Bob, were eating supper by their camp fire, when an Indian shot an
arrow from across the Creek and killed Bob. The other brothers then threw
water on the fire, so they could not be seen.
One of the battles of the Civil War was fought between Green Cove Springs
and Middleburg, three and one-half miles east of the old town. It was called
the battle of Tiger Head. Cep tain Dicklson, it is said, was leading the Con¬
federate soldiers. The Yankees won the fight, and among the southern soldiers
that they captured was Wash Branning. He was to be shot in front of Mrs.
Bill Knight •* house. There were two Knight girls, Sue and Hhoda. The Yankee
guard allowed Branning to go to the door of the Knight house to give Sue his
old-fashioned gold watch. He handed it to her, jumped the high gate, tore

Middlelurg the Oldest Settlement, Cont'dp-3
off hie elothea as he ran, and dived into Black Creek at the old Folly
Knight Landing. The soldiers watched for him, hut he did not come up, so
they reported him drowned. Brannlng swam under water, down to the edge of
the creek and stayed hid In the hushes. Late that night he went to Tom Oillshury's
and got clothes. Dillsbury was a sailor that had moved into the Pgrtugese
settlement.
During the same battle, John Batton was riding horseback, going into
Jacksonville with a load of fodder. The soldiers were coming his way, so he
made his horse swim the creek, and finally reached Jacksonville.
*
Soldiers were hurled In the ditches near John Hallacy's, The bodies were
found scattered over the fields, the razorback hogs having dragged them there
by their arms and legs.
Descendants of some of these old Spanish settlers still live In Middleburg
and Green Cove Springs. The Alvarles family was one of the first settlers.
Louise Alvarles married the Scotchman Begister, and Bob Beglster of Green
Cove Springs is their son. William Tarratus was a Spanish farmer on Black
Creek, who married an English woman, Hester Hideout. This family was the sugar
maker for the farmers. Hideout Ferry was named for them.
Clay and St. John counties formed Duval County in those days, and court
was held at St. Augustine. Descendants of these old settlers say that the
Shands Bridge will bring St. John and Clay Counties back together as old
friends.
In 1865 700 people lived in this old town of Middlebufg, or, as the court¬
house was known, Webster. Before the Civil War two of the largest slave holders
were George Brannlng and 0. A. Whitesville. These men disagreed and the towm

Middleburg the Oldest Settlement, Cont‘dp-4
was divided into two factions. The Branning side was known as Middleburg
and the Buddington section was known as Whitesvllle.
With the exception of St. Augustine, it is stated that Uiddlehurg was the
only shipping point in Florida for a number of years. Ocean steamers from
Savannah and Charleston came up Black Creek. The Dicatator and Barling were
two of the most famous boats that were owned by Captain Brock.
Thomas and Hedges owned two stores, a hotel and a shipping dock. Col.
Thomas charged $1 a bale for all cotton that was taken over his dock. In
one day a thousand bales were shipped from this dock. Cotton was hauled
from Tallahassee and the adjoining country and shipped from Middleburg.
Before these loaded ships could go down Black Creek they had to obtain Spanish
passes from St. Augustine.
»
Buring the most prosperous years at Middleburg six of the leading stores
were owned by Warrick J. C. Richard, Peter Haws, Jesse Branning and Thomas
Hedges. And there were two churches, the Cathollc and Methodist. The old
bell that was to ugh t for $50 in Hew York in 1855 Is used today in the Middleburg
Methodist churdi. The people there say that each year the tones are growing
clearer. An old piano that was owned by the Buddingtons before the Civil War
is to be found today in one of the old houses.

/>
Excerpt fróm
CLAY COUNTY MIRROR
Vol. li No* 6
Middleburg, Florida
April 1, 1915.
MIDDLEBURG HAS
A good school
Two churohos
Throe secret organisations
Five stores
One blacksmith shop
One saw mill
One cotton gin
Two turpentine Stills
One pressing club
One shoe shop
One barber shop
One newspaper
A Physician
A Public Library
A home Bakery
Two boats to Jacksonville
One boat to Green Cove Springs
Water piped through the streets
Normal school
Shorthand school
One grist mill
Good walks, good roads, good houses and lots of flowers
Good navigable water to the ocean and will soon have a
railroad.
Come to Middleburg

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