Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is a city located in Alachua County, Florida. It is the county seat of Alachua County{{GR|6}}. Major sites include the Devil's Millhopper, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the historic downtown area. The University of Florida is located in Gainesville also.

History

Gainesville's original inhabitants were the Timucua Indians. Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the Payne's Prairie area using Timucua labor and the largest ranch became known as LaChua. Though the ranch was eventually destroyed by British raiders, it nevertheless gave its name to the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe who settled in the region in the 1700s under the leadership of the great chief Ahaya the Cowkeeper.

Related Topics:
Timucua - Payne's Prairie - British - Cowkeeper

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Gainesville was originally formed along the Florida Railroad Company's line stretching from Cedar Key, Florida to Fernandina Beach, Florida as part of a route eventually carrying cargo from New Orleans, Louisiana to New York. In 1854 Gainesville became the new Alachua County seat (moving from the more populated but inconveniently located Newnansville). The city is named for General Edmund P. Gaines, commander of U.S. Army troops in Florida during the Second Seminole War.

Related Topics:
Cedar Key, Florida - Fernandina Beach, Florida - New Orleans, Louisiana - New York - 1854 - Newnansville - Edmund P. Gaines - U.S. Army - Second Seminole War

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Gainesville was the scene of small-scale fighting in the Civil War. On February 15, 1864, a skirmish erupted when about 50 Union troops entered the city intending to capture two trains. The Second Florida Cavalry successfully repulsed this raid. The raiding party was eventually defeated at the Battle of Olustee five days later. Later that year, the Battle of Gainesville took place on August 17, 1864. 300 Union troops occupying the city were attacked by the Florida Cavalry. The Federals were driven out of town and suffered significant casualties.

Related Topics:
Civil War - February 15 - 1864 - Union - Battle of Olustee - Battle of Gainesville - August 17

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Gainesville's fortunes took a major turn when the University of Florida was created by the Florida Legislature in 1905. Gainesville was chosen as the site, beating out other cities who saw their colleges close, such as Lake City and Bartow. The university has brought the town a youthful population, cultural opportunities, and world class medical facilities. The sports drink Gatorade was invented in Gainesville as a means of refreshing the UF football team and UF still receives a share of the profits from the beverage.

Related Topics:
University of Florida - Florida Legislature - 1905 - Lake City - Bartow - Gatorade - Beverage

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Terror struck residents of Gainesville in August 1990 when five students were found brutally murdered in their apartments over a three day period. After extensive investigation, Danny Rolling was charged with the murders and convicted in 1994. The murders attracted national attention and heightened awareness of security issues at the University of Florida and elsewhere. A monument to the victims now exists along Southwest 34th Street, including five palm trees in the median and a painted wall.

Related Topics:
August - 1990 - Danny Rolling - 1994

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