Gainesville, FL

We drove to Gainesville, FL yesterday to deliver one of the scooters we sold on Ebay.  I have been there several times.  This time it seemed a little quieter but I am taking into account that it is the end of finals week and most of the students have headed home.  Gainesville is the largest city and the county seat in Alachua County, FL.  It is also home to the sixth largest campus in the U.S, the University of Florida.  Its population is 124,354 with a median income of $28,200 and a median age of 26.
12,000 years ago the Paleo Indians lived in Florida in what is currently Gainesville.  In the 7th century the Deptfod people migrated from southern Georgia and made it home.  They were dubbed the Alachua culture.  The "Law School Mound" on the Univeristy of Florida's campus is a burial mound built by the people of the Alachua culture.  Hernando De Soto and his army passed through Gainesville in August 1539 during the beginning of his four year expedition of what is now the southeastern U.S.  Small settlements popped up and due to the European diseases that they brought to the area began the demise of  the Native Americans who could not fight the diseases and its population was greatly reduced.
Gainesville was founded as a place where the Alachua County seat was to be placed, in 1853, after it became a proposed site for the Florida Railroad running from Cedar Key, FL to Fernandina Beach, FL.  Newmonsville was the county seat, at that time, and refused to give it up until the railroad re routed around it and in 1856 Gainesville became the the county seat for Alachua County.  The railroad was completed in 1859.  Gaineville was named for General Edmund P Gaines the commander of the U.S. Army troops in Florida during the beginning of the Second Seminole War.  Gainesville was incorporated in 1866 and then again in 1869 druing the "Reconstruction of Florida".  After the Civil War Gaineville prospered as an important cotton shipping facility.  Florida produced more Sea Island Cotton in the 1880s than any other state and Gainsville was the leading shipping point for cotton in Florida. Citrus also became a main crop until the late 1890s when most of the citrus crop was wipped out.   Gainesville was also a rough town after the Civil War and into the early 20th century.  Firearms were carried by everyone and gunshots were often heard at night where killings and serious injuries occurred frequently.  The University of the State of Florida was established in 1906 and opened with 136 students in attendance.  The school was renamed in 1909 to the University of Florida.
Last night was the dress rehearsal for Clay County Christmas.  It was a very long night.  The Inspirations are in the third act so we did not have to be there until 8:30 pm.  The dress rehearsal was running a little late and we did not get to our act until 10:00pm.  We got out around 11:30 last night.  It will be well worth it.  The live Nativity scene is truely amazing!  Tonight, Clay Christmas begins at 7:30 at Thrasher-Horn on the campus of St John's Community College.  It should be a success!