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Florida State...
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Florida Counties
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Florida Counties
In 1821, there were only two counties in Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the
east. From these two counties were formed 67 today. In 1968, the electors
of Florida granted local voters the power to adopt charters to govern their counties. Charters are formal
written documents that confer powers, duties, or privileges on the county.
To date, there are 19 charter counties in Florida. Collectively these
counties are home to more than 75 percent of Florida's residents.
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Baker County, Florida
Baker County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Macclenny
Year Organized: 1861
Square Miles: 585 |
Court House: 55 N. Third Street
County Courthouse
Macclenny, FL 32063-2101
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
James McNair Baker, Fourth Municipal District, Confederate
Senator.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
In 1861 by an act of the legislature, Baker County became the 39th county in Florida. The county was named for
Honorable James McNair Baker, former Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of the State of Florida.
The first county seat was located in Sanderson until February 1, 1886 when it was moved to Macclenny. Macclenny was
named after C.B. Macclenny, a big timber salesman. The town was incorporated April 11, 1887, and a revised map was
recorded on March 4, 1889.
Olustee Battlefield, a state historic site located in Baker County, is a memorial to the major engagement of the
Civil War in Florida. The battlefield, on U.S. 90 two miles east of Olustee, covers 270 acres.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the main businesses were: cattle raising, turpentining, lumbering, and
farming. Osceola National Forest has played an important roll in the economy of the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 589 square miles (1,525 kmē), of which, 585
square miles (1,516 kmē) of it is land and 4 square miles (10 kmē) of it (0.62%) is water.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Ware County, Ga.
- Northeast: Charlton County, Ga.; Nassau County
- East: Duval County
- Southeast: Clay County
- South: Bradford County
- Southwest: Union County; Columbia County
- Northwest: Clinch County, Ga.
Cities and Towns:
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- Glen St. Mary |
town |
Incorporated Area |
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- Macclenny
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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