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Alachua County History

Prepared by Ben Pickard
Alachua County Historic Trust
Matheson Museum, Inc.



Historical Overview

Long before the Spaniards arrived in Florida, Alachua County's unique combination of fertile soil, broad prairies, clear lakes and abundant game had spawned a complex Indian civilization called Timucuan. Throughout the 16th century, DeSoto and other Spanish explorers plundered the region, then Franciscan priests founded missions and finally ranchers established a large cattle ranch on Paynes Prairie.

18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Postwar Era | Since 1970 | Significant Dates | Larger Historic Towns
Small Historic Towns | Significant Homes | Significant Buildings | Significant Sites | Historical Figures


Postwar Era

The postwar era brought Alachua County a tremendous population growth and economic expansion. The influx of thousands of veterans seeking an education transformed both the university and Gainesville. The university expanded to more than 9,000 students, then admitted women in 1947 and built a medical school in the next decades. By 1970, the university had a student body of 23,000.

By the end of the century, the university: 

  • would enroll 44,000 students,   
  • be admitted to the prestigious Association of American Universities,   
  • become one of the major research institutions in the South, and   
  • win the national championship in football in 1996.




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