THE ROAD TO THOMASVILLE

About 100 yards southwest lies the original roadbed from Tallahassee to Thomasville, Georgia. Running north-northeast across Leon County, it passed through the towns of Bradfordville and Iamonia. The road developed from existing trails and farm roads during Florida’s territorial period when planters in the region of Leon County bordered by Lakes Jackson, Iamonia, and Miccosukee used the labor of enslaved people to harvest the most cotton of any Florida county. In 1860, Leon County produced over 16,000 bales of cotton and 421,000 bushels of corn. Large roads such as Thomasville, Old Magnolia, Centerville, and Meridian were used to bring agricultural products from North Florida and South Georgia to Tallahassee. From there, goods could be transferred via the St. Marks Railway to the ports of St. Marks and Port Leon. During the Civil War, this transportation network was vital to the Confederate effort and was frequently patrolled. In 1915, the first national north-to-south automobile highway was announced. The route of that “Dixie Highway” included Thomasville Road. Eight years later, the state designated it as one of the first state roads and began work to straighten and improve the road.