News and Events

News and Events

60th Anniversary & Railroad Festival

Clay County Historical Society. May 9th 2026

Historical Triangle, 915 Walnut Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

Clay County Historical Society July 2026 General Meeting

Monday, 7/27/26

Guest – Robert A. Mattson; author, historian musician and re-enactor. Topic: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard bases and activities in northeast Florida in WW II

“Clay County Fallen Sheriffs “ Clay County Historical Society May 2026 General Meeting

Tuesday, May 26th, guests of the Clay County Historical Society enjoyed an informative and moving presentation by Bob Scallan of @orangeparkhistorytours about three of Clay County’s fallen sheriffs, right there in the upstairs courtroom of the historic courthouse where these men served their community. Mr. Scallan walked us through the tragic events that led to the deaths of Sheriff Josephus Peeler in 1894, Sheriff Charles Wilson in 1906, and Sheriff Theodore Cherry in 1913. These men all died in the line of duty. They sacrificed their own safety to ensure the safety of those around them. Last night’s presentation helped ensure they will never be forgotten. 💙

News 4 Jax 60th Anniversary & Railroad Festival

Clay County Historical Society. May 9th,  10 am – 4 pm.

Historical Triangle, 915 Walnut Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

GCS History Karen Rivers Williams Feb 2026

This is an oral history recorded for the Clay County Historical Society in Green Cove Springs, FL. Enjoy the recollections of Karen Rivers Williams as we explore Green Cove Springs as it used to be as she was growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Florida Book Fair – Clay County Celebrates History Through the Eyes of Local Authors.

Clay County Historical Society News,

Monday, March 23rd, 2026

Guest Speaker: Bree McGhee, Hibernia Historian

Topic: “The Remarkable Kathleen Mary Hyatt McKee” 

Presented by Clay County Historical Society

As always, the Clay County Historical Society welcomes visitors and new members. The Museum is open Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday from 2 until 5 p.m. and for tours of larger groups upon request.

Clay County Historical Society News, November 2025.

Tree Army: Life in the Civilian Conservation Corps

Guest Speaker: Ryan Worthington

Clay County Historical Society guest speaker Ryan Worthington speaks about Life in the (CCC) Civilian Conservation Corps. Filmed Monday, September 24, 2025, at the Historic Clay County Courthouse in Green Cove Springs, Florida.

On November 24th, the Clay County Historical Society hosted Ryan Worthington, Florida Master Naturalist and environmental activist. While his father was employed as a ranger at Mike Roess Goldhead Branch State Park, Ryan, as a child, recalled living in a house built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which is still standing.
The CCC, a federal program, was born in 1933 shortly after President Franklin Roosevelt took office.  The United States had an unemployment rate of 25% at the time. To preserve natural resources and provide employment for low-income single men aged 18 – 25, the CCC provided enrollees with food, lodging, medical care, education and job training. Wages were $30/month, of which $25 was sent home to help their family as the nation recovered from the Great Depression. Despite the hot weather and hard work, there were few deserters or dishonorable discharges in the CCC. They were able to attend classes, play ball, and participate in other leisure activities.  Company 2444, which built Goldhead Branch State Park, published a newspaper; the “Tent Town”, later renamed the “Pick and Spade”, after they moved from tents to buildings.  The newspaper had ads, announcements, jokes, camp updates and other news.
So, as tourism in Florida was gaining momentum, construction at Goldhead Branch began in 1935 and opened on April 15, 1939. Thousands of visitors flocked to the park on opening day. Company 2444’s ranks grew to around 200 total members until disbanded in March of 1941. Other CCC companies worked at Camp Blanding and an Army Reservation in Keystone.
Early efforts to build the park focused on recreation rather than conservation. The CCC cleared Gold Head of naturally occurring vegetation, removed or killed some native wildlife, and diverted the spring-fed stream, known as the “branch” to create a lagoon and waterfall to favor tourists over Mother Nature.  Structures built by the CCC are used today such as some of the cabins, the bathhouse, pavilions, the present-day ranger station, and picnic tables .

On January 31, 2026 from 10:00-3:00, plan to attend Yesterday’s Festival at Mike Roess Goldhead Branch State Park and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and traditions of the old days with activities for the whole family.  For more info call the ranger Station (352)316-4286. The event is free with park admission.

Visit the Clay County History Museum and Railroad Collection. It’s opened Fridays 10 – 1 and Sundays 2 – 5.

Clay County Historical Society News September 2025.

Life at the Jail but not in it.

Guest Speaker: Jim Corbin

Clay County Historical Society guest speaker Jim Corbin speaks about his early life growing up in and around the Clay County Jail in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Filmed Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Historic Clay County Courthouse in Green Cove Springs, Florida.

Clay County Historical Society News July 2025.

Uncovering the Past from the Fleming, Hotel and the Hibernia cemetery

Bree McGhee a local historian and private museum curator presents: Uncovering relics from the Fleming Hotel property and identifying the “unknown” buried in the Hibernia Cemetery. July 28, 2025 at Historic Courthouse in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Presented by the Clay County Historical Society.

Clay County Historical Society News May 2025.

“Soap, Style Sophistication: The Story of Club Continental” presented by Cindy Cheatwood; retired educator, historian and local author.

Cindy Cheatwood reveals the colorful history of Orange Park’s Club Continental in this presentation at the historic courthouse in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on May 27, 2025

Clay County Historical Society News March 2025.

Haunted Jail—Green Cove Springs, Florida

From Relic Rescue USA

Join me in a haunted jail tour in Green Cove Springs, FL. As you will see, my guide was both entertaining and dedicated to his craft. The historic jail (1894) has been maintained in remarkably good condition—given its age—and has become one of my favorite abandoned places to visit.

Many thanks to the Clay County Historical Society.

Clay County Historical Society News February 2025.

Naval activity on the St. Johns River during the Civil War

Watch Rob Mattson’s Presentation on YouTube

Clay County Historical Society News February 2025.

Florida History Book Fair

On February 17^th, the Clay County Historical Society and the Clay County Clerk of Court’s Archives Division sponsored a Florida History Book Fair in the historic 1890 courthouse.  Authors greeted visitors downstairs for book sales and signings while, in the beautifully restored courtroom, presentations were enjoyed.

The Glorious Victorians, such as Louisa Fatio and John Bowles as Leonidas Wade, were sighted in the crowd.

Outside, there was a scavenger hunt and an escape room in the 1894 Jail organized by Bob Scallan of Orange Park History Tours.

Clay County Historical Society News February 2025.

The History of Green Cove Springs: Looking Back 150 Years. Clay County Archivist and local historian, Vishi Garig presents the history of Green Cove Springs, Florida at the Clay County Library in Green Cove Springs, Florida on February 20, 2025.

Clay County Historical Society News November 2024.

Historical Marker Dedication

On November 18, the community was welcomed to a Historical Marker dedication on Old Church Road.  The Colonial Dames sponsored the beautiful marker to commemorate Hibernia, the homeplace of the Fleming Family, for whom Fleming Island was named.

On November 25, 2024, at the Clay County Historical Society General Meeting, Mr. Leonidis Wade, portrayed by the Honorable John Bowles, shared the story of the spring on his property near Doctors Lake.  After learning about the attributes of the bubbly water from his spring from a neighbor, he proceeded to, very profitably, bottle and dispense it to hotels in Green Cove Springs and St. Augustine.  As time passed, he returned to his successful law practice and married his secretary.  They are pictured in the Clay County Historical Society Museum seated at the desk that still graces the main room at the museum.

In other business, new officers were elected.  Steve Griffith will serve as President, John Bowles, Vice President, Bob Scallan, Secretary and Pat Sickles Garlinghouse, Treasurer.  Buttercup was presented as the new mascot for the society.

Call (904)284-9644 to schedule tours. The museum is open 2 -5PM on Sundays at the Clay

County Historical Triangle.

Clay County Historical Society meeting October 28th, 2024.

All about the Maple Leaf

On October 28, 2024, at the Clay County Historical Society General Meeting, the Executive Director of the Mandarin Museum and professor at JU, Brittany Cohill, discussed the excavation of a Union ship sunk in the St. Johns River by Confederate sympathizers from Clay County, led by Confederate Capt. E. Pliney Bryan and Sheriff Ahearn.  Attendees were captivated by the story of the Maple Leaf, a Canadian passenger steam ship that was being used by the U.S. Federal Government to transport troops and supplies during the Civil War.  It seems that some of the calvary troops were delivered to Jacksonville and others to Palatka as planned. However, for some reason, the return of the Maple Leaf to Jacksonville was suspiciously delayed.  About 4AM on April 1, 1864, on the Mandarin side of the river, an explosion from an underwater mine (like a torpedo), hidden in the calm dark river, shook the vessel and she sank in minutes.  Four freed men of color lost their lives but others were able to escape on survivor boats. All of the belongings and personal items of the Union troops, previously disembarked in Jacksonville, were lost to the murky depths of the river. The pilot of the boat, Romeo Murray, age 43, a freed man of color, provided, in his testimony, an account of what happened that night as read by Ms. Cohill. The site has been designated a National Historic Site.

 More than 100 years later, Dr. Keith Holland, a Jacksonville dentist, and his dive team located the sunken Maple Leaf. They found it loaded with artifacts that had been well preserved in an airless mucky underwater environment.  Ms. Cohill related the stories of some of the men associated with the ship and brought to life their very real stories. Preserved items from Dr. Holland’s excavation, estimated to be only about 1% of the ship’s contents, are on permanent loan from the Florida Department of State, and may be seen at the Mandarin Museum. The Mandarin Museum at 11964 Mandarin Road in Jacksonville is open Wednesday thru Saturday 10 – 4

Call (904)284-9644 to schedule tours. The museum is open 2 -5PM on Sundays at the Clay

County Historical Triangle.

THE STORY OF THE MAPLE LEAF

Watch “Brittany Cohill The Mapleleaf ” on YouTube

October 2024

Frank Canova Visited the Museum and Discovered a Piece of Family History

August 26th 2024

The History of Magnolia Lake State Park

On August 26, 2024, the Clay County Historical Society welcomed Robert Dews, a guest speaker and local historian, whose investigative skills discovered a little-known treasure in Clay County.

Having been told about a park for African Americans he explored topographical maps and queried local and state offices regarding its whereabouts to no avail. Finally, his persistence paid off.  He filed a public records request in Tallahassee and was charged .25 a page for 347 pages that included letters, financial reports, biennial reports, and other miscellaneous pages. But his suspicion about the park was confirmed and he was eager to explore the site. Originally, the 191-acre park featured 3,000 feet of lake frontage, a boat ramp, a dock, a swimming area, a bathhouse, and picnic pavilions.

Abandoned, but still there on Camp Blanding with a beautiful clear lake, it needed official recognition.  Dews enlisted the help of Camp Blanding officials and applied for a Florida Heritage Marker.  VIPs from Camp Blanding, Tallahassee, and local people including Maude Jackson attended the unveiling of the marker which now stands about a mile from the lake on State Road 21 not far from Mike Roess Goldhead Branch State Park. One day, on a chance encounter, she learned from another hiker that the location is, interestingly, on what is now recognized as the Florida National Scenic Trail. So, now, there is also a sign about a mile from the historic marker as you enter the old park to designate that.

Historically, in the 1950s Florida had the idea to create special parks for African Americans and 5 were opened. Goldhead Branch State Park, ten miles away was reserved for ‘whites only’, as the sister park of Magnolia Lake State Park for about 20 years until desegregation lawsuits and protests triggered the closure of the African American park. As Camp Blanding is a secure military base, the road to Magnolia is closed to traffic but not hikers.

The Florida National Scenic Trail from Putnam County to Goldhead State Park cuts a 6-mile loop into Camp Blanding around the lake where there is a new dock, pavilion, and boat ramp. The closest entrance, though, is near the marker off State Road 21 in Keystone Heights at the intersection of State Road 21 and Treat Road. It’s on the right when traveling south on State Road 21. If you decide to take the hike this fall as the weather cools off, don’t be discouraged, you will come to a small pond before you find the lake, but it is there.

June 24th 2024

What was it like on the St. Johns River in 1774?

At the Clay County Historical Society meeting on June 24, 2024, Dean Campbell, representing the Bartram Trail Society of Florida, accompanied Mike Adams, a conservation ecologist, researcher, educator, and author.

Attendees experienced time travel back to 1774 with Mr. Adams portraying William “Billy” Bartram.

In 1772, Dr. John Fothergill of London commissioned William “Billy” Bartram to explore the Florida territories. Since Billy and his father, John, had previously been to Flor­ ida in 1766, the territory was not completely foreign to Billy. Accompanied by about 80 others he started out in Philadelphia in 1773, exploring the Appalachians on horseback and recording the plants and wildlife including bison. As he approached the Florida territory, a boat with oars and sail was built for him. A guide, Jobe Wiggins, was engaged for the river adventure.

The audience was enthralled with Bartram’s exploits and vivid description of his en­ counters with (delicious) rattlesnakes, alligators (Chinese dragons) and Indians who called him Flower Hunter. He described villages along the river such as those around Palatka where there were several hundred acres in cultivation with corn and squash. There were long leaf pine trees and live oak hammocks with wild grape vines, some 12 inches in diam­ eter, so thick that rain and sunlight could not penetrate. His handy Bartram Bob, a feather and garter, was useful to catch fish such as the delicious yellow brim served with rice and orange juice on the banks of Lake George. One night a sneaky red wolf stole all the fish but meant Bartram no harm.

Bartram explored 8 sites in Clay County that will become the Bartram Trail in Clay County with the goal of forming a National Recreation Trail. In participation with other counties in northeast Florida and other states such as Georgia and Alabama, there will be a national corridor, similar to the Lewis and Clark Corridor.

People with local knowledge of the sites in Clay County where Bartram traveled are en­ couraged to become engaged to locate places he wrote about, especially the prongs of Black Creek and the trails of Jennings Forest where he hiked.

The kick off for Clay County’s efforts to develop a Bartram Trail here is planned for July at Camp Chowenwah. Check the Bartram Trail Society webpage https://bartramtrailsociety.corn/clay-county/ for further information.

April 22nd 2024

 Glass insulators emerged in the 1840s with the invention of the telegraph by Samual F. B. Morse. On May 24, 1844, Morse dispatched the first telegraphic message “What Hath God Wrought?” over an experimental line from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore.

” .– …. .- – / …. .- – …. / –. — -.. / .– .-. — ..- –. …. – ..–.. “

To prevent telegraph wires from falling down on wood and shorting out, especially in wet weather glass companies made insulators for the telegraph lines out of surplus material not suitable for tableware.  Most insulators were attached to the horizontal cross arm on a pole by being screwed onto threaded wooden pegs.  Then a tie wire attached to the insulator connected it to the communication wire. Some earlier insulators, however, were threadless and they are considered rare and more valuable as were the unusually beautiful ones displayed at the meeting.

Several of people at the meeting reported that they knew Morse Code and that it was needed in certain instances, even with today’s electronic communication.  Interestingly, in 1912, it was telegraph operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride who stayed at their post and were able to contact the Carpathia to help rescue those on the Titanic.

Barbara Craig was the winner of the door prize, a beautiful 1892 patterned glass insulator donated by Mr. Deriso.

For more information call (904)284-9644, e-mail info@claycountyhistoricalsociety.org, or visit www.claycountyhistoricalsociety.org