Troy, Florida

Troy, Florida
Map
Country United States
State Florida
CountyLafayette County
Settled1845

Troy is an abandoned town in Lafayette County, Florida, United States that served as its county seat. Just like Fort Fanning, Fort "McKoon" (Macomb), Branford, Luraville and Wilcox, it was built as a boat landing on the Suwannee River about nine miles upriver from Branford.[1][2] It was also known at times as Macintosh. According to one account, it was built between 1860 and 1862, so close to the water that the courthouse had to be moved a quarter of a mile because of flooding.[3] A second account says its log courthouse was built in 1857.[4]

Most of the town was burned in the chaos following the end of the Civil War. The first account says that the county records were lost, but the second contradicts this, saying that the local tax assessor and clerk of the circuit court hid them at his home.[1][4] A third account agrees that the county records were saved by being hidden in a corn crib.[5] The town was rebuilt a quarter of a mile away, named New Troy, and remained the county seat until the courthouse burned again and county governance was moved to Mayo in 1893.

  1. ^ a b Works Progress Administration, Historical Records Survey (September 1940). "History of Lafayette County by Guy M. McClain". State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Archived here: [1], [2], [3], [4],[5], [6], [7], [8], [9] at Archive Today, May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  2. ^ Roberts, Robert B. (1988). Encyclopedia of historic forts : the military, pioneer, and trading posts of the United States. Internet Archive. New York : Macmillan ; London : Collier Macmillan. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-02-926880-3.
  3. ^ Works Progress Administration, Historical Records Survey (September 1940). "History of Lafayette County by Guy M. McClain". State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Works Progress Administration, Historical Records Survey (1939). "History of Lafayette County". State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Mikell, Ira (January 19, 2006). "Local resident remembers Old Troy and New Troy". Valdosta Daily Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.