WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — Wakulla County turns 183 years old Wednesday. The county's story started with a petition signed by more than 50 residents.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Before March 11, 1843, what is now Wakulla County was part of Leon County.
That history stretches back even further. When the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821, the area was part of West Florida. Over the following years, the panhandle was divided and reorganized multiple times, cycling through Escambia, Jackson, and Gadsden counties before the territorial legislature created Leon County in 1824.
For the next 19 years, present-day Wakulla County remained part of Leon County.
Brent Thurmond, vice president of the Wakulla County Historical Society, described that history.
"We were in Spanish West Florida one year, Escambia County the next year, Jackson County the next year, Gadsden County the next year. And then in 1824, the territorial legislature again split off the eastern part of Gadsden County, and we were Leon, where we remained Leon so for many years. That was about 19 years that we were just part of Leon County. So the birthday of Wakulla, March the eleventh of 1843, is when the legislature did their next split," Thurmond said.
In December of 1842, residents of southern Leon County brought a petition to the territorial legislature, making the case for a new county. The Wakulla County Historical Society was recently made aware of the petition.
Andrea Carter, president of the Wakulla County Historical Society, described what the petition contained.
"This is a petition submitted by residents, then residents of Leon County, who lived in present day Wakulla County, and they petitioned the territorial legislature making a very strong case that they needed their own county. We needed a new county, Wakulla County," Carter said.
The petition laid out two key arguments for the separation.
The first was geographic. Residents in the southern parts of what would become Wakulla County said Tallahassee was simply too far away for everyday business and trade.
"One of the most fascinating things about it to me is, the first part of the petition, they explain that it's just too far to get to Tallahassee from the southern parts of Wakulla County for business or trade or that kind of thing," Carter said.
The second argument was economic. While Leon County was primarily agricultural, the petitioners envisioned a more commercial future for their region, driven by shipping activity along the coast.
"Leon County was primarily agricultural, and what they wanted to be Wakulla County was, at that time, commercial. There was a lot of shipping at our then capital, which became Newport, or Port Leon. And so they saw the difference in terms of how people made a living in the southern end of Leon County compared to the northern end of Leon County," Carter said.
Carter said many families of those who signed the petition still live in Wakulla County today.
Morris Brown is a descendant of one of the petitioners, John McLaughlan. ABC27's Serena Davanzo showed Brown the petition and explained to him how it helped separate Wakulla from Leon 183 years ago.
"It feels good. I mean, it's heritage. You know, my mother was born here, and my grandfather, and we're talking now about my great-grandfather, John McLaughlan. It just feels great to be part of history. You know, I'm not a big history buff, but I'm a big family buff. And I love, I love my family, and knowing that they did some good things in this county, like helping us become Wakulla County, outside of Leon County, that's great," Brown said.
What started as a petition of more than 50 names has grown into 183 years of Wakulla County pride.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
