A Bit of History
1827
Hamilton County
In 1827 Hamilton County was formed from a small portion of north-west Alachua County on the Georgia border.
1829
Moses Levy
In 1829 Moses Levy returned to his Pilgrimage settlement in Florida after spending several years in London and Europe. Upon his return Moses began to have renewed troubles with his sons Elias and David. The trouble started a few years earlier in 1827 when Moses, then in London, cut off funds to his sons and, without any other means of support, both sons in their father’s absence returned to Pilgrimage. Upon his return, Moses wanted his son David to become manager of Pilgrimage, but at this point whatever his father wanted, David rebelled against, and in 1829 David took a job as deputy clerk of the Alachua County Circuit Court. This was the beginning of a long career in politics for David Levy who was instrumental in Florida becoming a state and in 1845 was the first man of Jewish descent elected to the U.S. Senate. In December of 1845 David petitioned the Florida Senate to change his name to Daivd Levy Yulee with Yulee being his mother’s name. The Florida Senate passed the resolution making David Yulee the first and only man in Florida history to have his name changed by an act of the Legislature. After his brother Elias, who was residing in Georgia, heard the news he also changed his last name to Yulee.
John Fleming
In 1829 John Fleming, living in Alachua, signed a petition from the settlers in the Wanton area to the President of the United States about settler’s concern about Indian movements in the area.