St. Johns County FL Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Christine Mitchell

Interviewer: Martin Richardson Person Interviewed: Christine Mitchell Location: Saint Augustine, Florida Age: 84 Occupation: Field Worker An interesting description of the slave days just prior to the War Between the States is given by Christine Mitchell, of Saint Augustine. Christine was born in slavery at Saint Augustine, remaining on the plantation until she was about 10 years old. During her slave days she knew many of the slaves on plantations in the Saint Augustine vicinity. Several of these plantations, she says, were very large, and some of them had as many as 100 slaves. The ex-slave, who is now 84 … Read more

Slave Narrative of Edward Lycurgas

Interviewer: Pearl Randolph Person Interviewed: Edward Lycurgas Location: Jacksonville, Florida “Pap tell us ‘nother story ’bout do war and ’bout de fust time you saw mamma.” It has been almost 60 years since a group of children gathered about their father’s knee, clamoring for another story. They listened round-eyed to stories they already knew because “pap” had told them so many times before. These narratives along with the great changes he has seen, were carefully recorded in the mind of Edward, the only one of this group now alive. “Pap” was always ready to oblige with the story they never … Read more

Early Exploration and Native Americans

De Soto and his band gave to the Choctaws at Moma Binah and the Chickasaws at Chikasahha their first lesson in the white man’s modus operandi to civilize and Christianize North American Indians; so has the same lesson been continued to be given to that unfortunate people by his white successors from that day to this, all over this continent, but which to them, was as the tones of an alarm-bell at midnight. And one hundred and twenty-three years have passed since our forefathers declared all men of every nationality to be free and equal on the soil of the North … Read more

Kaemming, Carson, Jr. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Carson Kaemming Jr., 18, of Cheney, Wash., died Oct. 22, 2004, from injuries received in an automobile accident at Cheney. His funeral was today at Cheney Funeral Chapel in Cheney. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Carson was born on March 30, 1986, at St. Augustine, Fla. He moved to Cheney, Wash., with his family in 1987 and lived at Cheney and Ritzville where he attended school and worked at Zips restaurant in both communities. Survivors include his father, Carson Kaemming Sr. of Spokane,Wash.; his mother, Sharon Kaemming of Four Lakes, Wash.; … Read more

Indian Wars of Carolina – Previous to the Revolution

When the English settled in South Carolina, it was found that the State was inhabited by about twenty different tribes of Indians. The whites made gradual encroachments without meeting with any opposition from the Indians, until the latter saw that if these advances were continued, they would be completely driven from their country. A struggle was immediately begun, in which the colonists suffered so much from the number and fury of their enemies that a price was fixed upon every Indian who should be brought captive to Charleston, from whence they were sold into slavery for the West Indies. The … Read more

Slave Narrative of Dave Taylor

Interviewer: Jules A. Frost Person Interviewed: Dave Taylor Location: Tampa, Florida A Marine In Ebony From a Virginia plantation to Florida, through perils of Indian war-fare; shanghaied on a Government vessel and carried ’round the world; shipwrecked and dropped into the lap of romance – these are only a few of the colorful pages from the unwritten diary of old Uncle Dave, ex-slave and soldier of fortune. The reporter found the old man sitting on the porch of his Iber City shack, thoughtfully chewing tobacco and fingering his home-made cane. At first he answered in grumpy monosyllables, but by the … Read more

Straight, David Duane – Obituary

Union, Oregon David Duane Straight, 63, of Jacksonville, Fla., and formerly of Union and La Grande, died Nov. 3 in Jacksonville. Following cremation, his ashes will be returned to Alaska in the spring. Mr. Straight was born April 21, 1943, to H. David and Dorothy Anne Straight. He was raised in Union and lived in La Grande while attending college. He graduated from Southwestern Oregon Community College with two degrees in 1969 and married Joyce Marie Emmons in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 8, 1972. He lived and worked in Alaska for 35 years before retiring to Portland. He later moved … Read more

Memoirs of Nathaniel Folsom

I will here present to the reader the memoirs of Nathaniel Folsom the oldest of the three brothers who cast their lot in their morning” of life among” the Choctaws, and became the fathers of the Folsom House in the Choctaw Nation, as related by himself to the missionary, Rev. Cyrus Byington, June, 1823, and furnished me by his grand-daughter Czarena Folsom, now Mrs. Rabb. “I was born in North Carolina, Rowan County, May 17th, 1756. My father was born in Massachusetts or Connecticut. My mother was born in New Jersey. My parents moved to Georgia, and there my father … Read more

Hamilton, Ralph – Obituary

Tuesday morning the body of Ralph Hamilton arrived from a Florida Camp, he too, dieing from pneumonia following an attack of Spanish Influenza. Ralph left in June with a quota of Wallowa County boys for Benson Polytechnic School, Portland, for special training for the army. He was stationed in the Remount Depot near Jacksonville, Florida. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday from the Methodist church. The funeral services were conducted by the Knights of Pythias and the members of the state militia from Enterprise. Our boys are going one by one and we realize the prices of war all the more … Read more

Biography of James Lotan

James Lotan was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1843, and is of Irish descent, his father John Lotan, having been born in Ireland and emigrated to America in 1840. Until his twelfth year young Lotan attended the public schools of his native city. He then became an apprentice to the machinist trade in his uncle’s shop. After acquiring a full knowledge of his trade he went to Jacksonville, Florida, where with an elder brother he was employed until the war of the Rebellion began, when he returned home, and a few months thereafter, in May 1861, enlisted for two … Read more

Macapiras Indians

Macapiras Tribe, or Amacapiras Tribe. Meaning unknown. A small tribe which was brought to the St. Augustine missions in 1726 along with some Pohoy, and so apparently from the southwest coast. There were only 24, part of whom died and the rest returned to their old homes before 1728.

St. Johns County Florida Cemetery Records

Florida Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the Florida county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. St. Johns County Cemetery Records Hosted at St. Johns County, Florida USGenWeb Archives Barnes Cemetery Hugenot Cemetery Julington Creek Cemetery Our Lady of Good Council Cemetery Old Spanish Cemetery St. Johns County Cemetery Records Hosted at St. Johns County Florida FLGenWeb Huguenot Cemetery Old Spanish Cemetery Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Cemetery St. Augustine National Cemetery, Partial

Timucua Tribe

Timucua Tribe, Timucua Indians. The principal of the Timucuan tribes of Florida. The name is written Timucua or Timuqua by the Spaniards; Thimagoa by the French; Atimaco, Tomoco, etc., by the English. They seem to be identical with the people called Nukfalalgi or Nukfila by the Creeks, described by the latter as having once occupied the upper portion of the peninsula and as having been conquered, together with the Apalachee, Yamasee, and Calusa, by the Creeks. When first known to the French and Spanish, about 1565, the Timucua occupied the territory along middle St John River and about the present … Read more

Fresh Water Indians

The Fresh Water Tribe, also known as “Agna Dulce,” refers to the inhabitants of several towns in eastern Florida between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. These towns included Anacape, Antonico, Maiaca, and several others, although not all native names have been preserved. This region’s history mirrors that of other Timucua provinces, with notable events including Ponce de Leon’s arrival in 1513 and the establishment of Spanish missions in the 17th century. The population saw a rapid decline following early conversions to Christianity. By 1602, 300 individuals from this district had been Christianized or were under instruction.