Live Oak Plantation, Florida

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Live Oak Plantation was originally a small cotton plantation of 1560 acres located in central Leon County, Florida, USA established by John Branch who arrived in Florida in 1832 and served as Florida Territorial Governor while living at Live Oak for 15 years.

1 Location
2 1860s
- 2.1 1860 Plantation specifics
3 1870s-1900s
4 Resources

[edit] Location

Live Oak was located in north central Leon County extending from the east shore of Lake Jackson to the western edge of Lafayette Township.

Gov. John Branch

[edit] 1860s

[edit] 1860 Plantation specifics

The Leon County Florida 1860 Agricultural Census shows that Live Oak Plantation had the following:

Improved Land: 820 acres
Unimproved Land: 260 acres
Cash value of plantation: $4000
Cash value of farm implements/machinery: $300
Cash value of farm animals: $2390
Number of slaves: 68
Bushels of corn: 2000
Bales of cotton: 73

[edit] 1870s-1900s

In 1870 the Case family of Pennsylvania purchased Live Oak Plantation. In 1887 the Cases' sold the plantation to Edmund H. Ronalds of Edinburgh, Scotland. Ronalds wintered at Live Oak and married Lisa Williams, daughter of Joseph John Williams of La Grange Plantation on November 21, 1891. In 1892 Lisa Williams Ronalds contracted and died from tuberculosis while in Scotland. Edmund died on March 17, 1895.

Live Oak Plantation was now larger and its borders extended eastward to Lake Hall, Lake Overstreet, and Lake Elizabeth.

Location and increaed size of Live Oak Plantation.

Edmund Ronalds' brother, Dr. Tennent Ronalds, gained ownership of Live Oak upon his brothers death. Though he did not practice medicine, Tennent attended the University of Edinburgh and University of Bonn. He spent his years as a sportsman enjoying hunting, fishing, and golf.

By 1903 Live Oak boasted a private golf course with a flock of sheep for maintenance of greens and fairways. Live Oak was also extended to 3226 acres (13 sq km) and had the first tung tree orchard in Florida. In 1903 an additional 2246 acres were leased from Ellen Call Long's Orchard Pond Plantation for use in hunting. In 1915 and 1916 Tennent Ronalds purchased Orchard Pond from the Long and Call families. Ronalds also purchased the James Kirksey Plantation.

Tennent Ronalds committed suicide on February 24, 1924. (C. Paisley)