On this day in the Sunshine State …

1824 The United States Quartermaster Corps today signed contracts for the construction of a 16-foot wide roadway from Tallahassee to St. Augustine.  This road was part of the St. Augustine to Pensacola Road and the cost of the project was $13,500.

1858 Suwannee County, the thirty-fifth county in Florida, was established today.  The county is named for the famous river that flows through it.

1858 Bradford County, the 36th county in Florida, was established today as “New River County.”  On December 6, 1861, the name of the county was changed to honor Captain Richard Bradford, the first Florida officer killed in the Civil War. He died at the Battle of Santa Rosa Island on October 9, 1861.  The County seat is Starke. 

1915 A special election was held in Dade County and the City of Miami for the purpose of considering the question of the legal sale of alcohol.  The City of Miami’s residents voted to continue their “dry” status, while the rest of Dade County voted to become “dry.”  The term “dry” was used to describe a situation wherein the sale of liquor has “dried” up.