On this day in the Sunshine State …

1858 Clay County was created today as Florida’ 37th county.  The county is named for Kentucky’s Henry Clay, who served as Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams and who was a perennial presidential contender.  County Seat: Green Cove Springs.

1891 E. J. Triay assumed the office of Treasurer of the State of Florida today.  He would hold this position until succeeded by C. B. Collins on January 3, 1893.

1896 The oldest Florida Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, now the Daytona Chapter No. 1, was chartered today at Live Oak.

1945 Beth Kodesh Congregation, formerly the Miami Hebrew School and Junior Congregation, was founded today.

1973 Florida Tourism officials were predicting dire consequences for the state’s tourist industry as gas rationing was introduced following the Arab oil embargo.  Since most Americans were limited to about eight gallons a week, officials feared that the number of tourists in the Sunshine State would be extremely low in 1974.

* Starting Monday we will visit what happened in Florida during the Civil War on a day by day bases …