the scenic Suwannee River , touting honeymoon suites and ecotourism long before the word existed . This surge in tourism , coupled with the expansion of various businesses , made Live Oak the fifth-largest city ( and largest inland city ) in Florida in 1905 . An idea of Suwannee County ’ s status in Florida can be shown by the likes of Thomas Dowling , W . J . Hillman , and George E . Porter , who were some of the very first automobile owners in the entire state . Suwannee County was also producing a great portion of Sea Island cotton harvested in the United States . This phenomenal growth slowed due to the destruction of the cotton crop by boll weevils , opening of coastal resorts further south , and a realization that the waters of the local springs did not have all the claimed health benefits .
The Advent Christian Village , often touted as Florida ’ s first retirement community , was founded in 1913 on the banks of the Suwannee River at Dowling Park for orphans and “ old and worn out preachers ”. Centered on land donated by Thomas Dowling for an Advent Christian campground , the Village received its first orphans in 1913 and its first retirees in 1914 . The Advent Christian Village , greatly expanded , continues today as a progressive retirement center with all the opportunities of a small town , including stores , restaurants , medical services , churches , a library , and fire rescue services .
By the 1920s , Suwannee County was one of the largest producers in Florida of tobacco , cotton , peanuts , corn , hogs , and pecans . Suwannee County had some political firsts during this decade . Cary Hardee became the first governor of Florida from Suwannee County in 1920 . During his tenure , Florida had huge growth that led to the formation of several new counties , including Hardee County named in his honor . Hardee established a state highway system , the state park system , erected several state memorials , and ended the convict lease system . In 1924 , Live Oak elected the first female mayor south of the Mason-Dixon Line after universal suffrage . Mrs . Ruby Strickland had formerly served as postmistress of Dowling Park , and she would serve two terms as mayor of Live Oak .
The Great Depression began in 1929 , and impacted Suwannee County just like the rest of the United States . The rural nature of the county meant that there were no widespread shortages of food , as the numerous farmers simply lived off their lands . The coming of President Franklin D . Roosevelt ’ s New Deal Programs brought additional work into Suwannee County as new roads , schools , and other public buildings were constructed .
World War II saw the true end of the Great Depression , and Suwannee County ’ s citizens went off to war like the rest of the country . Women and children filled in for the fifty to
seventy percent of Suwannee County ’ s farmhands who enlisted . Rationing was instituted around the country to assist the war effort , and the remaining citizens of Suwannee County worked to defeat the enemy in their own ways . Families waited patiently for news of their loved ones , news that sometimes reported their deaths or status as missing in action . A memorial honoring Suwannee County ’ s war dead is located in downtown Live Oak at the aptly named Veterans ’ Park .
The postwar economy boomed for Suwannee County in the late 1940s and 1950s . The Suwannee County Hospital was constructed in 1948 , the first hospital in the nation constructed under the Hill-Burton Act of 1948 . Additional public buildings were completed , including a library , coliseum , recreation center , armory , and several schools , roads , and bridges . One of the bridges , the Hal Adams Bridge to Mayo completed
Courthouse , Early 1900s
18 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2021-2022