CHAMBER HISTORY
A Short History of the
Suwannee Chamber of Commerce
By Eric Musgrove
Suwannee County has a long history of commerce , from the earliest American settlers to today . In 1824 , Ruben ( Reuben ) Charles established a ferry , inn , and trading post at what is now Charles Springs , the first known American commercial presence in what is now Suwannee County . The first 80 years of American settlement in Suwannee County was first one of pioneers , followed by the Civil War and Reconstruction , and finally by a boom in population and businesses as railroads , timber companies , and many other related activities open up Suwannee County to the masses .
Among the organizations that benefited from Suwannee County ’ s growth in the early 1900s ( when Live Oak was the fifth-largest city in Florida ) was the Live Oak Board of Trade , which had been established in or before 1908 . A precursor to the Chamber of Commerce , the Board of Trade encouraged further business development in Live Oak and Suwannee County by publishing a detailed brochure showing the many commercial , residential , and natural gems of the City and County . In 1908 , the president of the Board of Trade was R . E . McNeill , with W . L . Tedder and J . Walter Blume as vice-presidents and W . A . Edwards as the secretary . Although successful with the brochure , the Board of Trade was eventually renamed or replaced by a Chamber of Commerce , which carried out similar duties . It is likely the onset of World War I in 1914 , with America ’ s entry in 1917 , caused many of the men who had been instrumental in the Board of Trade / Chamber of Commerce to go overseas to serve their country .
By 1919 , World War I had ended and those who had served were now home , returning to their lives . The Chamber of Commerce existed in name only at the time , and a new membership campaign was begun . Within a month , the Chamber
The Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce continues to operate and expand within Suwannee County , assisting in the growth of business with the County .
recognized 225 members as a result of the campaign , with dues of $ 1 per month for those residing in the City of Live Oak and $ 0.25 for those residing outside of the city limits . The following year , the Chamber published a booklet showing attractions , opportunities , and resources in Suwannee County . Among the items mentioned was that Suwannee County had produced more pecans than any other county in Florida . In 1922 , the Chamber of Commerce moved its offices from Ohio Avenue into the Alimar Theatre on Howard Street . However , due to a variety of reasons , the Chamber of Commerce eventually disbanded .
In April of 1930 , the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce was organized at the Suwannee County Courthouse , after sponsorship by the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Live Oak and with the leadership of Howell Dale and Sheriff W . H . Lyle . The principal activity of the body was to “ ensue through a farm bureau division devoted wholely ( sic ) and energetically to the development of all lines of agriculture approved for the county ”. J . D . Henry was named president , C . J . Hackney was vice-president , and C . H . Tedder was secretary . Three committees were named : one for membership composed of D . W . Henry J . H . Hildreth , and Carl Allison ; another for finance under Fred Green , W . L . Tedder ( who had served on the original Board of Trade ), and B . W . Helvenston , Jr .; and the last for publicity under J . D . Henry , C . H . Tedder , and C . P . Helfenstein . The Chamber began strong , with the membership committee “ already busily engaged ” signing up members . However , the Chamber of Commerce appears to have eventually disbanded as well ; it is possible that the great number of men who went off to serve the country and rationing brought about during World War II had something to do with it .
In 1946 , a new Chamber of Commerce was organized at the Suwannee Hotel . The meeting determined that a permanent
22 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2022-2023