By Sue Blythe, founder of the Climate Collaboratory, and Mallory O'Connor, art historian and author with the Writer's Alliance of Gainesville. Special thanks to Willett Hancock and the Matheson History Museum for their assistance with this project.
With contributions from the Climate Collaboratory, Writer's Alliance of Gainesville, Institute for Learning in Retirement, the Interfaith Climate Group, and other community members
Produced by the Matheson History Museum
Foreword
The Matheson History Museum's mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Gainesville, Alachua County, and the surrounding regions. This exhibit was presented to us nearly fully formed and we were happy to lend our technical knowledge to bring it together and to return it back to the community by publishing it. Our regular visitors will recognize a distinctly different tone and presentation than our usual exhibits. This reflects the nature of this exhibit: it comes directly to you from the local community. Because of this, the information flows in new and interesting ways that go beyond the constraints of our other exhibits. It also reflects hours of labor and generosity from your community members. We invite you to take your time and appreciate the local artists and their works as you go through the exhibit.
INTRODUCTION
By Mallory O'Connor
In 2024, Alachua County celebrates its 200th anniversary. To acknowledge this significant occasion, Sue Blythe, with the Climate Collaboratory, and Mallory O’Connor, with the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, and with assistance from Willett Hancock with the Matheson History Museum, have organized an online exhibition that traces the environmental, social, and cultural changes that have occurred over the past 200 years. It provides a hopeful look at who is doing what in 2024, and a glimpse of a more sustainable, just, and peaceful future. (continued)
"Long before the Spaniards arrived in Florida, Alachua County's unique combination of fertile soil, broad prairies, clear lakes and abundant game had spawned a complex Indian Civilization called Timucuan. Throughout the sixteenth century Spanish explorers like DeSoto plundered the region, then Franciscan priests founded missions and finally ranchers established a large cattle ranch on Payne's Prairie. During the early 1700s the English and their Indian allies destroyed these missions and later the Seminole Indians made settlements around Micanopy.” (source)
The Great Alachua Savannah - Then ... and Now
“Born in Philadelphia in 1739, William Bartram was a homegrown American colonist and America’s first native-born artist-naturalist. He learned botany from his father, John, who instilled in him a love of the wilderness and a curiosity that verged on obsession. William is a transitional figure in the history of natural science writing: his roots were grounded in the European Enlightenment, but his view of nature as a grand and sublime expression of God’s handiwork linked him to the Romantic movement of the early nineteenth century… Bartram’s journal reaffirms his utter delight and fascination with the natural environment and his deeply spiritual commitment to the world of Nature.” (continued)
"Micanopy, founded in 1821, is the oldest inland town in Florida. In 1822, Moses Elias Levy, a Moroccan-born Sephardic Jew, became a surprising part of the small settlement’s story, migrating from Cuba to St. Augustine and setting his sights on Alachua County for an intended agricultural utopia. In addition to being a model of communal living, Levy’s wanted his project to serve as a refuge for Jews fleeing religious persecution in Europe." (source)
“Originally part of a Spanish land grant, Alachua County … was created in 1824 as a massive county, extending from the Georgia border to Tampa Bay… ("Alachua" is thought to be a Spanish corruption of the Timucuan word for "big jug.")” (source)
1824
For the next century, the original county experienced conflict among the European settlers and the indigenous and enslaved African populations. The Civil War brought an end to slavery, followed by Reconstruction, and oppression of the non-white people. The lumber industry and increasing population began to change the landscape. Trains brought new economic opportunities as well as the earliest carbon pollution. The telegraph enabled communication over long distances. Alachua County entered the 20th Century with a population of 82,000 people and segregated schools.
When Alachua County was founded in 1824, three cultures told different stories of its history.
White children in a one-room schoolhouse read and discussed Bartram’s Travels, published 30 years earlier. They compared Bartram’s description of the natural world in the area to their own experience. (photo source)
Seminole youth listen to their elders recount the traditional cultures of the Seminole, Timucua, and Potano tribes; the coming of the Spaniards with diseases that killed many of their people; the missionaries who tried to eradicate their language and culture; and the American politicians who wanted to take the land the tribes lived on. (photo source)
Enslaved Black children learned the history of their people from different cultures in Africa who were captured by Europeans and brought to America to be sold into slavery. They were deprived of their cultures and languages, and separated from their families. The spirituals sung by their elders gave them coded maps to the North and hope for freedom. (photo source)
The Bellamy Road is a significant part of Alachua County’s history. It was a federally funded road begun in 1824 to connect St. Augustine with Pensacola. John Bellamy was the engineer of the St. Augustine to Tallahassee section. It followed in the path of a Spanish trail called El Camino Real which connected several missions. There are remnants of the road around the County. Bellamy’s slaves built the road in extreme conditions including heat, humidity, insects, and torrential rains. It was completed in 1826 after delays from rain and attacks from local indigenous people.
Writer Sudye Cauthen, who grew up in Alachua, completed an oral history project about the people and places along the Bellamy Road. Barbara Gibbs took these photos to document traditional rural life on this road. (See more of Barbara Gibbs' photos)
1850
It was the land of plenty
So way back then
That there are not even a few
Who
remember when... (continued)
1858
With the coming of coal-powered trains, Alachua County entered the era of fossil-fuel pollution that later caused global warming and climate change.
“The Florida Railroad was the first railroad to connect the east and west coasts of Florida, running from Fernandina to [Waldo and to] Cedar Key. The line later became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and, where still in use, is operated by CSX Transportation and the First Coast Railroad. The highway corridor of SR 24 [Archer Road], US 301, and SR A1A/SR 200 closely parallels the former Florida Railroad.” (source)
1865
“During the Civil War, Gainesville served as a major Confederate Commissary and was the site of two battles, a skirmish on February 14, 1864, and a larger battle on August 17, 1864, in which J. J. Dickison routed superior Union forces to deter the Union occupation of North Florida.” (source)
Listen to The Battle Hymn of the Republic
1890
My Dearest Cousin Nancy,
I am overjoyed that you asked me to be a bridesmaid at your forthcoming nuptials. Mama and I chose the most elegant silk fabric for my dress; it’s a stunning shade of pink. Our dressmaker, Hattie, will get to work on it right away... (continued)
1900
Afloat, at bay, this trio are members of the Melrose Ladies’ Literary and Debating Club. Founded in 1893, the group is one of the nation’s oldest continuous women’s clubs. The meeting hall stands near Pine Street. According to the minutes, education was a key issue in a community where residences were named for women... (continued)
1910
My name is Kemet, but my friends call me “Tree” because I’d been working 19 years pulling turpentine pitch from the Florida-Georgia border down to Ocala. I was 13 the first time, as my Uncle Sammy “supervised” me while he also was pulling... (continued)
1912
Men in the foreground are tapping longleaf pines for sap to be distilled into turpentine. If you look closely near the center of the image, you will see in the distance a man on horseback. The rider is likely a guard who carries a gun with which to shoot any worker who attempts to flee... (continued)
1925
Five years after the 19th amendment legally guaranteed American women the right to vote, the first woman enrolled at the University of Florida.
"Lassie Goodbread-Black, 20 years ahead of her time, marched up to the UF registrar in September 1925 and demanded her spot in the fall semester. At the time women were not allowed to enroll at UF if the same courses were offered at the Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee." (source)
1930
“The Center for Latin American Studies was established as the Institute of Inter-American Affairs on June 2, 1930, making the University of Florida home to the oldest research center on Latin America in the United States. Since then, the Center has continued to grow its excellence in academic programs and exchange between the Americas, thanks to its extraordinary students, faculty, alumni, and staff.” (source)
O’Leno State Park is one of the oldest state parks in Florida. The historic buildings and bridge were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. At least one resident (from Micanopy) worked on O'Leno in the CCC, with an African American crew. Attempts to integrate the CCC camps were met with strong public opposition so FDR, a political pragmatist, continued the program yet with segregated camps.
Kathleen Pagan relates her experiences with the CCC in Florida.
1940
I was happy growing up on the farm. Sometimes I imagined going away to college, but I was mostly satisfied with my life as it was. And, after my chores were done, I was free to explore... (continued)
1942
In the sweltering heat of a sticky Florida summer afternoon, an old, weathered postcard fell from a book onto the floor of Amelia’s grandparents’ attic. The postcard, yellowed by time, bore the title “A Beautiful Tobacco Plantation in Florida.” The image depicted an expanse of lush, green fields under a clear, azure sky, rows upon rows of tobacco plants stretching into the horizon, taller than Amelia stood herself... (continued)
1945
Tung trees (Aleurites fordii) are fast-growing deciduous trees native to China and Vietnam. They’re grown for their nuts, which contain high-quality, quick-drying oil used in lacquers, varnishes, paints, linoleum, resins, and other things. During World War II, the Chinese used tung oil for motor fuel... (continued)
1955
A clean beach, quiet waves, a clear sky,
that’s how it used to be, the seas so stable
for a thousand years it seemed, reeds
swaying softly in the breeze. I saw my
granddaughter’s first toe-touch to the surf (continued)
1959
In 1959, Daphne Duval Williams was the first Black woman to enroll at UF. “Although segregation laws were not put to rest until 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, Williams was a pioneer in efforts to desegregate higher education, including UF. She enrolled through the College of Education and became the first Black woman to graduate from UF. Years following her enrollment, UF went on to admit its first Black undergraduates…” (source)
1960's
Angela Terrell graduated in 1964 from Lincoln High School, a thriving, nurturing Black school in East Gainesville. Ronnie Nix was in the last graduating class in 1970, when Lincoln High School was closed and students were sent to White schools. Their experiences were vastly different.
1962
Dear Citrus Farmers and Farm Workers. Thank you. You put your shoulders to the wheel of agriculture, lives spent in repeated cycles of plant and nurture, harvest and market. You picked yourselves up after hurricanes, battled diseases and continued to paint Florida orange... (continued)
1972
"The year 1972 was a turning point for water in the United States. People began to grasp that sewage-filled bays, massive fish kills, and flaming rivers were not the inevitable costs of progress—but the avoidable consequences of weak or non-existent pollution controls. The year saw some of the most significant environmental laws in American history, including the U.S. Clean Water Act and Florida’s Water Resources Act. The results, which took decades, were dramatic. Floridians could kayak in Escambia Bay, which once set records for fish kills. They could swim in Biscayne Bay, previously dubbed “the rose bowl” for the swirl of pink sewage tourists could see from the hotels. Vanished seagrasses returned to many waters, along with the animals that rely on them." (continued)
1976
Kathy Tuttle leaned back, enjoying the sunset, the smell of the horses, the creaking of the webbed folding chair. She gazed at the Bicentennial Conestoga wagon and thought about the other 49 covered wagons making their way across the country. They would converge at Valley Forge, PA, not far from Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence had been signed on the Fourth of July, two hundred years ago... (continued)
1995
The United Nations Association of Gainesville hosted 5 residents to share their experience at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. (more info)
The event was held at the Gainesville Woman’s Club, which was named a historical site in 2021. (more info)
Gainesville Woman’s Club - Drawing by Terrence Ho
2000
EarthQuest! The Challenge Begins
In the year 2000, Alachua County Waste Management sponsored a traveling exhibit at FLMNH. Fourth-graders walked into the mouth of Toxicus, the Garbage Monster, through a tunnel of garbage into a life-sized video game where they could earn points to conserve energy and natural resources in order to save the world for future generations. After several months, the staff packed the exhibit, “EarthQuest: The Challenge Begins,” into a tractor-trailer and moved to the next museum on its tour.
“Our Energy Future” is a permanent hands-on exhibit to explore ways to conserve energy at home. “Our Energy Future is full of tips about reducing energy use at home and hands-on activities. Learn about alternative energy sources, the rooftop solar array that powers part of the Museum and more. Bring the entire family to experience this fun and engaging exhibit.”
See the Florida Museum of Natural History website (here)
Photo courtesy of Florida Museum and Jeff Gage
I became aware of the draft Earth Charter in 2018 and watched the final stages of polishing the poetic language of the final document for launch at the Peace Palace in the Hague in 2000.
“Crafted by visionaries 25 years ago, the Earth Charter is a document with sixteen principles, organized under four pillars, that seek to turn conscience into action. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.” (source)
2013
In 2013, the Baha’i-inspired Interfaith Climate Group initiated a climate conversation in Alachua County, hosting panel discussions, presentations, workshops, movie nights and skits. They currently host a monthly faith-based climate conversation, Building Community in a Changing Climate. Co-founder Sue Blythe tells the story.
2015
Imagining Climate Change
“The Imagining Climate Change initiative at the University of Florida engages scientists, artists, humanists, educators, students, and the public in the vital work of imagining our collective climate futures. Since 2015, ICC has sponsored or co-sponsored more than sixty colloquia, lectures, performances, readings, and film screenings on the UF campus and in the wider Gainesville, Florida, community, featuring internationally-renowned activists, creators, researchers, and scholars who represent a wide range of inventive responses to planetary environmental crisis and injustice. Working in collaboration with departments and programs from across the University and with local community groups and activists, the initiative has fostered interdisciplinary dialogue and reached diverse audiences in search of meaningful stories to tell and things to do in the face of climate calamity.” (continued)
2016
Interfaith World House Climate Justice Conversation
In 2016, members of the Interfaith Climate Group, UF/IFAS Sustainable Floridians, and the Unitarian Universalists of Gainesville introduced the concept of an Interfaith World House Climate Justice Conversation to the Martin Luther King Commission of Florida. (continued)
Saving My Alachua Environmental Art Contest Recognition
"The contest was open to all K-12 students in Alachua County, including homeschoolers, and encourages students to create artwork depicting their passion for the environment. Their artwork addressed many environmental topics including water conservation, stormwater pollution, natural habitat protection, wilderness and wildlife protection, and proper disposal of toxic waste. Ribbons are awarded for the first, second, and third place in each k-8th grade category, and a High School category." (source)
EARTH TO FLORIDA
“We fulfill our mission by hosting compelling public programs, developing thoughtful digital outreach campaigns, providing science communication training to scientists and communications professionals and connecting scientists with K-12 teachers and students.” (source) (more information)
Gainesville Declares State of Emergency with Climate Proclamation
The city of Gainesville followed the lead of over 1,200 other communities in a climate change decision: Gainesville has declared a state of emergency.
Gainesville City Commissioners voted unanimously on the decision to adopt a climate emergency proclamation. The climate emergency movement urges cities and communities to make carbon footprint reduction a priority.
The climate state of emergency decision encourages the city government to look at ways to reduce Gainesville’s carbon emissions, with the end goal being zero percent. Commissioner Helen Warren led the commissioners to this decision.
"I recognize that there are things that are important to get done in the next 10 years because after that point, there will be things that will be lost with our environment and the health of our planet that are going to impact our everyday lives, the social impact of the people who have the least are going to be hit the hardest," Warren said. (watch here)
2020
Earth’s Forecast: Hurricanes and Climate Change
Displayed at the Florida Museum in 2020, this exhibition offers a scientific overview of Florida’s trademark weather phenomena including information on their formation, naming, categories, and hurricane seasons around the world. Charts and graphics illustrate the facts about climate change-related hurricane trends, while historic and satellite images showcase six historic Florida hurricanes. (learn more)
Image courtesy of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
75th Anniversary of the United Nations
The United Nations Association of Gainesville hosted its annual UN Day celebration on Zoom: “The Future We Want; The United Nations We Need”
Topic: “International Peace” International peace begins with peacebuilding in the local community, schools, prisons, law enforcement. (more information)
2021
Xanadu’s Cavern
By Mallory O’Connor
For thirty years, Epiphany Mayall has worked as a psychic medium in the small Spiritualist community of Watoolahatchee, Florida. But when Piers Waldon, a renowned cave diver and environmental activist, goes missing, Epiphany is asked by her friends, artist Alexa Destin and nature photographer Jason Winters, to help find him. His disappearance coincides with a fight between local environmentalists and Dennis Martin, an Australian developer who wants to build an up-scale subdivision and golf course on 2500 acres adjacent to fragile springs and caves along the Watoola River in Florida. Epiphany suspects foul play, but there’s nothing to connect the diver to the developer. (continued)
2022
The Big Story
Setting the stage for Alachua County's Bicentennial Climate Story, youth and elders from Star Center Theatre tell the Big Story of life on Earth, and at this critical moment in Earth's history.
The Climate Conversation Show at Star Center Theatre
High schoolers performed five original songs on Planet - People - Partnerships - Peace - Prosperity, written by 16-year-old Caleb Little Thomas. Middle schoolers presented skits and elementary students danced for a better future. High schoolers interviewed local climate leaders, launching the year-round Climate Conversation in Action.
2023
Roland Fisch with Climate Reality Project/Gainesville and Sue Blythe with Elders Climate Action/Florida invited neighbors at O'Leno State Park to join the climate conversation in action.
2024
"Day Dreaming" captures the beauty of a sunlit field brimming with yellow, orange, and pink flowers, set against a wispy, cloud-streaked sky of crystal blue. This piece reflects a personal journey through time and transformation, with each bloom representing stages of growth and self-discovery. The gentle motion of clouds above mirrors the ever-shifting yet grounding nature of daydreams, offering a retreat for reflection and imagination. "Day Dreaming" is both a celebration of nature's simplicity and a peaceful escape, providing a serene space for quiet reflection within the calm and vibrant landscape. By Teralyn Legall.
Song by Tammy Ann Murray (below)
The congregation at Temple Shir Shalom in Gainesville addresses social and environmental issues. Ellen Siegel, Chair of their Climate Action Team, explains.
Betsy Riley, Sustainability Manager at Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, describes her family’s experience with Hurricane Helene.
Betsy Riley, Alachua County Sustainability Manager, invited the schools to display student science projects at the County Climate Summit in November 2024. While there was initial interest, a decision was made not to spend student time on climate issues. That decision may have resulted from a recent state policy to eliminate climate science from textbooks.
Betsy Riley shares how equity is addressed in the Climate Action Plan. It’s a first step at addressing the issue systematically.
“‘Eleven’ is a poignant art piece that captures the interplay of pain and joy through vibrant shades of turquoise and swirling tangerine orange. This striking piece embodies the tumultuous emotions surrounding loss, with the powerful words “There is pain and happiness” woven across the canvas, reflecting the artist’s journey after the loss of their brother. A delicate butterfly symbolizes life and transformation, while scattered stars represent wishes and hope for the future. Together, these elements invite viewers to explore the complex relationship between grief and healing, ultimately celebrating the resilience of the human spirit.
Artwork by Teralyn Ann Legall
I heard them before I saw them—their distinctive plaintive cries wafting like a wave across the dry grass of my neighbor’s pasture. I stopped to watch, leaning on the fence rail.... (continued)
All my life I equated democracy with freedom. The freedom to make choices; wear what I wanted; go where I wanted; the freedom to be me. My dad retired after 27 years of Army active duty as a Lt. Colonel in 1975. He enlisted at the end of World War II, got the GI Bill, and fought as a commanding officer in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He risked everything for me to live free... (continued)
My Story in Song
Sue Blythe looks back on a lifetime of learning to teach peace on and with the Earth.
The Travelling Canary in Alachua County is a coffee table book, art book, memoir, and history of life in Gainesville, Alachua County, FL, USA. The book is divided into eight sections with thirty to fifty drawings each. The author was born in Gainesville and lived there for most of his life. The 286 drawings in this book were drawn from life between 2016 and 2024, chosen to represent as much of the county in its 200th anniversary year. Many historic and natural sites are included, chronicling the many changes in the county across the years. (see more of Terrence Ho's work)
OUR WATER. OUR FLORIDA.
A Water Ethic for Florida
By Cynthia Barnett
Our Florida. Our Future. is a multiyear effort to envision the future of Florida. It includes three major thrusts: develop a scenario planning process, reach at least 4 million Floridians in this discussion, and support both the scenarios and the civic engagement efforts with appropriate research, data collection and policy papers. Visit OurFloridaOurFuture.org.
“Vote Solar is proud to honor outstanding energy justice heroes with the Dr. Espanola Jackson Energy Justice Award (formerly the Solar Justice Award). The award celebrates the legacy of a tireless community and environmental justice leader, Dr. Espanola Jackson, by recognizing Black, Indigenous, and leaders of color representing organizations that are working at the local community or state level… These award recipients serve as models of environmental justice leadership and inspire us all to work toward a just clean energy transition. In giving this award, Vote Solar aims to honor the critically important role of community-based activism by people of color in driving environmental progress and to increase visibility for the remarkable work of individual leaders.” (source)
Fiction connects readers with reality of climate change: A new literary genre dubbed 'cli-fi' focuses on the potential consequences of climate change. (link to article)
by Mallory M. O’Connor
"End Climate Change"
Young people at Star Center Theatre harmonize in an original song written for the Climate Collaboratory’s musical storytelling adventure. Their song is a call for awareness and climate action. We must each do our part! (Listen to the Star Youth sing “End Climate Change!”)
Learn how you can be part of our collaborative storytelling adventure, “On the Road to 2030, 2050, and Beyond.”
Community Voices, Informed Choices (CIVIC) is a Florida A&M and University of Florida IFAS Extension program that helps communities address complex issues. Through deliberative discussions and town hall meetings, CIVIC activities provide information and engage community members in discussing contentious issues that require community-scale solutions. (more information)
"With this painting, I aimed to capture the intense feeling of being out in the heat, reflecting the steadily rising temperatures we've experienced over the years. Spending time outside, especially during Florida's summer, can be exhausting as you struggle to stay cool and avoid melting under the relentless sun. With no deal in sight to cut down on fossil fuels anytime soon, it seems this will continue to be our new reality."
Quote and Painting by Stephanie Perez
Ten-year-old Faith Turner shared an Earth Charter quotation on peace and sang "Stand Up" for Peace at the UNITY in COMMUNITY event hosted by the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding at Bo Diddley Plaza on November 18, 2024. (Listen to the performance here)
Nkwanda Jah, Roberta Gastmeyer, and Ellen Siegel admire a graphic story by Destiny Henderson, with the Cultural Arts Coalition's Environmental Ambassadors program. In her story, solar power knocks out climate change, people promote green jobs and replace old appliances with energy-saving appliances in people's homes. This is the story of Project EMPOWER (see more)
My two songs are based on my life's experiences as an Alachua County resident. "People Are Like Wildflowers" expresses my mother's loving words to me (when I was a young child) to explain what death is and give important life lessons to me in a way a child would understand when my Mama was hospitalized and almost died at Gainesville's Shands. (listen here)
Alachua County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)
Helen Warren, Chair of the Alachua County Community Organizations Active in Disaster, explains how people of faith and goodwill can provide a network of support before and after extreme weather events in a changing climate. Sue Blythe, a co-founder of the Interfaith Climate Group, shares her experience connecting individuals in need with those who can help.
Near the community garden in Southwest Gainesville, young people dig up the Time Capsule buried two centuries earlier, in 2024. They find a letter from Gramma Sue Blythe explaining the project, and Letters to the Future from the kids at Keep Alachua County Beautiful’s after-school program. (continued)
On April 3, 2024, the Sage in Gramma Sue Blythe visited an after-school program with Keep Alachua County Beautiful and the Southwest Gainesville Advocacy Group.
She introduced the Global Goals Treasure Hunt, based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The children described actions they could take now to help make a better future, like recycling, planting community gardens, and being kind to each other. (continued)
“On the Road to 2030, 2050, and Beyond” with the Climate Collaboratory
In our collaborative storytelling adventure, fictional characters invite real people to become part of Alachua County’s Climate Story. Youth and elders partner to empower young people -- and those who care about their future -- to make the change they want to see in the world.
Our imaginary Climate Caravan visits small and large towns in Alachua County, inviting people of faith and goodwill to join the growing network of real-world Community Organizations Active in Disaster. Members support the Alachua County Emergency Management in preparing for and responding to natural disasters in a warming climate.
Credits:
Matheson History Museum, Sue Blythe, Mallory O'Connor, Willett Hancock