Destination Dixie Crossroads! A little background for your visit: A Brief History of Early Titusville

---

The Armed Occupation Act that followed the second and bloodiest Seminole Indian War granted any family 160 acres of land south of the Palatka-Gainesville Line, provided it would hold land for seven years and defend it against the Indians. This act opened up the Indian River area to settlers and confined remaining Seminoles to the Everglades. One year before Florida was to become a state, Brevard County was created by the Territorial Council March 18, 1844. By 1860, the population was 1,466 including much of present Indian River and St. Lucie Counties. At the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, more settlement ensued. Those Whites and Blacks migrated into the area to hew homesteads out of the palmetto and saw grass, many using those same palmettos to build crude shacks for shelter. In 1879, the southern part of Volusa County was added to Brevard and soon after, Titusville was settled as the county "Seat" or "Site." The area along the Indian River was described in 1899: "its romantic scenery, its superb fishing, hunting, and yachting, its unexcelled fruits, its delightful climate all combine to make it the mecca of the tourist, whether they come for health or for pleasure."

And come they did - by the northwardly flowing St. Johns River from Jacksonville to Enterprise. From there they crossed to LaGrange by a smaller flat-bottomed steamer; by ox cart, and later stage. Not surprisingly, the first public building in the vicinity was a log house which stood in what is now called LaGrange Cemetery. In 1869, Narcissa Feaster taught an integrated school of 17 pupils in this log house where the people of the community also worshipped. During this time the nearest Post Office was in Enterprise, which was the closest supply station and voting place. Some of the earlier settlers walked there to vote or get a marriage license. Since the LaGrange church was the only church on the Indian River, it became the setting for the all-day Sunday meetings. The people came by ox cart and sail boat, on foot and on horseback from as far away as Ft. Pierce. They would come on Saturday and spend the night with the families in LaGrange. Sometimes, there were as many as fifty in one house!

The staff of Dixie Crossroads welcomes you to Titusville and hopes you enjoy your stay!

Adapted from information obtained from Barbara Worsley Churms