City Manager, Mike New
352-472-2161 ext 6
City Clerk, Judy Rice
352-472-2161 ext 7
History of Newberry
Historic Preservation of Newberry History
On the western edge of Alachua County in North Central Florida, Newberry sits in the middle of one of the most picturesque, historical and fastest growing areas in the state.
Founded in the early 1890′s, Newberry was officially put on the map when a post office was established in 1894, followed by incorporation in 1895. Before the 1890′s, families had moved to the area and farmed in the region and also made a living from timbering. However, it was the discovery of phosphate that brought the hidden Florida town to life as a booming mining town.
Newberry quickly grew as people came from literally everywhere to work in the mines. Subsequent businesses grew from the mining industry to serve the needs of a growing community of people who came to a town that didn't have a permanent home until 1891.
In addition to mining, Newberry also became known as a railroad town. Drug stores, hotels, barbers, photographers, milliners, dentists, and doctors were among the many thriving businesses established in town. Pool halls and an opera house were two popular forms of entertainment. And of course, schools and churches were also established to fulfill educational and spiritual needs. In many respects, early Newberry resembled a town in the old west.
Newberry dates back to the late 1880′s when a narrow vein of “hard-rock phosphate” was discovered in the area. Mining companies and prospectors began buying up land. Phosphate processing plants with steam-powered equipment soon dotted the surrounding countryside. Narrow-gauge tram railroads crisscrossed the area to High Springs and Archer.
The phosphate boom was on! Henry Plant extended his Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad Line from High Springs to Archer in 1893, and Newberry was established the following year as a railroad stop and trading center.
A few years later, the Cummer Lumber and Phosphate Company completed the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad line from its lumber mill near Jacksonville to Newberry.
Prior to 1900, the ‘Newberry Miner Newspaper’ reported more than 500 men working at the 14 mines located within 6 miles of town. As the mines prospered, so did the fledgling town of Newberry. By 1907 the city’s occupational license rolls listed livery stables, restaurants, boarding houses, hotels, barbers, cleaners, pharmacies, meat markets, general merchandise stores, photographers, bicycle shops, pool halls, saloons, sideshows, and theaters.
Newberry’s population of 1,500 swelled on the weekends as the miners came to town for supplies and entertainment. Cuttings and shootings were common – they kept Newberry’s three doctors busy. W. N. “Doc” Barry, Sr. worked at his mother’s pharmacy during this period. Mr. Barry described Newberry as “A real wild west town in the East.” Despite its wild nature, Newberry’s prosperity also brought the trappings of civilization in the form of churches, schools, and in 1913, an electric light plant. Those early electric customers enjoyed four hours of light each night.
Newberry’s prosperity began to wane with the discovery of soft-rock phosphate near Dunnellon. An increase in soft-rock production meant a reduction in mining hard-rock phosphate found near Newberry. With the future looking bright everything suddenly came to an abrupt halt in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I, which cut off Newberry’s principal buyer of its phosphate, Germany. Mines closed, businesses folded and the population dwindled. Those that remained turned to agriculture for a livelihood but continued to develop other methods to revitalize the struggling area. Vegetables were grown for the table, while crops like watermelons and tobacco were grown for cash. The land boom of 1925-26 brought hordes of tourists to Tampa and Miami. They traveled through the eastern edge of town on a newly paved road known as the Tamiami Trail.
Newberry’s population remained stable until the advent of the Second World War. Many of Newberry’s finest went away to war. These vets came home filled with energy, fresh ideas, and new skills. Many civic organizations began organizing events and activities to help support their individual communities. An American Legion was formed in 1946 and the legionnaires assumed the lead in getting the community involved in promoting the city. They looked for something that Newberry did well, and since agriculture continued as the main source of income in the area, the mainstay crop of watermelon seemed the obvious choice. And so in 1946, the first Newberry Watermelon Festival was held in celebration of the town’s major cash crop. The first Watermelon Festival included a beauty contest and dance at the skating rink. Today it continues to be an annual celebration the citizens enjoy.
As the fifties ended and the sixties rolled by, the agriculturally-driven seasonal economy was gradually replaced with steady jobs and regular paychecks. Newberry today is close to the cultural attractions in Gainesville but still retains its rural nature.
Alachua County’s school system is generally recognized as one of the top systems in the state and Newberry can further boast that it is one of the few places in Alachua County with true neighborhood schools. The elementary, middle and high schools are all located within one mile of downtown Newberry.
The City of Newberry celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1995. With a population approaching 5,000 Newberry is the perfect blend of old and new, country and city, activity and tranquility; filled with friendly neighbors, Southern charm, and the natural beauty of the land.
(Segments of the above is printed with permission from the Newberry Jonesville Chamber of Commerce, excerpts from Newberry The Early Years, Written and produced by Don L. Davis)