Coincidences

I speculated online and in our print edition of February 2 2012 as to the existence of newspapers in Cedar Key in the mid-nineteenth century - and there, hidden in amongst all of my Stuff was an extract from The Cedar Keys Telegraph produced as part of the Levy County Railroad Days to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Florida Railroad.

The first issue of the Telegraph, published by Chas. W. Blanchard and edited by E.M.Graham, under the slogan "Magna est veritas, et prevalebit" ("Truth is mighty, and it will prevail") was issued at the Cedar Keys on November 2 1859 and cost 25 cents for a single copy or $2.00 a year (respectively, something like $6.25 and $50 in today`s money!).

Vol.2 Issue No.10 of Saturday March 19 1861 was memorable indeed with its banner headline "The railroad has arrived!"; the final spike had been driven on Wednesday March 16 and the screech of the first locomotive (Abner McGehee, built by Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works of Paterson, NJ in April 1839 for the Montgomery Railroad, sold on to a sawmill operator, and then picked up later by the Florida Railroad) was heard on the islands for the first time. Other changes were taking place as well; Levy County`s population had, according to the Federal census, quadrupled from 320 persons in 1850 to 1,332 in 1860, and the climate, the soil, and the magnificent harbors were said to present "superior inducements to the citizens of the older states to come among us".

Locally, the coincidences are that the paper carried items that have just now formed the subject matter for the two most recent Cedar Key Historical Coffees - presentations by Toni Collins on the Light Station on January 19 and by Will Erby on Captain John Chambers on February 16. Thus Augustus Steele, Deputy Customs Collector, was advertising for a "reliable person to perform the duties of Assistant to the Light Keep at the Cedar Keys Light Station Light on Seahorse Key". Liberal salary, uniforms, room and board would be provided to someone who "Must be able to read and write. Must not be color blind or afraid of heights". It appears that he might not have been too lonely because S.R.Molloy, Light Keeper, was advertising tours of the Light Station every Sunday 2pm to 5pm.

Captain Chambers also featured in this issue of The Telegraph, with his call for volunteers to join his Gulf Coast Rangers at Station No.4, who with strong arms and stout hearts would help in the defense of Florida: "Our people want salt, and they must be protected while making it". Capt Chambers also appears to have been the unnamed local planter who denounced Mr. Kinsman, one of the railroad engineers, as an abolitionist and caused him to be tried by a "Committee of Vigilance" in Bronson. Kinsman managed to escape a lynching but was escorted to the train the next morning with instructions not to return and shorn of one-half of his hair, whiskers and mustache.

Never think that History is boring!