Florida and Georgia Plank Road Company facts for kids

The Florida and Georgia Plank Road Company was a special company that built a unique type of road called a plank road in the 1850s. Imagine a road made out of wooden planks! This company was the only one of its kind in Florida to actually finish building its road. It helped people travel and move goods between Florida and Georgia a long time ago.

The Florida and Georgia Plank Road

A plank road was a type of road built using wooden planks laid side-by-side. These roads were often built in areas where regular dirt roads became very muddy or sandy, making travel difficult. The Florida and Georgia Plank Road Company was one of five companies given permission by the Florida government in 1850 to build such roads. However, it was the only one that successfully completed its project. Another company, the Jacksonville and Alligator Plank Road Company, started building in 1851 but only finished a small part of its route.

Building a New Road

The idea for the Florida and Georgia Plank Road came from Joseph and Green Chaires. They were owners of large cotton farms and needed better ways to transport their crops. They received a special permission, called a charter, to start their company. The original plan was for the road to begin near Newport, Florida. From there, it would stretch all the way to Thomasville, Georgia. The plan also included smaller connecting roads, called spurs, leading to important towns like Tallahassee, Monticello, and Quincy.

The Road's Journey

By 1852, the main part of the plank road was finished. It reached a place called Old St. Augustine Road. The connecting road to Tallahassee was completed a few years later, by 1855. The plank road was an important route for travelers and wagons for many years.

A Fort by the Road

Near where the plank road met Old St. Augustine Road, a small fort was built during the American Civil War. This fort was constructed by Edward Houston, who was the father of Captain Patrick Houston. It was a small "Old Fort" made with earthworks, which are walls made of earth. You can still see parts of these earthworks today in a small city park in the Woodland Hills area.

The Road's History

The Florida and Georgia Plank Road continued to be used into the 1890s. Over time, however, it became less important and eventually fell out of use. The "Old Fort," also known as Fort Houston, was built during the Civil War. It is sometimes connected to the Battle of Natural Bridge. However, Captain Patrick Houston and his artillery group, the Kilcrease Light Artillery, were not at the fort during that battle. Instead, his artillery was positioned closer to the center of the Confederate battle line at Natural Bridge.